In the spring of 2007, Atlantis, Paradise Island, unveiled a new, unprecedented 63-acre waterscape, AQUAVENTURE, the centerpiece of the resort’s billion-dollar, expansion. The non-stop water experience contains over 5 million gallons of water in the form of thrilling new water slides, a mile-long river with high intensity rapids and wave surges, and ground-breaking special effects that add an extreme level of excitement to the overall experience.

Every aspect of Atlantis, the 2,917 room, water-focused resort in The Bahamas, involves a sense of discovery and has been designed to ignite one’s imagination. AQUAVENTURE, too, takes known water-based attractions such as water slides, river rapids, waterfalls and water holes, and adds first-of its-kind special effects and technology, bringing them all together in a lush environment that is both immersive and interconnected. Once guests are situated in their inner tubes and enter the attraction, they are propelled along by water escalators, waves, water surges and master blaster technology. Unlike traditional water slides that require the participant to leave the water and climb back to the start, at Aquaventure guests never have to leave the water as they are propelled back up the slide tower via water conveyors.

The Power Tower, fabricated by Orlando-based The Nassal Company, is the grand icon of Aquaventure. The 120 foot tall cube houses four adrenaline-inducing waterslides, while dominating the skyline with its giant tulips and antiquated patina. This structure really could have just risen up from the sea.

The Abyss is the Power Tower’s only body slide. Guests drop a near-vertical 50 feet into total darkness through the center of the tower, and splashing down into a an underground cavern seemingly straight out of The Goonies.

The Power Tower also houses three inner tube slides: The Drop, The Falls and The Surge. All three slides utilize the Master Blaster technology from Whitewater West Industries. The Drop spirals through the Power Tower’s dark center while The Falls drops riders down 58 feet before propelling them up again through twisting turns. Both of these slides are accessible from the river, where guests will ride a conveyor on their tub to the 58-foot-high level of the tower and then slide down through snake-like cylinders. The Surge, the third tube slide, starts at the very top of the Power Tower (accessible by stairs) with a drop into a cavern, ending in a flash flood.

Surrounding the Power Tower is a complex river ride system with waves that push inner tube riders through the lush landscaping. The river loop, called The Current, is approximately 1 mile long and contains nearly 3 million gallons of water. A wave generator, housed in a building also fabricated by The Nassal Company, simulates wave surges that propel riders along the course. The river loop consists of a complex transport system that allows guests to float along or return to the waterslides without having to get off their tubes or out of the water.

A conveyor takes riders up to the highest point of the river, where one will either continue the loop around the Power Tower through rapids, or enter the slide complex to travel to the top of the tower via another conveyor. Everything connects to zero-entry pools, where guests can exit or continue on through the 80-foot underground tunnel and caves to ride the waves, slides or rapids once again.

A water curtain video, created by California based Technifex, gives guests a one-of-a-kind experience using fire, water, fog and video projections. The technology is applied in a dark area of the slides, where the illusions will constantly be changing, providing for a new ride experience every time.

In addition to the numerous tidal pools and Aquaventure attractions, guests have access to two fresh-water pools, the Grotto Pool and The Baths, containing nearly 750,000 gallons of water and decorated with hieroglyphic columns and rockwork structures.

“In designing Aquaventure, we challenged the best designers, creative minds and water ride technologists to work with us to take the water experience to a different level. We believe there is something innate within human beings that causes them to react to fire and water. We believe that enhancing visuals and landscaping within the experience gives guests another energy, another layer of excitement, a feeling that they are in a place they’ve never been before,” said George Markantonis, President and Managing Director at Kerzner International Bahamas.

Sol Kerzner, Executive Chairman, added, “It is simply not enough for us to deliver new water rides. Our goal is to redefine the concept of a waterpark.” • • • •

More information about another of Atlantis’ recent additions, Dolphin Cay, and the technology that went into that development, can be found here.