The French research vessel l'Atalante arrived in Halifax this afternoon, April 22 and tied up at the Bedford Institute. It is on a month long mission from its base in Brest, France.
An impresssive ship of 3559 gt, it was built originally in 1989 by Atelier et Chantier du Havre but was extensively refitted in 2009 and in 2021. It is a multi-purpose oceanography, biology and marine geosciences research ship. Its numerous capabilities include the operation of a crewed submersible to -6,000 meters and a remotely operated vessel. It has eight labs on board and can also carry containerised mission-specific labs on deck.
It is equipped with a 22 tonne capacity stern A-frame, a 10 tonne deck crane and a 4 tonne traveling crane and a 800mm diameter well or moon pool. It is diesel electric powered with twin screws.
The ship is owned by the Flotte Océanographique Française par IFREMER. (Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer). Its actual operation is conducted by SHOM which is the Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (the French Navy). Depending on the mission the ship carries a crew of 17 to 30 and can accommodate 30 technicians and scientists.
The ship was last in Halifax in June 2023, which apparently escaped the notice of Shipfax. It had assisted in the location and recovery efforts related to the Oceangate Titan submersible loss at the Titanic wreck site, using its ROV Victor 6000.
The ship's arrival in Halifax follows on the departure of the US flagged Endeavor on April 21 after carrying out some reseach for Canada.
The Endeavor first arrived in Halifax March 26, sailed on March 19 and returned April 18 (photo). The long awaited replacement for the deep sea research ship CCGS Hudson has not yet been completed, which means that the Bedford Institue has chartered in ships to carry out some of its research work - particularly annual fish stock surveys that are conducted jointly with the United States.
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