Hydrographic Institute welcomes delegation from Capbreton

On July 16, 2025, the Hydrographic Institute (IH) welcomed a delegation from the French city of Capbreton, composed of the Mayor, Louis Galdos, journalist and writer Hugo Verlomme, three members of the municipal executive, and a group of thirteen divers specialized in deep-sea diving.

The visit began at the IH headquarters in Lisbon, where the delegation had the opportunity to learn more about the work carried out by the Hydrography and Navigation Divisions, as well as the laboratories of the Marine Geology and Marine Chemistry and Pollution Divisions.

This was followed by a cultural tour of the Convent of Trinas building, home to the Hydrographic Institute, allowing the visitors to deepen their understanding of the institution’s history and its most emblematic spaces.

The delegation then traveled to the Azinheira Hydrographic Base (BHA), in Seixal, where they visited the Maritime Instrumentation Center. There, they were introduced to some of the main equipment used by the Oceanography Division to observe the marine environment, as well as the capabilities of the Calibration Laboratory, which are essential for ensuring the accuracy of collected data.

The visit concluded with the presentation of the vessels and various operational means used by the Hydrographic Institute in its missions of marine observation, monitoring, and research.

The visit to the Hydrographic Institute took place during the delegation’s stay in Portugal, as part of a series of activities in Nazaré. Both locations — Capbreton and Nazaré — are marked by the presence of a large submarine canyon that stretches from the abyssal plain to near their shores. This shared feature has served as a bridge for strengthening ties, culminating in their twinning in 2018. Since then, several joint activities have taken place.

This week, diving activities are being carried out in the Nazaré Canyon by the Capbreton diving team. The Nazaré Canyon has also had a regular presence at the biennial event “Journée du Gouf”, organized by Hugo Verlomme with the support of the Capbreton City Council.

This event aims to share with the Capbreton community the current knowledge about its submarine canyon (the Gouf de Capbreton) as well as other submarine canyons around the world. Since 2017, the Hydrographic Institute has been invited to participate in this event to present the work it conducts in the Nazaré Canyon.