Algarve · Portugal · Wreck · Artificial reef
NRP Oliveira e Carmo
A navy corvette scuttled in 2012, quoted at 28 m
A João Coutinho-class corvette sunk on 30 October 2012 as one of the four Portuguese Navy ships that make up the Ocean Revival underwater park off the Algarve coast, a site marked on the surface by signalling buoys. The local operator WeDive gives the wreck a depth of 28 m, which puts the working part of the dive at the deeper end of recreational range.
Also known as Oliveira e Carmo.
Where it is and how deep
37.0936° N, 8.5924° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The Ocean Revival park is demarcated on the surface by signalling buoys, so the boat ties in above the ship and you descend a line straight onto her rather than navigating across open ground to find her. From there the usual pattern is to follow the run of the deck out from the mooring and come back along the other side, keeping the line in mind, because at 28 m the bottom time is short.
WeDive puts the depth here at 28 m, and that number sets the shape of the dive: a square profile, a short bottom time on air, and a good argument for nitrox. She was scuttled on 30 October 2012 as an artificial reef for the Ocean Revival project, one of four Portuguese Navy hulls put down off this coast, and she is the corvette of the group.
The wreck
- Vessel
- NRP Oliveira e Carmo (F489)
- Type
- João Coutinho-class corvette
- Sunk
- 2012
- Cause
- Scuttled as an artificial reef for the Ocean Revival project
- Lies
- On the Ocean Revival site off the Algarve coast, with the wreck given a depth of 28 m
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Algarve: May–Oct is the settled season with the clearest water; Atlantic swell and cold water shut most operations over winter.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Oliveira e Carmo?+
The Lagos operator WeDive lists the wreck at 28 m, so plan a square profile around that depth and treat it as the deeper of a two-tank morning.
What certification do I need?+
Advanced or equivalent for a 28 m dive. Swimming inside the corvette needs wreck training as well.
Sources
- Oliveira e Carmo (Wreck) — Scubago
- WeDive Lagos — dive sites — WeDive Lagos
- List of ships of the Portuguese Navy — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Algarve
Reef
Anchors from three centuries jammed in the rock
A round reef of craters and troughs in 13 m
Wall
A rock wall of troughs, worked with a torch
Reef
Sheltered rock in 5 to 12 m, ten minutes out
Wreck
A 64 m survey ship, 12 m in the beam, quoted at 30 to 33 m
A Portuguese Navy frigate, 102.7 m, sunk in 30 m off Portimão
Wreck
A navy patrol boat scuttled in 2012, quoted at 28 m
Porous rock wall packed with conger and moray holes
Similar dives elsewhere
A Navy corvette sunk in 2016, top at 15 m, bottom at 30 m
An 85 m navy corvette sunk as a reef at 30 m
An intact ship on sand at 24.4 m, wheelhouse at 13.7 m
Wreck
Aeolus
North Carolina Wrecks · United States
A cable ship broken into three pieces by Hurricane Fran