The “Hermenegildo Capelo” frigate arrives in Portimão early tomorrow morning, May 29, the second-to-last of the four former warships of the Portuguese Navy that will be part of the Ocean Revival Underwater Park.
The Frigate, which passed with distinction in all inspections carried out by the competent authorities, is 2.700 tons, 102 meters long and 12 meters wide, and will be the target in Portimão of the last preparations for its sinking, scheduled for june 15 in the park Ocean Revival, located off the beach of Alvor.
In this underwater tourism hub, the Oceanic Patrol “Zambeze” and the Corvette “Oliveira do Carmo” can already be visited, submerged on October 30th, with the Oceanographic Ship “Almeida Carvalho” still missing, which will be sunk in September.
The four ships of this fleet, which marked the history of the Portuguese Navy, will function as artificial reefs on a sand bottom, constituting a mandatory stop for the important niche of diving tourism, with the forecast that over the first ten years a total will be attracted. 620 divers and their families, which could be an important stimulus for the local economy.
This morning, the Secretary of State for Tourism had a diving baptism off the coast of Portimão, precisely to draw attention to the Ocean Revival project and the potential of diving tourism in the Algarve.
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