Ictineo I was 7 m (23 ft) long with a beam of  2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and draft of 3.5 m (11 ft).
Her intended use was to ease the harvest of coral.
Ictineo's prow was equipped with a set of tools suited to the harvest of coral.
During the summer of 1859, Monturiol performed more than 20 dives in Ictineo, with his business partner and shipbuilder as crew.
 Ictineo I possessed good handling, but her top speed was disappointing, as it was limited by the power of human muscles.

The technical success of this submersible created popular enthusiasm but no support from the government.
As a result, Monturiol wrote a "letter to the nation", asking the people of Spain to support his project.
The fund raising was a great success, bringing in 300,000 pesetas from the people of Spain and Cuba.

Ictineo I was eventually destroyed by accident in January 1862, after completing some fifty dives, when a cargo vessel ran into her at her berth.
With the money obtained from the subscription, the company La Navegación Submarina was formed with the objective of developing Ictineo II.

A modern replica of Ictineo I stands in the garden entrance to the Marine Museum in Barcelona.
Ictineo I was 7 m (23 ft) long with a beam of  2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and draft of 3.5 m (11 ft). Her intended use was to ease the harvest of coral. Ictineo's prow was equipped with a set of tools suited to the harvest of coral. During the summer of 1859, Monturiol performed more than 20 dives in Ictineo, with his business partner and shipbuilder as crew.  Ictineo I possessed good handling, but her top speed was disappointing, as it was limited by the power of human muscles.
The technical success of this submersible created popular enthusiasm but no support from the government. As a result, Monturiol wrote a "letter to the nation", asking the people of Spain to support his project. The fund raising was a great success, bringing in 300,000 pesetas from the people of Spain and Cuba.
Ictineo I was eventually destroyed by accident in January 1862, after completing some fifty dives, when a cargo vessel ran into her at her berth. With the money obtained from the subscription, the company La Navegación Submarina was formed with the objective of developing Ictineo II.
A modern replica of Ictineo I stands in the garden entrance to the Marine Museum in Barcelona.
Narcís Monturiol