• To transform the Algarve into a World Class European diving destination attracting underwater tourists of all over the world.
  • Creation of an artificial reef structure constituting a distinctive factor to attract underwater tourists from all over the world.
  • Creation of a Navy Warships’ Underwater Park Ocean Revival by sinking four decommissioned Portuguese Navy vessels.

Underwater Tourism Site

  • Different and innovative…
  • World class level…
  • Included in a protected area…
  • Within a tourism zone of excellence!

Zambeze

Ocean Patrol EX-NRP Zambeze P1147

General Characteristics

Launched: October 31st 1971. The Navy Minister, the Chief of the EMA and Superintendents from the Personnel and Materials Services attended the ceremony, among other general and superior officials, local civil and military authorities;

Taken into active Armed Forces service: July 20th 1972. The act that made this official was overseen by Director of Shipbuilding, Commodore Rogério de Oliveira, various Armed Forces officials and, representing Mondego Shipyards, Dr. Álvaro Malafaia and Engineer Joaquim Bessa;

Retired: September 2003 (Ordinance 1168/03, 17th September). The ceremony, on September 25th, together with the "Limpopo" NRP, was overseen Naval Commander, Vice-Admiral Silva Santos and took place at the Lisbon Naval Base. Of its class, only four ships are still in service;

Disarmed: September 25th, 1975;

Scrapped: November 15th, 2006 (Ordinance 1821/2006, 8th of November);

Years of service: 31;

NATO Designation: P 1147;

Crew: 33 crewmembers;

Construction: Mondego Shipyards, Figueira da Foz;

Class: patrol ship;

10 ships: "Cacine", "Cunene ", "Mandovi", "Rovuma", "Cuanza", "Geba", "Zaire", "Zambeze", "Limpopo", "Save"; Built for coastal and river patrol operations in Africa; All the ships of this class were named after African and Indian rivers from former Portuguese colonies; The ships are the next technological step up from LFGs - Large Inspection Ships of the "Argos" class, built between 1964 and 1965.

MUSUBMAR the OCEAN REVIVAL's promoter is a non-profit association

MUSUBMAR Association, the Ocean Revival's promoter, is a non-profit association created to promote and develop the underwater tourism in Portugal. It's main current initiative is the creation of a new dive site by sinking four Portuguese Navy vessels, the Ocean Revival Project. This project has the ambition to create a new diving site and place the Algarve as a world-class European diving destination. Additionally, the initiative aims to generate a new type of low season tourism, to contribute for the increase of bio-diversity and to preserve the memory of the Portuguese Navy vessels.

“The Ocean Revival project offers a fabulous opportunity to better understand colonisation processes on offshore structures.”
Dr. Keith Hiscock, Marine Biological Association of the UK

The main entities that supports the Ocean Revival Project: