Will a Royal Navy aircraft carrier become the largest artificial reef in Europe?

Listen to this article This is the aim of a group of divers who are working to turn the Royal Navy’s former flagship aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal into Europe’s largest diving attraction in the form of an artificial reef. Michael Byfield and James Doddrell, of Torbay, England, are convinced that turning a giant aircraft

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: June 12, 2011 - 10:37

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 07:22

Will a Royal Navy aircraft carrier become the largest artificial reef in Europe?

Listen to this article

This is the aim of a group of divers who are working to turn the Royal Navy’s former flagship aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal into Europe’s largest diving attraction in the form of an artificial reef.

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Michael Byfield and James Doddrell, of Torbay, England, are convinced that turning a giant aircraft carrier based in Portsmouth into a tourist attraction would generate around £40million in revenue for the Devon county economy. All it would take to make this happen is to clean and prepare the vessel for sinking, then tow it to its final resting place and… sink it.

The idea has every potential to repeat the success of the sinking of HMS Scylla off the coast of Plymouth. The wreck instantly became a huge attraction for divers and subsequently generated millions of pounds for the local economy.

The divers formed a group called ArkRoyalReef, which was one of many interested buyers touring the ship last week.

In their own words, they do not want to see the former flagship of the Royal Navy and its pride, share the fate of the ship HMS Invincible, which was towed to Turkey and destined for scrap.

“We are talking to a number of companies that could undertake the towing of the vessel, and we are also in discussions with ports that would be able to dock such a large vessel,” Byfield said

“We would like to have everything ready in time for the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, so that we can sink it with a lavish setting and so that the action itself gets global media coverage.”

“This case deserves publicity because firstly it is the flagship of the Royal Navy and secondly, if sunk, it would be the third largest wreck in the world forming an artificial reef and the largest in Europe.”

HMS Ark Royal entered service in 1985 and was due to remain in service until the new aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales was completed in 2016, but the recently announced budget plan will see it withdraw from service four years early.

Source: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk
Photo: wikipedia.pl

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.