--- title: "Man Creates Tiny Submarine for His Parakeet to Experience Life Underwater" description: "A viral video shows a parakeet trapped inside a DIY submarine made of a 3,000 PSI paintball air cylinder, oxygen, meter, and lead weights." date: "2026-04-11" modified: "2026-04-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/tiny-submarine-parakeet" categories: - "Biology" - "Future Society" - "Science & Energy" --- # Man Creates Tiny Submarine for His Parakeet to Experience Life Underwater ![A viral video shows a parakeet trapped inside a DIY submarine made of a 3,000 PSI paintball air cylinder, oxygen, meter, and lead weights.]() *Bebe the parrot via Instagram* Parakeets, which comprise about 115 species of seed-eating parrots, are frequently bred and sold commercially as pets. They're intelligent, social, and can live up to 12 years in captivity. They can even apparently take a plunge inside a custom-made submarine, as Steven Lawyer, owner of a six-year-old parakeet named Bebe, established during a fascinating experiment in the Bahamas. A video, which [has swiftly gone viral](), shows the bird chilling inside a DIY sub made of a paintball air cylinder, oxygen meter, and lead weights. "We like to snorkel and he likes doing whatever we are doing with us," Lawyer [told *CBS* affiliate *WBNS*](). "So I thought ‘lets figure out a way to let him snorkel with us.'" https://twitter.com/_fluxfeeds/status/2040664178592190800 His mini submarine, dubbed the "Bebosphere," allowed the green parakeet to dive to around three feet below the surface, giving it an unprecedented glance at the colorful reefs — something his species has likely never seen firsthand before. Bebe appeared to stay cool throughout the entire ordeal. "I know my bird, I know what he looks like when he’s nervous," Lawyer told *WBNS*. "He’s intrigued in that video. He voluntarily went into the tube." Apart from exploring underwater worlds, Bebe has also accompanied Lawyer on 15 different sky dives. Footage the bird owner [uploaded to YouTube]() shows Bebe safely sealed in a transparent bubble attached his chest as he jumps out of an airplane. Other pundits were left unimpressed by the bird's latest underwater stunt, raising the possibility that the parakeet has less agency than Lawyer claims. "It's adorable, but I think we're using the words 'exploring' and 'submarine' very generously here," joked Late Show host Stephen Colbert [during an episode that aired on Monday](), referring to a [headline]() that read "Bebe the Parrot goes viral for exploring Bahamas in custom built submarine." "That headline could also read 'confused bird trapped in Nalgene bottle would like this to be over,'" he added. **More on birds:** [*Birds Are Getting Hooked on Cigarettes*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()