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Ocean Revival: The Final Ship Goes Down

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The Ocean Revival project, a new underwater reef system and marine habitat for divers visiting the Portuguese Algarve has now been completed with the sinking of the final ship on the sea bed. The sinking marks a very successful conclusion to a seven year project where four ex-navel ships have been scuttled to form a series of artificial reefs. The Hydrographic ship Ex-NRP Almeida de Carvalho A527 sank below the waves on Saturday 21st September amidst great celebrations and applause from the extensive Ocean Revival team as well as excited onlookers.

Jeff Goodman (4)

vlcsnap-00002Scubaverse’s very own Jeff Goodman, who was at the event, had this to say: “Cameras were working constantly from the small surrounding boats as a helicopter circled above taking aerial images. We had a five minute and then a one minute warning over the radio before the first of the explosive charges went off, shaking us all out of any daydreams we may have been having. The rest of the explosions followed immediately after, blowing debris and smoke into the air. Then silence. To everyone’s relief the bow slowly started to go under with the stern rising exactly according to plan.”

My Project9Jeff Goodman (7)Jeff Goodman (6)

“As the last part of the stern disappeared in a mass of froth and bubbles we all were excited for the navy divers to do their check and then give us the OK to go down and have a look for ourselves.

“It’s quite strange diving on a ship you were looking at on the surface only a short while ago. It had already taken on quite a different demeanour. In some way it had gained an air of mystery and hidden secrets. The lines had become softer, the colours paler. I look forward to revisiting next year when wildlife begins to take control of the now bare metal.”

This dream of Luís Sá Couto, the project leader and owner of the SUBNAUTA Diving Centre, had finally come true. Luis said that the first of the ships that were sunk are already home to many fish and other reef species. It is a habitat that will only get better each year.

Kam Arya

Video Courses with Ocean Revival in the Algarve

These amazing wreck sites and rich local reef systems are the backdrop to a series of underwater video courses run by Jeff, in association with UK based tour operator Hidden Depths and Subnauta Diving.

Kam Arya (2)

Cameras, lights and editing facilities are all provided for free for those who do not have their own equipment. There are introduction weekend sessions as well as full five day courses. Also on offer are GoPro speciality courses which come into their own when diving the wrecks.

Jeff Goodman (5)

The Algarve is located in the south of Portugal and is where the Atlantic Ocean mingles with the Mediterranean sea, resulting in water temperatures between 14º to 22º Celsius. It is a place where temperate species mix with sub-tropical, and is a very exciting location for filming underwater wildlife.

Jeff Goodman (3)

The courses are very flexible and can cater for the complete beginner to the budding professional.

All students for these underwater courses must have a minimum of an Open Water Scuba Dive Qualification.

 

For more details contact:

Web: www.jeffgoodman.co.uk

Email: jeffgoodman@supanet.com

 

Hidden depths

Web: www.hiddendepthsdivetours.com

Email: info@hiddendepthsdivetours.com

 

Ocean Revival

http://www.oceanrevival.org

Marine Life & Conservation

IUCN Spotlights Green Fins at Bali Ocean Days 2025, Calling for Stronger Business Model in Marine Conservation

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IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Global Ocean Director, Minna Epps, has spotlighted Green Fins Indonesia along with a call for stronger business models that sustain marine conservation. Speaking at the inaugural session of Bali Ocean Days 2025 held on 7-8 February, Epps emphasised the need for sustainable financing to support and scale marine conservation initiatives such as Green Fins.

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Activities earlier in the week with the Coral Triangle Center in Sanur and Ceningan Divers in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area shaped the IUCN Ocean Director’s message at the conference and showcase, aligning with the theme of the blue economy and impact finance to sustain marine ecosystems.

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“Tourism has such a big impact on marine biodiversity, and we need it to adhere to a certain code of conduct,” Epps said. “That is why through our funding facilities, we worked with The Reef-World Foundation advancing Green Fins so dive operators can become certified with standards. But this kind of initiative has been around for a long time and it’s also a tool used to improve [MPA management], but it needs to come with a business model. I also believe in market-based instruments to evolve this programme.”

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IUCN’s visit is part of their Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), which supports at least 21 projects around the world, building the business case for investing in the future of our ocean.

In Indonesia, the project supported by IUCN was developed in partnership with The Reef-World Foundation, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center, which serves as the local implementing organisation for Green Fins. The initiative engages marine tourism businesses through voluntary sustainability certification based on the only internationally recognised environmental standards for diving and snorkelling operations. Green Fins’ activities aim to reduce negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism activities as well as improve the management of marine protected areas.

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IUCN’s promotion of Green Fins in Bali Ocean Days signals the need for greater private sector engagement in marine conservation across Indonesia and beyond.

Investors, donors, marine tourism operators and stakeholders looking to support scalable marine conservation solutions are encouraged to explore opportunities with The Reef-World Foundation, the international coordinator of the Green Fins initiative. To learn more about sustainable marine tourism and how to get involved, visit www.reef-world.org.

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About Reef-World

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.

Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.

Visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Green Fins

Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.

Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.Visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Filming 360 in The Bahamas

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In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.

The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).

But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.

The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.

You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.

You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story


Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.

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