With the historic scientific expedition to Belize’s Blue Hole fast approaching, Aquatica Submarines has announced Discovery Inc. as the Expedition media partner. Discovery will be conducting a live broadcast of the Expedition, which will be televised globally from 4pm-6pm EST on Sunday, December 2nd through the Discovery Channel.

The live broadcast will profile the Expedition team and follow them from the surface to the bottom of the Blue Hole. Aquatica’s Chief Pilot and Oceanographer, Erika Bergman, will be joined by Sir Richard Branson and Fabien Cousteau for this unique and truly historic event.

As they descend into the Blue Hole, there will be a discussion included on the live broadcast about ocean conservation and preservation. These topics are a key focus of the Expedition for all parties involved, and the live broadcast will help ensure that this vital message reaches viewers around the globe.

“Having a media partner like Discovery for the Expedition will give us the chance to share our amazing experiences to a much wider audience,” commented President and CEO of Aquatica Submarines Harvey Flemming. “The live broadcast with Sir Richard Branson and Fabien Cousteau will add a great deal of impact as both of these ocean advocates will be able to give some tremendous insights as to how we can and will help preserve our world’s precious oceans,” Flemming added.

In other recent news, Aquatica has announced Virgin Voyages as a Platinum Sponsor for the Expedition. Virgin Voyages was founded in 2014 with a mission to create the world’s most irresistible travel brand. The company currently has four ships on order with master shipbuilder Fincantieri with its first ship, the Scarlet Lady, due for delivery in 2020.

The brand seeks to redefine what you should expect from a holiday at sea. Virgin Voyages is committed to creating an Epic Sea Change for all by playing a significant part in securing a healthy future for the oceans and having a positive impact on the communities and ports they visit. The story of Virgin Voyages is perfectly aligned with the Expedition’s goals of ocean awareness and preservation.

The new and innovative company is making “sustainable sailing” a core principle of their business. Initiatives for Virgin Voyages include: clean energy generation to decrease carbon dioxide emissions, eliminating single-use plastics and wasteful food buffets to reduce waste generation, and sourcing sustainable fish, seafood and reef safe sunscreens to ensure a healthy future for the ocean.

About The Blue Hole

Situated in the center of Lighthouse Reef 40 miles off the coast of Belize, the Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole that is 1,043 ft (318 m) in diameter and 407 ft (124 m) deep. To put its size into perspective, the Blue Hole could easily swallow two entire Boeing 747s in one gulp, undiscoverable from the surface. The Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System which is a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

In 1971, the site’s name was coined by legendary oceanic explorer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau and identified as one of the top five scuba diving sites in the world. In the same adventurous spirit as Cousteau, the Aquatica mission—which will be captured by a marine biologist/videographer—is not just about feeding curiosity, but also about ocean education, conservation and scientific research.

About Aquatica Submarines

Aquatica Submarines is an emerging and innovative company in the manned submersible technology space. Based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the company strives to design, build and operate safe, robust and versatile manned submersibles for use in scientific, commercial and recreational endeavours.