Téléscaphe
Top: The remains of the Téléscaphe's pulleys. Bottom: The Téléscaphe in operation, showing two of four submarines. | |
| Locale | Les Goudes, Marseille, France |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Passage de Croisettes |
| Transit type | Cable submarines |
| Began operation | June 1967 |
| Ended operation | 1968 |
| System length | 500 metres (1,600 ft) |
| Travel time | 10 minutes |
The Téléscaphe (a portmanteau of "téléphérique" (cable car) and "bathyscaphe"[1]) was an underwater cable way, situated near Les Goudes, Marseille, France.
In the early 1960s, ski lift engineer Denis Creissels and alpine skier James Couttet set out to design a system that would make visits to the seabed accessible to the general public.[2][3]
With support from the City of Marseille and the École nationale des ponts et chaussées, construction began in 1966, and the attraction opened in June 1967.[4]
The system consisted of four bell-shaped, six-seater submarines, each weighing around 3 tons and pulled by a cable.[4][5] It could carry approximately 60 passengers per hour. A trip cost 12 francs, and safety was overseen by frogmen who monitored the operation. The submarines were fitted with lights, and could be operated at night.[3] After each trip passengers received a certificate (a "baptême de plongée" or “diving baptism”) commemorating their first dive.[4][6]
The Téléscaphe ran between Callelongue and Cap Croisette at a depth of 10 metres (33 ft) over a distance of 500 metres (1,600 ft). It proved popular with over 31,000 people[3] but only operated for two seasons, closing in 1967 due to lack of money and support,[4] as well as high operational and maintenance costs. In addition, there was an incident where a submarine ended up on its side and its three occupants had to swim to safety.[3][1][5][4] The entire project cost over 2 million francs.[3]
The system was later dismantled, although some of the shoreline bull wheels remain in place to this day.[6][5]
References
- ^ a b "Le téléscaphe de Callelongue - Parc national des calanques". www.calanques-parcnational.fr. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Tourisme sous l'eau". INA. 4 August 1969. Archived from the original on 1 November 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e philoursmars. "Le Téléscaphe". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Le télescaphe de Callelongue". Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Chu, Nicholas (15 April 2013). "Underwater Cable Car - Téléscaphe de Callelongue - Marseille, France". The Gondola Project. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Association Les Portes Des Calanques : Samena-l'Escalette-les Goudes-les Croisettes-Callelongue : curiosités". Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2025.