Billionaire Sir Richard Branson today unveiled his latest toy - an underwater plane.

The $655,000 prototype submersible is called the Necker Nymph and can dive
to depths of up to 39.6 metres. Sir Richard hopes to one day explore depths
of 10.66 kms - which is far more than the height of Mount Everest.

The Virgin Necker Nymph will dive up to 39.6 metres under the waves. It is made from carbon fibre and has fighter jet technology

Sir
Richard plans to hire the Nymph out to visitors of his luxury hideaway,
Necker Island. Gliding like an aeroplane through the water it can carry
a pilot and two visitors on a two-hour trip.  After undergoing scuba training, guests can uncover ancient shipwrecks, fly side-by-side with dolphins or follow whales. 

Such a unique experience comes at a
price of course. The Nymph is available to hire for $25,000 a week, but only after you have forked out a minimum of $88,000 for seven nights on the luxury catamaran, the Necker Belle.

The
luxury sub has fighter jet technology and is piloted with a joystick.
While most subs use ballast to propel subs under the water, the Nymph
uses downward 'lift' on the wings to fly down.

It was designed and built by Graham Hawkes, chief of Hawkes Ocean Technologies and is the first of its kind.

'The Nymph is an entirely new class of vehicle for us - think of
a sleek Convertible under water. It is different from our other
submersibles because it was specifically designed to dive to scuba
depths in tropical waters.

It has the flexibility to glide peacefully over glorious reefs or bank adventurously in 360 degree turns.'

The sub, which is part of its Deep Flight range, is 'hydrobatic' with individual 'wind shields' that removes the pressure of slipstream. This means the sub can have an open cockpit that gives guests panoramic views.

The sub had a low environmental impact.

'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.'

Sir Richard is expecting the sub to be delivered on February 20.