This mailing service requires senders to use a special waterproof postcard and stamp.
Top 5 Unique Mailboxes Under the Sea
In today’s world, where communication via the internet has become commonplace, sending traditional mail may seem like a forgotten art. However, have you ever heard of the mail service that operates through mailboxes located under the sea?
We have all heard of underwater hotels or restaurants, but who would think of placing a mailbox underwater? It may sound unusual, but around the world, there are several places that have developed this service, attracting numerous tourists. This creates a unique experience for visitors to these locations.
Below are five places worldwide that offer this distinctive mailing service.
1. Hideaway Island, Vanuatu
Visitors can dive down and personally drop their mail into the mailbox.
The underwater post office off Hideaway Island in Vanuatu is one of the most famous post offices in the world. Established in 2003, it is located at a depth of 3 meters. Here, waterproof postcards are provided for tourists, who can either drop them into the submerged mailbox themselves or request staff assistance.
At certain times of the day, a postal worker wearing scuba gear dives down to the mailbox to retrieve postcards, stamps them with a special embossing device while still underwater, and sends them out.
2. Susami Bay, Japan
Created in 1999 as part of a promotional fair for the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route and surrounding areas in southern Wakayama Prefecture, this mailbox initially did not attract much attention.
It wasn’t until Toshihiko Matsumoto, then the town’s postmaster, proposed the idea of a mailbox located 10 meters underwater that the Susami mailbox gained significant interest.
The Susami mailbox features a distinctive red color.
At this mailbox, divers purchase waterproof postcards from a local shop, write messages on them with oil-based paint pens, and drop them into a red mailbox located underwater. Every few days, a staff member from the shop dives down to collect the letters and deliver them to the local post office.
Each year, the mailbox receives between 1,000 to 1,500 letters, accumulating a total of 32,000 letters sent since its inception.
3. Pulau Layang-Layang, Malaysia
This mailbox holds the record for being the deepest mailbox in the world.
Located 40 meters underwater, the mailbox at Pulau Layang-Layang, Malaysia, holds the record for the deepest mailbox in the world. It is known that postcards sent from here are stamped with a special waterproof stamp and affixed with a logo from the Malaysia Book of Records.
4. Green Island, Taiwan (China)
Unique seahorse-shaped mailbox.
Inaugurated on May 4, 2018, off the coast of Green Island in Taitung County, southeastern Taiwan (China), this mailbox was constructed to promote marine conservation and attract more tourists from both local and international areas.
Situated at a depth of 11 meters, this 1.8-meter tall mailbox is shaped like a small, rare seahorse species that typically inhabits the waters off this island.
5. Risor, Norway
This mailbox is located 4 meters deep near a pier.
Located off the southern coast of Norway, this mailbox is made from a diving bell and is the only dry underwater post office in the world. It is positioned 4 meters deep near a pier. When visitors arrive at the pier, they place their letters or postcards into a waterproof bag and drop it down. Inside the mailbox, it remains dry, and the letters and postcards are stamped and sent out as usual.
