Jumbo Jet arrives in Bahrain's underwater theme park

Don't panic! These pictures are not from the 'unlikely event of a landing on water' but of a retired 747 on its way to its final destination.

Towed out to sea and sunk, the shell of a Boeing 747 is seeing a new lease of life in Bahrain as an artificial reef.

Located at the tail end of the Unesco heritage waters, the underwater theme park has found space to retire the old Jumbo Jet.

The aluminium Jumbo has been stripped of any harmful substances. Photo /twitter, divebahrain

What might appear to be sending the old jet plane to a watery grave is, in fact, creating a vibrant ecosystem for Bahrain's aquatic wildlife to flourish.

Submerged to a depth of 20 metres the aluminum shell is to be a centerpiece for the international attraction for scuba divers. It will be the largest sunken plane accessible to the public.

Open from the end of August the attraction is located around 30km off shore of the Amwaj islands.

Look at these wings! 🤩

بجناحيها.. طائرة 747 راسية في الأعماق! ✈️#DiveBahrain #Dive #Bahrain #Scubadiving #SCE #BahrainOursYours #ecotourism #underwater #underwaterworld pic.twitter.com/uteJSmySvl

— divebahrain (@divebahrain) June 18, 2019

The white livery with 'divebahrain.com' written down the side of the 12-metre plane is unlikely to stay pristine for long. It is hoped that the plane will become an anchor point for coral nurseries in the Gulf.

Among the other sunken treasures hidden in the 100,000 square-metre reserve is a replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant's house.

Settling in nicely to her new home.. and looking forward to welcoming you from August ✈️ 🥽

الطائرة مستقرة في محطتها الجديدة وترحب بهواة الغوص بدءً من شهر اغسطس القادم#DiveBahrain #Dive #Bahrain #Scubadiving #SCE #BahrainOursYours #ecotourism #underwater #underwaterworld pic.twitter.com/0bNXhiUU8C

— divebahrain (@divebahrain) June 15, 2019

Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President for Bahrain's Environment Council says the park will also include "artificial coral reefs and other sculptures fabricated from eco-friendly materials."

Once the hunting ground for pearl divers, the area will soon be teaming with tourist divers.

The 747 on its way to Bahrain's new underwater theme park. Photo / Twitter, divebahrain

HE Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the country's minister for industry was enthusiastic for the project, saying:

"We are proud to launch this unique eco-friendly project in partnership with local diving companies, the Supreme Council for Environment and the private sector.

"The new theme park will undoubtedly emerge as a global tourist attraction.

"The world-class project covers an extensive area, and will provide an unforgettable experience for both tourists and diving enthusiasts alike."

With the rusting Jumbo now in place, the park is set to open to the public.