Visitors to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) will soon take a journey -- 12,000 feet down to the bottom of the sea.

Aboard the BUEI's simulated submersible, the institute's premier exhibit, a crew of 20 at a time will glide down the Bermuda sea mount.

It is an eight minute ride into the deep.

As it slips into the abyss, ocean life will swim past. Light will gradually diminish as the sub enters the benthic zone.

In Bermuda waters, the benthic zone -- where the loss of sunlight begins -- is at about 900 feet.

Prior to launch, you will be briefed through a narrative by author Peter Benchley.

Once on the bottom, the door opens and crew members will walk back to the surface. Missing from the simulation is the fatal crushing pressure at such depths. But you will experience the cold, dimly lit world of deep ocean dwellers and then the mid-depths and the living creatures that inhabit this strata of the ocean.

The walk back to the surface will culminate with a 360 degree photograph of Bermuda.

The first crew should board the submersible this summer.

BUEI's opening date will be about two months behind schedule, but BUEI executive director Nancy Brennan said she is confident the institute will open in early to mid-July.

"We're very close (to setting a firm date). It will be worth the wait,'' she said. "All the uncertainties are behind us now.'' Ms Brennan joined the BUEI 18 months ago from the Baltimore City Life Museums where she was executive director. The Baltimore City Life Museums includes nine museums in Baltimore and Maryland's largest history museum.

There is a sense of anticipation as the first of three exhibits is due to arrive at the BUEI on May 5, she added.

"The most important contribution we can make is to act as a resource for tourism and for families on the Island. The BUEI is incredibly unique,'' she said. "Few, if any, public education attractions unite oceanography, marine biology, maritime history and dive technology. Most aquaria concentrate on the sunlit zone, the shallow water zone. We have the benthic zone (as well).'' Another unique part of the BUEI are its "authors,'' she said.

"The institute is a combination of many individuals. We have over 12 international advisors who are renowned in their fields, from oceanography to marine archeology to submersible technology,'' she said.

"Add well thought out exhibits and the BUEI is unique.'' Visitors to the BUEI will first experience a terrazzo map of Bermuda spanning the triangular foyer floor. Overhead is a vaulted ceiling.

For now, drywall and scaffolds dominate the 39,000 foot facility which also includes meeting rooms, a restaurant, a 145 seat auditorium, and a 98 foot dock.

The BUEI, created by a Private Act of Bermuda Parliament in 1992, will also feature information on William Beebe, who did deep dives in the 1930s and Jack Lightbourne's shell collection. There is also space for travelling exhibits.

The torrazzo floor -- an epoxy poured floor ground smooth with a marble appearance -- depicting Bermuda is currently covered for protection.

Science and the study of climate will also be a prominent part of the institute.

"This will be a place where people can find out about Bermuda Biological Station and the Bermuda aquarium research,'' Ms Brennan said.

"Bermuda is relatively unaffected by any other land mass. It is a pure laboratory. The Island has been central to marine science research,'' she said.

"In 1872, when (research vessel) Challenger circumnavigated the globe, it stopped in Bermuda.'' BUEI capital campaign chairman and trustee Wendy Tucker said the support from the institute has been "overwhelming'' both locally and on the international front.

No Government funding is involved with the project. Ticket revenue, as well as revenue from the restaurant and meeting rooms is expected to cover the institute's operating costs, she said.

The total cost of the BUEI is estimated at between $18 million and $20 million.