NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Virgin unveiled the latest addition to Richard Branson's luxury fleet on Friday: an underwater plane that will fly riders into the depths of the Caribbean Sea.
Guests on Necker Island, a retreat in the British Virgin Islands, will be able to dive underwater in a submarine dubbed the Necker Nymph for $25,000 a week. But that's only after shelling out around $300,000 for a one-week stay on Necker, the private island owned by billionaire and Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson.
Beginning on Feb. 20, two riders and a pilot will be able to take the plunge from land or from a boat. The underwater plane uses the downward pressure on its wings to fly through the water for up to two hours at a time, while an open cockpit will give riders a 360-degree view.
The Necker Nymph's typical speed is 2 to 5 nautical miles per hour and it can dive more than 100 feet, said Karen Hawkes, a spokeswoman for Hawkes Ocean Technologies, the company that designed the Nymph.
A statement released Friday by Virgin Limited Edition, the luxury arm of Virgin Hotels, described the Nymph's launch like a plane's takeoff. "Gliding on the water's surface like an aeroplane on a runway, one of the three pilots will operate the joystick to smoothly dive down."
Vacationers will be able to fly the Necker Nymph while chartering the Necker Belle, Branson's 105-foot yacht, or the submarine can be launched from shore. Necker Belle is rented out to guests for $88,000 a week, bringing the full Necker Island experience to more than $400,000 per week.
Riders must follow SCUBA procedures and be trained or accompanied by a certified pilot before entering the underwater plane. SCUBA tanks are mounted in the submarine and passengers must wear masks while underwater, said Hawkes.
The Necker Nymph claims "near-zero" environmental impact because its "positive buoyancy prevents the sub from landing on a reef, and its low light and noise emissions ensure the fragile ocean ecosystems remain undisturbed," Virgin said. 
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 24,580.89 | 119.19 | 0.49% |
| Nasdaq | 7,692.82 | -20.14 | -0.26% |
| S&P 500 | 2,754.88 | 5.12 | 0.19% |
| Treasuries | 2.90 | 0.00 | 0.10% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comcast Corp | 33.81 | 1.02 | 3.11% |
| Bank of America Corp... | 28.99 | -0.30 | -1.02% |
| General Electric Co | 13.05 | 0.29 | 2.27% |
| AT&T Inc | 31.69 | 0.09 | 0.28% |
| Micron Technology In... | 57.10 | -2.34 | -3.94% |
|
One of the world's leading smartphone makers is aiming for the biggest stock market listing in nearly two years. More |
If Trump puts tariffs on European cars, it would hurt automakers who build a lot of cars in the United States. More |
Russian trolls posing as an American college student tweeted about divisive social, political and cultural issues using an account that amassed thousands of followers -- and appeared in dozens of news stories published by major media outlets -- as recently as March. More |
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More |
If you find yourself in a love-hate relationship with money, here's how to get back on track. More |
