Jordan sank a retired military plane underwater in 2017; it now hosts fish, coral and marine life

A retired military aircraft has found an unusual second life beneath the Red Sea after Jordan deliberately sank it off Aqaba in 2017 to create an artificial reef. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a roughly 30-metre-long military transport aircraft, was placed underwater on November 16, 2017, about 300 metres from the Aqaba shoreline. It now rests on the seabed at roughly 16–17 metres and has become an unusual attraction for divers while providing a new structure for marine life, according to a report by Aqaba Dive Academy. Instead of being dismantled after its military service, the aircraft was repurposed as part of efforts to create an artificial habitat in Aqaba's coastal waters. The project was carried out by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority in cooperation with Jordan's Royal Jordanian Navy and Aqaba Port Corporation.Before the plane was sunk, officials removed fuel, oil, paint and other hazardous materials from the aircraft. It was then towed from the Royal Jordanian Air Force's headquarters in Amman towards Aqaba for its new role beneath the water.From military aircraft to artificial reefThe C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that has be...