An exhibition has opened in Portimão museum illustrating how the artificial reef off Alvor was established with the deliberate sinking of four unwanted naval ships.
The ambitious project has ensured that the Algarve now is included on many divers' wish lists for European dive sites.
Two years after the last of the four naval ships were sunk off Alvor the artifical reef is attracting fish and tourists in equal measure and has stimulated diving tourism in the Algarve.
In November 2012, the Zambeze and Oliveira do Carmo were sunk in 30 metres of water, followed in June 2013 by the Hermenegildo Capelo and in September of that year, the Almeida Carvalho.
The ships were stripped and all dangerous materials were removed before they were towed out to be sunk with explosive charges set by the navy.
"These ships are accessible to any diver," note the Ocean Revival project management whose aim to make Portimão and the Algarve a must in the increasingly important diving tourism sector and who expect 620,000 divers in the first ten years of operation.
The European diving market has 3.2 million divers willing to travel at least once a year.
The Ocean Revival exhibition in the Portimão museum tells the story of the four sunken ships with the help of 24 photographic panels.
The exhibition will be open until August 30 and was organized by the Musubmar association in conjunction with the Museum of Portimão.
See: http://www.oceanrevival.pt/en/quem-somos/tornar-membro.html
also http://www.museudeportimao.pt/en/menu/46/main-exhibition.aspx
