Princess Alice Bank
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The Princess Alice Bank (Portuguese: Banco Princesa Alice) is a submerged seamount located 50 nmi (93 km) southwest of the island of Pico and 45 nmi (83 km) southwest of the island of Faial in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The western area of the bank has a least depth of 29 metres (95 ft),[1] with clear waters allowing observation of the ocean floor from the surface. With an abundance of biodiversity, the bank is a fishing area, in addition to being an important diving spot of the Atlantic Ocean.
History
The bank was named after the oceanographic campaign of Prince Albert I of Monaco, whose research vessel Princess Alice was involved in its discovery on 9 July 1896. On that day, at 6:00 a.m., at the beginning of a deep water exploration, rocky ledges were discovered 241 metres (791 ft) deep. After scouring the area, the group discovered an extensive "platform", with a perimeter of about 55 km (34 mi), and two extensions of 76 metres (249 ft) in length. The platform was 190 metres (620 ft) below the surface, although the peak is only 29 metres (95 ft) from the surface.
The
On 13 July 1896, from Faial, Prince Albert telegrammed
Geography
An area of 50 nautical miles (93 km) around the bank, measured from the coasts of the closest islands, was established by the
References
- ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute). West Coast of Europe and Northwest Africa. Pub. 143, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Virginia 2017, page 195 (Archived 2018-10-17 at the Wayback Machine, 16.8 MB).