Mission of the NRP

The hydrographic surveys carried out by the vessel NRP "Almirante Gago Coutinho", on a mission in the Azores, have allowed to obtain information with great detail of the seabed, as shown in these images of the bathymetric model of the Bank of Cachalote about 50 km west of the island of Flowers.

The Cachalote submarine is a Guyot, an ancient island of volcanic origin, which was devastated by the erosion of the waves as evidenced by the flattened surface of its top. Nowadays its top is about 450 meters deep. Data from the basaltic rocks of this underwater hill estimate that this ancient island existed about 4.8 million years ago and has ceased to be above sea level until about 1.8 million years ago. That is, most likely when Flores Island emerged about 2.2 million years ago, the Sperm Whale had ceased to be an island to become a Guyot.

It should be noted that this mission also counts on the collaboration of the Blue Ocean Foundation, EMEPC, the Regional Government of the Azores and National Geographic as part of the "Blue Azores" project.