Here’s a new cruising/diving/charter destination, although it is a bit far away: The Museum of Underwater Art, about 50 miles off the coast of Australia in the Great Barrier Reef. The non-profit museum, a highly creative venture, features sculptures of 25 people housed in a Coral Greenhouse some 53 feet under the surface (see them in the video below).
The sculptures, all molded from real people and all anchored to the seafloor, were crafted by Jason deCaires Taylor, a British artist. As opposed to many other contemporary artists, Taylor used heavy-set models for his sculptures, thinking they would attract more marine life and better withstand the underwater forces of nature.
The nearest port to the museum is Townsville, in North Queensland, and the museum itself is at John Brewer Reef. The 22-square-foot museum was built with stainless steel and pH-neutral materials to foster natural coral growth. The idea behind the museum is to call attention to the reef’s conservation and restoration. The museum is planning two more offshore on Palm Island and Magnetic Island.
It also is working with five commercial tour operators so visitors can experience the Coral Greenhouse with dive instructors and guides. Yachts up to 115 feet can book a private mooring so guests can dive there, and you can charter the 131-foot Flying Fish yacht from Orpheus Island Resort, one of the museum’s authorized partners, to dive there yourself. Read more and see the video:
