Have you ever heard of a treasure, hidden in a map?

Resolve the questions below, travel through the European Atlas of the Seas and find the treasure!

1) Setting sail

Watch the video tutorial to learn how to use the European Atlas of the Seas. When you are ready to dive into the Atlas, use the search tool to select the following maps:

- European Maritime Day (EMD) In My Country 2021;

- Country borders

- Sea names.

Did you manage to find and add the maps? The three map layers should overlap each other. You can check this by clicking on the layers’ icon. You can drag and drop the different layers to change the order. Make sure that the top layer is the one showing the EMD In My Country events so that you can see them better. These events are shown with the starfish symbol in the map.

Great, let's get started!

2) Navigating the ocean and seas

A good treasure hunter can read maps and knows about the compass directions. Are you good at this? A little reminder, on the maps you will find the north at the top, the south at the bottom, the west to the left and the east to the right.

Now, you are ready to find the answers to the questions below. Will you discover the hidden treasure?

3) Finding the way to the treasure

Step 1 - Which is the most northern event organised? In which country can you find it? On which Gulf Coast is it located?

Step 2 - Travel to the most eastern event location north of the Black Sea. In which country can you find it? There are two events organized there. What are the titles of these events?

Step 3 - Go further south and a little to the east. Look for an event organised on an island in the Mediterranean Sea that is starting on 17/06/2021. Which country have you travelled to?

Step 4 - Now we will travel the Mediterranean Sea towards the Strait of Gibraltar at nearly the same latitude. Do you know where that is? It is the narrow passage between Spain and Morocco. Raise the sails and travel to the west!

As you are entering the Atlantic Ocean, you will spot the Mar y Ciudadanía 2021 event (hint: the starfish representing the event is in the ocean). Remember you can zoom in the map! Which country is organising this event and when? What type of activities are organised during this event?

Step 5 - When navigating further in the north-west direction, you will find the most south-western event in Portugal organized by the City Council of Faro. What is it called?

Activate the ‘Measures tool’ in the Atlas’ Menu (see ‘Advanced Features’) and use this tool to check if this event has the following coordinates:

- Latitude: 37.014854

- Longitude: -8.00495

Tip: Click on the measurement symbol (ruler) that appears on the right side of the screen and choose the Coordinates tag. Click on the location symbol and then on the event.

Step 6 - Zoom out. Navigate north along the coasts of Portugal and Spain and head for the most southern events in the United Kingdom. There are three events at this location. Check the information on the Ocean Literacy Festival organized on 22 May 2021. Who is organising this event?

Step 7 - Select the Distance tag in the ‘Measures tool’. Click on the distance symbol. Select nautical miles. Put your flag on this location in the United Kingdom and sail about 183 nautical miles across the Celtic Sea to find the Cork Harbour Festival (note that there are several events at this location, look through the events to find the Festival). Which country have you travelled to? When is the Festival taking place?

Deactivate the measurement, click on the event ... and see what happens!

We hope you have enjoyed the journey! To learn more about the ocean and seas, we invite you to participate in the events shown in the map. By clicking on each starfish, you can access the websites related to the events or the organisers of the events. Have fun!