By Cristina Alcock news@algarveresident.com
The Algarve Resident was aboard one of the many boats that set out purposely to witness the sinking of two old warships on Tuesday (October 30), marking the beginning of the long-awaited Ocean Revival project.
It took 2 minutes and 21 seconds to sink the Oliveira e Carmo corvette, a disused warship that was taken three miles off the coast of Alvor, where the pioneering underwater museum will be created.
Four explosives were detonated on board at 11.39am before dozens of boats, some private, some commercial, which carried curious onlookers and the press half-a-mile away.
The sinking, which had been successively postponed due to adverse weather conditions, was also streamed live online.
With 220 tonnes of concrete placed in the vessel to ensure it would sink without turning over, the ship began to sink slowly before gaining momentum and disappearing beneath the surface.
Divers from the Maritime Police then swam under to ensure the ship had been sunk correctly.
Later that day, a second vessel – the smaller patrol ship Zambeze – was sunk an hour later than scheduled and, according to eye-witness, with much less fanfare.
Half the size of the Oliveira e Carmo, the first explosions on board were heard at 4.04pm, and three minutes later, the old warship sunk, leaving behind a spray of sea water.
Both ships had been cleaned and decontaminated before the sinking, and all pieces that could compromise the safety of the divers were also removed.
Announced in August of last year, the Ocean Revival project was the result of five years of planning to create an underwater museum off the coast of Portimão, which is expected to cost around €3 million.
Developed by Luís Sá Couto, owner of diving company Subnauta, and Portimão Câmara, alongside the Portuguese Navy, the project aims to boost underwater tourism off the Algarve’s coast and create a destination for divers around the world.
Lying 30 metres beneath the surface, the four ships provided by the Portuguese Navy will form artificial reefs to allow divers to explore the area’s biodiversity.
The sinking of the two remaining decommissioned ships – the oceanographic ship Almeida Carvalho and the frigate Hermenegildo – is expected to take place sometime next year.
www.oceanrevival.org
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