To determine the least number of hours the submarine must travel underwater, we start with the inequality:
\[ 36S + 64U \geq 288 \]
We know that \(S\) (the hours traveled on the water's surface) is given as:
\[ S = 2 \frac{2}{3} \text{ hours} = \frac{8}{3} \text{ hours} \]
Now, we can substitute \(S\) into the inequality:
\[ 36 \left(\frac{8}{3}\right) + 64U \geq 288 \]
Calculating \(36 \times \frac{8}{3}\):
\[ 36 \times \frac{8}{3} = 12 \times 8 = 96 \]
Substituting this result back into the inequality gives:
\[ 96 + 64U \geq 288 \]
Now, we can isolate \(U\):
\[ 64U \geq 288 - 96 \] \[ 64U \geq 192 \] \[ U \geq \frac{192}{64} = 3 \]
Therefore, the least number of hours the submarine must travel underwater is:
\[ U \geq 3 \]
Thus, the correct choice is:
(Choice C) The submarine must travel for at least \(3\) hours.