The public is advised to be on the lookout for low flying aircraft during the month of November.

The Bermuda Government, in a joint partnership with the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) - Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme, will be conducting a hydrographic survey of Bermuda.

Scheduled to occur this month (November), the survey will involve a small aircraft flying twice daily, for up to 4 hours at a time over Bermuda.

It will fly at a height of around 300 meters, and using survey equipment, capture water depths, land elevation, and high-resolution images of both land and sea, allowing accurate mapping of the entire local seabed.  

The survey data will be used to update and modernize the island's nautical charts to ensure safe and efficient navigation of all marine traffic including ships in harbours and around the island.

This is of vital importance to Bermuda, as it falls in line with our efforts to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Triple I Code and audit scheduled for December 2020.

The data can also be used to support the development of a sustainable blue economy.

The government departments involved in this project will be, the:

• Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority;
• Department of Marine and Ports; and the
• Department of Public Lands and Buildings – Survey Section.

It is important to note that the survey will be conducted at no cost to the Bermuda Government.

Background:

The Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme

The Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme is funded by the UK Government’s Conflict, Stability and

Security Fund (CSSF). It is coordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of the UK’s

commitment to support the Overseas Territories.

UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO)

The UKHO is a leading centre for hydrography, providing marine geospatial data to inform maritime decisions. We

work with a wide range of data suppliers and partners to support maritime navigation, safety, security and marine

development around the UK and worldwide.

We make location-based information available through ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions, our world-leading

range of charts, publications and custom data sets. Our use of marine data and technology, combined with our

expertise, ensures we continue to innovate and provide a wider range of solutions.

We source, process and provide access to location-based information, ranging from the seabed to surface. This

enables our partner organisations to make critical maritime decisions – informing the sustainable use and

management of the marine environment and supporting the development of the blue economy.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.