MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Malvinas Historic Corridor”, the project to create a submarine park by sinking Argentine navy vessels

The ports chosen to be part of the Historic Corridor are Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn, Las Grutas and Mar del Plata

The official Patagonia Tourism Office has come up with an ambitious project to create a submarine park by sinking with full honors decommissioned Argentina Navy vessels and veterans of the South Atlantic conflict.

The initiative is in the framework of the coming 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict to boost tourism in the region by creating “the Malvinas Argentinas Historic Corridor”, something in line with the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.

The initiative came from diving schools and other organizations which operate in the Rio Negro province. “It is a very emblematic project since we are talking about battleships which participated in the Malvinas heroic deed”, said Martha Velez, Rio Negro tourism minister.

“We have also chosen ports that have had a great component participation in all of the Malvinas war”, the minister added. “It is something very poignant for all Argentines because in this issue, the Malvinas claim, there is no social gap...”

The project obviously needs the coordination with the Argentine Defense and Tourism ministries, plus the participation and willingness of the Argentine navy.

Patagonia Post further mentioned that the vessels to be sunk with full honor and turned into reefs should be located in the ports of Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn, Las Grutas and Mar del Plata.

Although not much more has been reported, among the vessels probably chosen for their meritorious participation in the project are the ARA Hercules, the corvettes ARA Guerrico and ARA Drummond and the Santisima Trinidad Type 42 destroyer.