West Edmonton Mall Deep Sea Adventure

An early view of the Deep Sea Adventure. Shown here with passengers disembarking. Note the early uniforms of the operators.

A submarine from the The Deep Sea Adventure ride, shown mid-trip rounding the bow of the Santa Maria.

A submarine from the The Deep Sea Adventure ride, shown mid-trip rounding the bow of the Santa Maria.

The Deep Sea Adventure was a submarine ride attraction in West Edmonton Mall.

The submarines were first unveiled in the Phase Three expansion of the mall, in 1985. Each were made out of lead and aluminum, and each weighed around 38 tonnes. A proud catchphrase / fact which was often cited about the attraction was that there are more Submarines in West Edmonton Mall than there are in Canada’s Navy.

The attraction featured four subs which would travel around the world’s largest indoor lake, the same one which hosts the Santa Maria replica, and is connected to the Sea Life Caverns and Sea Lion’s Rock.

Riders would board a submarine, and sit in front of a port hole which looked out into the lake. The sub would travel along a track around the lake, which was filled with undersea décor, ornaments, and even views of live fish. An operator would guide guests with a verbal tour of the expedition.

In 2005, after 20 years of service, the rides were halted. Then, in 2012, it was determined that it would not be feasible for the attraction to ever resume, and the vessels were removed completely.