No, it isn’t April Fool’s Day. And it’s certainly not an Onion piece. Uber, in partnership with Australia’s Tourism and Events Queensland, has launched an Uber submarine service, aptly named scUber.
For the next few weeks, ScUber will take two brave passengers 30 metres underwater to explore the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll need rather deep pockets though, because it will cost you USD2,000 (AUD3,000) for two persons per ride.
If money is no object, fire up your Uber app and book the experience just like you would a regular Uber ride. Caveat: You’ll need to be at selected Queensland cities and numbers are restricted so availability cannot be guaranteed.
The scUber experience will be available starting on Heron Island, of the coast of Gladstone in the Southern Great Barrier Reef region from 27 May, before moving to Agincourt Reef off the coast of Port Douglas in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region from 9 June 2019.
The experience includes:
Pickup from your location with the Uber app;
- Return scenic helicopter ride to either Heron Island (for riders requesting from Gladstone) or the Quicksilver Cruises pontoon off the coast of Port Douglas (for riders requesting from Cairns, Port Douglas and Palm Cove);
- One hour ride in a scUber submarine;
- Return trip back to your original pickup address with Uber.
From 27 May to 18 June 2019, ScUber will take riders an unfiltered view of the underwater world. For non-Queensland natives, a select number of global countries* can win a once-in-a-lifetime trip by entering a simple contest.
*USA, Canada, United Kingdom, France, New Zealand and Australia.
The prize package will include return airfares and transfers and five nights luxury accommodation staying at Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort. This will include the Great Barrier Reef experience with Quicksilver Cruises and Nautilus Aviation, as well as the scUber ride at Agincourt Reef. There will also be a world-heritage listed Daintree Rainforest Tour as well as AUD250 Uber credit for use with the Uber and Uber Eats app. Details here.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system and largest living organism on the planet—home to 3,000 individual reefs, 900 islands and over 1,500 species of fish.
It represents around 10 percent of all coral reefs in the world. To put it into perspective, the gargantuan reef is the size of about 70 million football fields.
It stretches 2,300km from the tip of Cape York in the north to Bundaberg in the south.
The Reef is a World Heritage Area since 1981 and the world’s first reef ecosystem to be recognised by UNESCO.
The ongoing preservation and sustainable protection efforts is one of global importance. Uber will be donating USD100,000 to Citizens of Great Barrier Reef to help support Reef conservation programs.
For more information about scUber, visit scuberqueensland.com
