The Hydrographic Institute of the Navy updates nautical charts of the Balearic Islands

The Navy has been carrying out work to update nautical charts and survey the seabed in Balearic waters from March 4 to April 8, conducted by several units of the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy (IHM).

This is one of the Navy’s lesser-known missions, although it has been legally assigned this responsibility by the Spanish State. It is fundamental to ensure safe maritime traffic.

These operations included the presence of the hydrographic vessel Tofiño and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) of the VERIL class.

Specifically, the VERIL USV was used to update all the ports along the eastern coast of Mallorca, in order to ensure navigational safety. The most advanced equipment available on the market was used, such as a multibeam echo sounder operated from an autonomous vehicle.

The MH Tofiño worked on updating the charts of the Ibiza-Formentera Channel, one of the busiest areas for recreational navigation along our coastline, as well as the Dragonera Channel.

The update work includes, in addition to bathymetry acquisition using ships, smaller vessels, and unmanned vehicles, tasks such as oceanographic work, updates to sailing directions, lighthouse books, radio aid manuals, coastal photography, tide gauge installation, and topographic measurements in ports, among other missions.

The Navy base in Palma, the Porto Pí Naval Station, provided the necessary logistical support to the Hydrographic Institute’s equipment and personnel throughout the entire chart update campaign.