OCEAN REVIVAL

A perfect place for a great diving experience!

The Ocean Revival Underwater Park  is situated off the coastal town of Portimao, Algarve, in southern Portugal. More precisely along the east side of the artificial reefs of Alvor, the bathymetric of 26 to 32 meters, with a minimum clearance of 15 meters. The reef will be one mile from the anchorage of Portimão, 3.3 miles from the port and 2 miles from the coast opposite to Prainha.

Four warships that played a key role in the history of the Portuguese Navy sunk one by one a few dozen metres from each other, creating an authentic and freely accessible underwater theme park along the coast of Portimão.

This is the biggest artificial reef in Europe, where a fleet that once formed a whole armada will be transformed into a sanctuary brimming with marine life, with a complementary visitor centre on dry land, at the Portimão Museum.

In accordance with OSPAR Convention rules, the ships were cleaned of all environmentally hazardous materials or dangerous for divers. This preparation was done with the help of Canadian Artificial Reef Trading Consultant (CARC), that accounts for more than 23 Navy vessels deliberate immersions around the world.

Not known as a diving location the Algarve is considered by many as one of the favorite European sites for the practice of this sport. The sea conditions enable diving practically all year round, but the best times are Autumn and Spring, when the waters are crystal-clear and the temperatures milder.

The waters, rich in sea life, offer endless topics of interest for observation, investigation or photography, even in conditions where visibility is limited.
In fact, at these times we can see the infinite detail of the Algarve’s fabulous underwater world, teaming with life.

There is a huge variety of species and it is fascinating to observe their behavior as they dart across the multicoloured sea bed, covered with exquisite corals, gorgonians, sponges, anemones, cerianthidae, and different types of algae.

Marvel at the evanescence of the gilt-head bream and sea bass, the curiosity of the sea bream, the timidity of the damselfish and pout, the restlessness of the bream, the gracefulness of the anthias fish, the tranquillity of the conger eel, the apparent aggressiveness of the moray, the irreverence of the goby and blenny, the immobility of the scorpion fish, confident in its mimicry, the energy of the mullet, the intelligence of the octopus and cuttlefish, the beauty of the nudibranch, and the proud bearing of the seahorse.

The Algarve has a history rich in shipwrecks from the time humans first started to navigate the earth, to incidents during the last two World Wars, as well as some caused by storms in the second half of the last century.

The list of wrecks includes the Torvore, the Wilhelm Krag and the Nordsoen, three of the four ships that were sunk by the U35 submarine during the First World War.

It also includes the B-24 Liberator Bomber that dropped into the waters near Faro, the Empire Warrior, which was sunk by the Luftwaffe off the coast of Vila Real, both during the Second World War, and the Océan, sunk in Salema during the Battle of Lagos between the English and the French, in 1759.

There are many sites of interest in the Algarve underwater world. Each one can be visited countless times, and there will always be something new to see.