The Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (SHOA) has set a new world cartographic milestone by publishing the first Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) in S101 format of Antarctica, thus reaffirming Chile’s presence and leadership in the white continent. Just as in 2003, when the country launched the first Antarctic ENC, this new achievement consolidates the institution’s pioneering role in the production of specialized cartography for one of the most inhospitable areas on the planet.
The publication confirms that Chile, through the naval entity, continues to be at the forefront of Antarctic cartography development, now under the demanding standards of the S100 model, which allow for more integrated, precise, and easier-to-interpret charts. This is a key step towards the navigation of the future, in line with the safety and efficiency needs of the international maritime community.
The S100 standard, known as the universal hydrographic data model, constitutes the “common digital language” developed by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) to structure maritime geospatial information in a compatible and ISO 19100 standards-based manner. Within this model, S101 is built, the new generation of electronic navigational charts that will progressively replace the current S57 format.
S101, meanwhile, provides a greater level of detail and attributes, improves symbology and presentation, and allows for displaying and filtering information by layers, offering maritime users a clearer and more coherent experience. Thanks to these innovations, navigation systems using S101 charts will be able to make more informed and safer decisions, consolidating a fundamental advance towards the future of electronic navigation.
The project began in 2021, when the SHOA defined objectives, areas to be mapped, and necessary technical resources through multidisciplinary coordination. During the Antarctic Campaigns of 2022-2024, specialists carried out hydrographic surveys in Chile Bay, Sovereignty Port, and adjacent sectors. In the 2022 campaign, small vessels were used, while from 2023 the hydrographic launch “Orca” was incorporated, whose greater autonomy and portable multibeam system allowed for more extensive and precise bathymetric coverage.
In 2024, the SHOA expanded its scope and prepared the sixth edition of chart No. 14231 (INT 9122) “Chile Bay, Sovereignty Port, Rojas and Iquique Coves”, produced on paper, in S57 electronic format, and in the new S101 standard, ensuring continuity for current users and enabling a progressive transition towards the new generation of digital cartography.
This advance is supported by Chile’s sustained presence in Antarctica, which began on February 6, 1947, with the inauguration of the “Captain Arturo Prat” base. That same year, the then Navy Department of Navigation and Hydrography published the first chart of Chile Bay, whose new edition today renews a historic milestone for national cartography.
For 78 years, naval personnel have strengthened the Chilean presence through scientific research, maritime traffic control, rescue operations, and the protection of the Antarctic ecosystem, consolidating the country’s commitment to the development and security of that continent.
