Video: Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy has scuttled its former corvette NRP Afonso Cerqueira (F488) in order to produce an artificial reef.
The ship, sunk on September 4, will now become part of Cabo Girão, a marine natural park in Madeira.
As explained, the wreck will serve as an attraction for divers, supporting marine life in Cabo Girão.
The former NRP Afonso Cerqueira belonged to the Baptista de Andrade class of the Portuguese Navy. The vessel was based in Lisbon, carrying out surveillance and rescue missions in the Azores, Madeira and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
Afonso Cerqueira entered the service on June 28, 1975, while the operational life of the ship ended on March 11, 2015.