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Underwater Post Offices and Mailboxes Around the World
With the proliferation of WiFi and cell phones, does anybody mail postcards anymore? I haven't gotten one in years, so I assume the answer is "no." If, however, on your next trip you decide that you not only want to send a postcard, but you want to do something unique, why not send a card from an underwater mailbox? Though not common, there are five underwater mailboxes for you to visit:- Vanuatu Post created the world's first underwater post office. Situated within a marine sanctuary off Hideaway Island, this post office, staffed by a postal employee, can receive mail if you are a visiting diver or snorkeler. The best part? The lines are always short.
- On Japan's southeastern coast, there's a mailbox 33 feet beneath the surface of the water -- the deepest mailbox on record. Each day, the contents are collected from the box, which reportedly contains as many as 200 pieces of mail. Conveniently, the group who developed this post office also invented Surumail: edible, squid-flavored postcards.
- Malaysia's Reef Dive Resort has set up what it believes to be that country's first underwater mailbox. Any mail sent through this mailbox is sealed inside a plastic bag and postmarked with a special stamp.
- St. Thomas, USVI, has an underwater post office inside its Underwater Observatory, which means you can get the "underwater stamp" without getting "underwater wet."
- Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, boasts an underwater mailbox adjacent to a spiraling 100-foot tower.
I'd love to get a postcard sent from an underwater mailbox. The first person to send me one gets an Amazon gift certificate worth 10 times the amount of the postage.
Filed under: Scuba Diving
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
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gozino Apr 23rd 2007 3:54PM
Now this is really funny, some people are really creative.
tek428 Apr 24th 2007 9:32AM
That is pretty neat!
Nothing like the underwater resaurant from a few days back though.
http://www.bloggingwv.com
Rhea Apr 25th 2007 10:18AM
So, a gift certificate worth $4.60. I'm in!!
Swordbuddha Apr 25th 2007 4:15PM
Not that I'm against it or anything, but why would anyone NEED to mail anything from underwater? Surely most postal situations can wait until you've had a chance to towel off.
Must just be for the sheer novelty of it.
Mundoo Apr 28th 2007 5:23AM
I am sorry to hear you haven't had a postcard for years. I get at least one every week from all around the world.
There is a flourishing group of postcard senders and receivers at http://www.postcrossing.com
What is postcrossing?
It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (paper ones, not electronic) from random places in the world.
NyLaska Apr 28th 2007 10:11PM
that's kind of interesting. I've never heard of such a thing until now, and i was in the bahamas in 2005, unless it wasn't built then.
i think the next thing they should have is postcards monogramed onto food. they already monogram pictures onto cakes and cookies. it'd be cool to get an edible postcard. and it shouldn't be on just cakes and cookies; they should monogram it onto pizza. of course the pizza would have to be packaged in dry ice, but i'm sure it'll just taste like a regular frozen pizza. monogramed cakes and cookies taste like they should! anyone up for my idea?
NyLaska Apr 28th 2007 10:54PM
btw, if u want to give someone an amazon gift card, it needs to be at least 100 times postage price. i dont think you can by anything on amazon for $3.90. btw, i'm going to the bahamas in the summer, if i have time i'll send an underwater postcard.
and rhea, i dont know where you live, but in the U.S, a regular stamp costs 39 cents; idk how much a postcard stamp is. i think it's somewhere in the 20 cent range.
btw, anyone still up for my idea about monogrammed edible postcards. let me know. my name is NyLaska.
missy Apr 28th 2007 11:10PM
howd we find out about things like this before the internet? oh thats right...we didnt lol thanks for the info willy :)
Rick Apr 29th 2007 12:17AM
Not nearly as fun as mailing a coconut (just as it is - write the address with a permanent marker and slap on some stamps). Like a postcard, a coconut is another item that the US Postal Service will ship without requiring an "envelope" or other external wrapping/packaging. I think they will also ship a plain solid brick too. Great trivia...
phaedressbrown Apr 30th 2007 9:39PM
the edible postcards idea is really cool and creative, NyLaska. i'd much rather have a postcard on a pizza than on a squid. although, technically, it isn't mongrammed onto a squid, it just tastes like squid, but you know what i mean.
Angela Apr 29th 2007 12:51AM
NyLaska...
If you will re-read the article, #2 clearly states that an edible postcard has already been done....duh.
The Zub Apr 29th 2007 12:58AM
Hold on hold on...how is any of this possible without getting your mail wet? AND do they just get out of the water and mail everything? or do they swim to the destination? cause that would be cool.
bubbettemn Apr 29th 2007 1:03AM
new ideas for la after the hurricane
Jane Apr 30th 2007 10:07PM
Just put an ice cream stand next to the psot office and you have everything you need.
NyLaska May 2nd 2007 3:22AM
Angela
I already saw what they wrote on #2. I was just suggesting other ideas. Any way, they said that postcard only tasted like squid, not monagrammed onto squid. it would be pretty cool if calamari (which is squid/ocotopus for those that dont know) could be mongrammed on, but it's impossible to do. also, does anybody like the idea of having a postcard on wine? idk if they do that yet. the wine would have to be packaged tho, but as well as a label on the wine bottle, your message on one side of the bottle, and on the other side, a picture! that's cool aint it? idk if that's already done.
Cypris May 16th 2007 2:52PM
Hello !
I'm from France and I'm searching postcards of different countrys because I collect international postcards.
Please tell me if you're interested to exchange some.
Best regards.
Cypris.
http://www.cypris58.com
Bonjour !
Je suis en France et je recherche des cartes postales de plusieurs pays, car je collectionne les cartes postales du monde entier.
S'il-vous-plaît dites-moi si cela vous intéresse d'en échanger.
Salutations.
Cypris.
http://www.cypris58.com