Téléscaphe was a cable car system conceived by French ski racer James Couttet and cable car engineer Denis Creissels to make the seabed accessible to the public. Its name is a portmanteau of “téléphérique” and “scaphandre.” Inaugurated in June 1967 in a Mediterranean bay between Les Goudes and Callelongue in Marseille, France, it was an unusual tourist attraction in which cabins could submerge underwater like a submarine. The system could transport approximately 60 persons per hour, and participants received a certificate after the underwater trip. Téléscaphe operated for only one year, until May 1968. It was shut down by a political decision following accidents and the associated repair costs. Some remains, including drive wheels, are still visible today.

Design and Brief Operation of the Telescaphe

The Telescaphe was a cable car system whose cabins could submerge underwater like a submarine. Its name was a portmanteau of the French words telepherique and scaphandre. It was conceived by French ski racer James Couttet and cable car engineer Denis Creissels as a way to make the seabed accessible to the public. The system was inaugurated in June 1967 in a Mediterranean bay between Les Goudes and Callelongue in Marseille, France.

The Telescaphe could transport approximately 60 persons per hour, and participants received a certificate after completing the underwater trip. Despite this public appeal, it operated for only one year, closing in May 1968. The shutdown followed a political decision linked to accidents and the cost of repairs. Today, remains of the installation, including drive wheels, are still visible.