This island nation has unique post office where letters are sent from..., its name is..

A beautiful and secluded island nation in the South Pacific has a unique concept of sending letters. Like we say that we are sending our deep emotions to someone through our letters, on this island nation one actually gets to send letters from 'deep'. The island nation of Vanuatu has world’s first underwater post office which is off the coast of Hideaway Island.  

How to reach Venuatu underwater post office? 

To reach here, one has to take a boat from Port Villa, capital to Vanuatu, which will take you one a 15-minute ride to Mele Bay, which is off the Hideway Island. The Vanuatu Underwater Post Office is not very deep but is situated in shallow waters, just 3 metres underwater and is not a standalone postal service but part of the Hideaway Island Marine Sanctuary.   

Is the postal service for anyone? 

It is firstly very important to understand how deep the water is for anyone to send letters from here. The average depth of the water around the island is around 20 meters or 65.6 feet, with the maximum depth reaching up to 30 meters or 98.4 feet. However, the depth at which the post office is situated is in shallow waters and so snorkellers, divers, and even beginner swimmers can swim down to the underwater post box. This post box is small and made in hut-shape and is linked to an official post office with the Post Office sign on it.  

Are letters waterproof? 

The postcards here are designed to be waterproof, which can be bought from the nearby shops at the main island resort. The post office is not alone, as it is manned by an official in scuba gear who, just like any normal land-based post office, collects these postcards daily and sends them safely to their respective destination anywhere. These postcards have a unique stamp, a postmark, to tell that these have come from deep under the sea.  

For anyone sending these letters in such a way to those receiving them, it would feel like a special and unique gesture. The post office was made functional in 2003 and works just like the land-based post office with an official and fixed working hours. What else is unique about this is that once you see a raised flag above water you know the post office is open. But otherwise, you can still drop the mail in the post box or do so to the post office in town. Nevertheless, the postcard will have the special underwater stamp from the underwater post office before being delivered.