Titanic sub: Ex-guide says underwater expeditions ‘safer than flying’ and urges tourists to keep enjoying them

Sophie Wills
By Sophie Wills
Published 26th Jun 2023, 15:59 BST
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A former submarine guide says underwater expeditions are “safer than flying” despite the recent Titan sub tragedy - and has urged tourists to keep enjoying them.

A former submarine guide says underwater expeditions are “safer than flying” - and has urged tourists to keep enjoying them in the wake of the Titanic sub tragedy. Mckenzie Margarethe worked as a nature guide on board touring submarines for two years.

The 31-year-old and her team took tourists 110ft below the surface to marvel at the sea creatures and ship wrecks. Mckenzie and the crew submerged four to six times a day for 45 minute voyages off the coast of Hawaii where she grew up.

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The marine scientist fears tourists might avoid submarine trips in the wake of the Titan tragedy. But she said people should keep enjoying the fascinating trips.

Mckenzie, now living in British Columbia, Canada, said: “My heart absolutely goes out to their families. But I also hope people don’t develop a fear of going on a touring submarine because of this tragedy.

“Touring submarines are very safe and it’s such a beautiful experience to see all the coral and the amazing creatures. It’s very different from the great depths the Titan was going to.

“Sure you’re aware of all that water on top of you, but when I fly I’m also aware of all that distance between me and the ground. There are so many safety features on the touring subs I worked on. It’s much safer than flying.

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“If you can fly to Hawaii you can definitely go down in the submarines that I did. There’s a drop weight which stops a submarine rolling or bouncing. If anything goes wrong with coming back up you can release the drop weight so you’ll resurface.

“Even in a scenario where we lost all power there were vents on the sides that a diver could come and open - that allows compressed air to fill tanks which bring us up again.

Mckenzie Margarethe worked as a nature guide on board touring submarines for two years - and says underwater expeditions are “safer than flying”.Mckenzie Margarethe worked as a nature guide on board touring submarines for two years - and says underwater expeditions are “safer than flying”.
Mckenzie Margarethe worked as a nature guide on board touring submarines for two years - and says underwater expeditions are “safer than flying”.

“And everyone is so well trained. They know what to do in every possible situation and passengers’ safety is the number-one priority.”

Mckenzie, who has always been into coral conservation and marine invertebrates, was a free diver before her years on subs for Atlantis from 2017 to 2019. She accompanied vessels off the coast of Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii, taking 48 tourists with three crew.

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