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Photos courtesy of the Cancun Underwater Museum in Mexico.
The project began in November 2009 with the placement of 100 statues in shallow waters of the Cancún National Marine Park and will eventually 'house' 400 works by artist Jason DeCaires Taylor.
As creator of the world’s first underwater sculpture park, Jason DeCaires Taylor has gained international accolades for his work. His sculptures highlight ecological processes and delve with the intricate relationship between modern art and the environment. By using sculptures to create artificial reefs, the artist underlines our need to understand and protect the natural world.
It is a wonderful idea, but being the sceptic that I am I must question the obvious. What about the Health & Safety aspect for the visitors? The gulf of Mexico is home to all kinds of sharks, including the great white! Can the museum guarantee the safety of it's customers?
Maybe 'duty of care' is not so important in Mexico, the land where men women & children consume sulphuric acid and caustic soda flavoured mince (known locally as chilli con carne) and don't bat an eye lid. The following picture illustrates my concerns;
Call me a spoil-sport, but I wont be taking my diving suit to Cancun. Tequila, cerveza and late nights are not conducive with scuba diving. Health & Safety for me (at least safety).
These photos remind me of Stonehenge. Do you suppose thousands of years from now, when the water has eroded most of these statues away, our descendants will believe this to be some sort of mystical monument? and why do they all have their eyes closed? Are they afraid they'll see sharks?
ReplyDeleteI like this post, love the statues and I'd dive them for sure. You dont have to be able to swim faster than a shark...you only have to be able to swim faster than the slowest tourist around you...
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful. Also a little spooky if you found them whilst diving.
ReplyDeleteWow...they are so cool...love the idea of humans not putting crap into the sea all the time though i do wonder, what do sharks think when they swim past?? 'ha...those stupid humans standing in a circle...im gonna get me a chomp...ouch..wtf???'
ReplyDeleteMy Occ Health and Safety view would be 'hmmm....they would get a bit chilly down there'
Fantastic post and great pics :)
Nessa: I wonder? maybe its the same kind of idea at Stonehenge- so old they could have been statues like Easter Island. As for the eyes closed - no idea :)
ReplyDeleteTempo: haha! so true - only need to swim faster than the slowest tourist. I was told once if I ever faced a shark to throw some shit at its face - they don't like it. when I asked where would I find shit while swimming I was told - no worries, there'll be plenty :)
Dicky: yeah, spooky and stunning :)
Dan: haha, wtf? Great whites are not supposed to be fussy eaters so there's bound to be a few with teeth missing - oh yeah, they grow new ones. Glad you enjoyed the post :)
Sharks are not a problem around Cancun. Actually there is an area where people go into a cave to see sleeping sharks. Never heard of a misshap.
ReplyDeleteHaha,Or they never lived to tell the tale :) Despite the fear of sharks I'd still love to dive the site :)
DeleteGreat photos. I think the conservation aspect does add a lot of meaning to this place. Cancun underwater museum is an obligatory place to visit when vacationing in Cancun. A real mixup of art and nature.
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