Bahrain Opens World’s Largest Underwater Theme Park

Bahrain inaugurates the world’s largest underwater theme park. (BNA)
Bahrain inaugurates the world’s largest underwater theme park. (BNA)
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Bahrain Opens World’s Largest Underwater Theme Park

Bahrain inaugurates the world’s largest underwater theme park. (BNA)
Bahrain inaugurates the world’s largest underwater theme park. (BNA)

Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani officially inaugurated Friday the world’s largest underwater theme park, Dive Bahrain.

The initial phase of the project was completed recently by submerging a 70-meter long Boeing 747, 20-22 meters below waters north of Bahrain, to become the first attraction of the 100,000 m2 theme park, said the Bahrain news agency (BNA).

Prior to the opening, the park was inspected by a group of diving professionals, who ensured all safety requirements are fully met to guarantee a safe experience for the public.

The minister said the theme park aims to further boost tourism within the strategy of Bahrain Tourism Authority (BTA) to promote the sector. He added that the park’s location was chosen according to the highest marine environment safety standards in consultation with registered dive centers.

During the official opening, the minister, Chief Executive of the Supreme Council for Environment, Dr. Mohammed Mubarak bin Daina, along with a number of professional divers carried out an inaugural dive to experience the magnificent underwater aircraft structure.

Dive Bahrain will be open to the public on Saturday.

In addition to the aircraft, the park will include several structures, such as a replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, an artificial coral reef and other sculptures that will be submerged to provide a safe haven for coral reef growth and a habitat for sustainable marine life.

The eco-friendly park will also provide researchers with rich information and data on marine ecology and biology and will improve environmental awareness on the importance of preserving marine life.



Two Bears Escape Wildlife Park Enclosure, Eat a 7-Day Supply of Honey, Then Fall Asleep

Rescued brown bear cubs, Lucy (left) and Mish (right) explore gifts stuffed with their favorite treats ahead of their move from the Wildwood Trust in Kent to their forever home at the Trust's sister site, Escot in Devon, on Wednesday April 7, 2021. Getty images  
Rescued brown bear cubs, Lucy (left) and Mish (right) explore gifts stuffed with their favorite treats ahead of their move from the Wildwood Trust in Kent to their forever home at the Trust's sister site, Escot in Devon, on Wednesday April 7, 2021. Getty images  
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Two Bears Escape Wildlife Park Enclosure, Eat a 7-Day Supply of Honey, Then Fall Asleep

Rescued brown bear cubs, Lucy (left) and Mish (right) explore gifts stuffed with their favorite treats ahead of their move from the Wildwood Trust in Kent to their forever home at the Trust's sister site, Escot in Devon, on Wednesday April 7, 2021. Getty images  
Rescued brown bear cubs, Lucy (left) and Mish (right) explore gifts stuffed with their favorite treats ahead of their move from the Wildwood Trust in Kent to their forever home at the Trust's sister site, Escot in Devon, on Wednesday April 7, 2021. Getty images  

Two young bears escaped from their enclosure at a UK wildlife park and devoured a week's worth of food store honey before falling asleep, the park said on Tuesday.

Mish and Lucy, both aged four, got out of their enclosure at Wildwood Devon in southwestern England on Monday afternoon, according to CBS News.

The pair made a beeline for their food store where they scoffed snacks, including the seven-day supply of honey, a park statement said.

The bears “posed no threat to the public at any point” although visitors on site were escorted to a secure building as a precaution.

During the hour-long drama, the bears were “continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV” until they were returned to their enclosure by keepers and promptly “fell asleep,” Wildwood added.

“Our experienced keeping team acted immediately, following established safety protocols, and successfully used recall training to encourage both bears back into their enclosure without the need for any intervention,” the park said.

Police were at the scene and an investigation was underway to determine how the animals managed to break out. The park said an “operational error” allowed the bears to escape, without elaborating.

“This was an isolated incident, and we are conducting a full internal investigation to understand exactly how it happened and to ensure robust measures are in place to prevent a reoccurrence," the park wrote on social media.

It added, “While the structural integrity of the bear enclosure remains uncompromised, we take any operational lapse extremely seriously.”

The park, which covers 40 acres of gardens and woodland, is home to an array of wildlife including brown bears, wolves and arctic foxes.

Mish and Lucy were taken in by Wildwood in 2021 after being abandoned by their mother in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains.

Several attempts were made to reintroduce the cubs into the wild but it became clear to conservationists that they could not survive on their own.