PROTEUS™: Exploring the Uncharted: The future of Subaquatic Tourism.

Discover the exciting project by Fabien Cousteau, the visionary grandson of the legendary French explorer Jacques Cousteau. His ambitious dream is to create a wonder beneath the waves: an international underwater station named PROTEUS™, in honor of the King of the Sea from Greek mythology. This station will be anchored in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters of Curaçao, at a depth of 20-25 meters, and will open its doors to scientists and tourists in 2027.

PROTEUS™ will become a cutting-edge scientific platform, a hub for global collaboration that will enable both the public and private sectors to research, develop new applications, and create innovative technologies.

While the International Space Station (ISS) soars 350-400 kilometers above, PROTEUS™ will stand firm beneath the waves, not moving an inch. Instead of astronauts, it will be intrepid aquanauts who play a pivotal role in this exciting venture.

The past event, SUTUS by Les Roches 2023, took place from September 26 to 28 in Marbella, was possible to hear firsthand from Fabien Cousteau, the Chief Ocean Explorer and Co-Founder and President of Proteus Ocean Group, who was sharing the latest details of this thrilling project.

According to Fabien Cousteau, "exploring the ocean is like diving into Wonderland, a magical place full of colors and astonishing creatures that we have not yet fully discovered. We have only explored between 5% and 7% of our oceans." His dream is to create a network of underwater habitats in multiple locations, and the first of these, PROTEUS™, will be off the coast of Curaçao. This station will have two floors and can accommodate up to 12 aquanauts. It will also be equipped with a data center, private suites, laboratories, an underwater greenhouse, and a video production facility for live streaming of scientific research, similar to NASA's space station. PROTEUS™ will be powered by renewable energies such as wind and solar.

For Cousteau, the ocean remains a mystery to be fully explored, and PROTEUS™ aims to fill that gap in underwater research. His significant challenge is to live in the depths of the sea for extended periods, and he compares this adventure to missions of colonization on the Moon or Mars. Although he acknowledges that investment in space exploration is considerably greater, he points out that our oceans are vital for our survival and deserve equally intense attention.

PROTEUS™ will be situated at a depth of 20-25 meters for scientific, safety, and practical reasons, but it will also have deeper sections to study the rich biodiversity of the deep mesophotic coral reef system.

In the fourth edition of SUTUS, Gary Rosewell, Director of Partnerships at Proteus Ocean Group, was featured as another passionate marine explorer who was determined to become an aquanaut in this "International Oceanic Space Station".

Photo by Proteus Ocean Group. Visit website here