Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed to grant permission to Vinpearl JSC to launch a tourism dive boat service in Nha Trang Bay on a pilot basis for a period of two years.

The model of diving ship that Vinpearl plans to put into operation

This move has seen PM Phuc assign the Ministry of Transport to co-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies in order to plan for the scope of the operation, along with relevant rescue plans, whilst tightening management over tourism dive boat services in Nha Trang Bay.

This is being done with the aim of ensuring that safety is guaranteed for visitors, the local environment is protected, and the various ecosystems of Nha Trang Bay are conserved.

During the implementation of the pilot scheme, relevant agencies will be required to regularly perform safety checks on dive boat and other support services as a means of ensuring absolute safety for visitors.

This comes after Vinpearl JSC called for the launch of dive boat services in Nha Trang Bay on a pilot basis in January, with the company expected to make use of the world’s most advanced cruise ship, the Deep View DV100 - 24 manufactured by Triton Submarine.

The electric dive boat is completely noiseless whilst it has no discernable impact on local marine ecology. In addition, it is capable of accommodating  24 tourists and two crew members at a time whilst running at a maximum speed of three nautical miles per hour, equivalent to 5.5 km per hour.

Vinpearl JSC therefore expects to operate 10 tours via dive boat each day, with a time limit of 30 minutes for each tour launched from the Bai Bang area or from Hon Mot island.