One lucky ship got to donate itself to a good cause in Mexico, to make the first ever artificial reef in the Pacific. The Mexican Navy’s S AMR Uribe interior was fitted with GoPros to capture every moment of what it feels like to go down with your ship.
This is a more useful fate than what most ships go through when they’re no longer of any use.
The stunning video depicts Uribe’s final moments as it sinks to the bottom of the Rosarito Underwater Park to make the artificial reef.
It is quite unsettling to watch all that water flood the various compartments, while listening to the frightening groan of hundreds of tons of steel. But we can be happy the vessel has served its purpose.
Artificial reefs are man-made structures built in order to manage marine life, block ships from passing, or even create some awesome surfing. They’re generally made from anything lying about the place – old ships, rubble and construction materials, and even an oil rig.
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The interesting thing about repurposing scrap metal is that it does no harm to nature. Algae and other marine life, such as corals, simply need a hard surface to grow on. Once they start accumulating there, a new food chain is created, attracting fish and other marine life.