Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has signed a decision approving the extension of the pilot operation of submarine services in Nha Trang Bay, located in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, until March 30, 2025.

Deputy PM Ha approved the extension following the Ministry of Transport’s proposal, at a time when the ministry is developing a draft decree on the management of submarines used for tourism purposes in Vietnam’s waters.

The official tasked the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, the administration in Khanh Hoa Province, Vinpearl Joint Stock Company, which operates the services, and other relevant agencies with supervising the operation of submarines and offering support to ensure absolute safety.

In October 2020, the prime minister agreed in principle to allow the trial of submarine services in Nha Trang Bay.

The Ministry of Transport later allowed Vinpearl to offer the services on a trial basis from February 2021 to February 2023. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the service pilot.

As a result, the pilot operation of the services was extended to July 2024.

Vinpearl reported that the company had operated 713 safe dives, including those for training and tourism purposes, carrying over 2,700 people to explore marine life in Nha Trang Bay between April 30 and September 12, 2022.

The submersibles used by Vinpearl in Nha Trang Bay are the 24-seat Deep View DV100-24 models, manufactured by Triton Submarine, a U.S.-based company.

The electric submarines cause neither noise nor impact on the marine ecology, according to Khanh Hoa newspaper.

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