Captain Nemo and his Nautilus in Gdynia?

Saturday, 01 June 2024 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Who doesn't know the writer Jules Verne and his future and fantasy stories? I still like the film adaptation of his best-known adventure novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (by the way, the book was written between 1869 and 1870).

And now the encounter with the fantasy model “Nautilus” of his submarine in the harbour of Gdynia? !

Author Jules Verne – a French writer from Nantes

Jules Verne was best known for his novels “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” (1864), “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1869–1870) and “Round the Earth in 80 Days” (1873). Alongside Hugo Gernsback, Kurd Laßwitz and H. G. Wells, Jules Verne is considered one of the founders of so-called science fiction literature, because it takes a lot of imagination and technical understanding to come up with such stories.

Jules Verne grew up in the shipping district of the port city of Nantes as the eldest of five children of a lawyer and his wife, who came from shipping circles, which is probably the origin of his interest in adventure and the sea. As an eleven-year-old, he is said to have secretly tried to go on a sea voyage as a cabin boy, but was taken off board at the last moment. He spent his school years at private Catholic schools in his hometown and finished it there in 1846 at the state high school. He then went to Paris to study law because he was supposed to take over his father's law practice.

After completing his studies (1849), he therefore stayed in Paris, where he lived until he moved to Amiens, and initially tried his hand primarily in various dramatic genres, from tragedy to opera libretto. In 1851, his first piece was accepted by a literary magazine, in which two of his stories appeared in the same year. Verne was no longer able to let go of their subjects of 'sea travel' or 'balloon flight', even though he continued to write texts with completely different themes for a long time.

In 1859 and 1861 he went on boat trips to Scotland and Norway with his composer friend Aristide Hignard, which finally opened up the world of seafaring to him. The first voyage was the basis of the novel “Voyage à reculons en Angleterre et Écosse” (Journey with Obstacles to England and Scotland), which was not published during Verne's lifetime.

In 1872, his greatest success was “Le Tour du monde en 80 jours” (Around the World in 80 Days), which he also adapted for the theatre with Adolphe d’Ennery as co-author. In 1876, the adventure political crime film Michel Strogoff (The Tsar's Courier), set in Siberia, was published with similar success and was also made into a play.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne

If you don't actually know the novel, here's a brief introduction to the topic: The novel is ostensibly a report of the experiences of the French professor Pierre Aronnax, author of a work on "The Secrets of the Sea Depths". In the years 1866 and 1867, mysterious ship accidents increased on all the world's oceans.

The press speculates that a previously unknown sea monster or an “underwater vehicle with extraordinary mechanical power” caused the ships to capsize.

Aronnax suspects a gigantic narwhal is the cause. Because of his expertise as an oceanographer, the American government asked him in 1867 to join an expedition to clarify what was happening.

So Aronnax sets sail on board the US frigate Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by his indifferent servant Conseil.

After weeks of searching in the North Pacific, they sighted the object in question. In the course of the subsequent chase, Aronnax, Conseil and the Canadian harpooner Ned Land are washed into the open sea, but ultimately find solid ground under the feet of the supposed sea monster. It turns out that it is actually a submarine made of iron. After a while, a hatch opens, from which crew members of the vehicle emerge and lock the three men in a cell. They are later presented to the captain, who introduces himself as “Nemo” – Latin for “nobody”.

There are a number of adventures that make the book so fascinating, especially because of the period in which it was published. Maybe your interest will be piqued, too!

Nautilus – Underwater adventure in the “Batyskafem” called Nautilus

But now back to the Nautilus in Gdynia.

Do you also dream of exploring the depths of the ocean or are you looking for alternative entertainment?

Because that's the slogan of the submarine simulator here in Gdynia, recreated according to the technical imagination but equipped with the finest technology inside, because amazing, film-technical experiences are offered here.

The so-called Batyskafem is a timeless submarine designed for “deep sea research”.

During a bookable “exploration trip” the fellow traveller experiences an unforgettable tour at the bottom of the prehistoric ocean.

The feeling of traveling on the Batyskafem is conveyed by a specially designed platform, which, in combination with the projection and special glasses, increases the experience enormously. The huge screen takes the viewer into another dimension and gives the impression of being present in the space of the film. This was a short but phenomenal conversation for us. If you want to face your fears and get a maximum adrenaline rush, you've come to the right place. Don't believe that everything is just a simulation!