Back when we were kids, Walt Disney’s red-haired Ariel sparked our love affair with the sea and its fascinating mysteries. Here, we cover a fraction of the sultry enigmas underwater. By Quoyina Ghosh
1) Amphitrite Statue (off Grand Cayman)
A mutual dream shared by all of us as kids, was the desire to spot a mermaid under the water. This is a dream you can bring to life with the unearthly statue of Poseidon’s wife, Amphitrite, off the coast of the island of Grand Cayman. Created by Simon Morris, it was sunk down to 50 feet underwater in the year of 2000 and is now a popular haunt of adventurous divers.
2) Christ Of The Abyss (San Fruttuoso, Italy)
When Duilio Marcante’s friend passed away while diving, he thought to build a memorial for the divers thus lost at sea. Upon receiving the commission for it, Guido Galletti created this magnificent statue of Christ with arms outstretched in the year of 1954. Today, this statue is now known to be one of the most iconic diving sites in the world, both because of how truly beautiful it is and because of the vital message it sends across.
3) Ocean Atlas (Nassau, Bahamas)
The largest known statue present underwater, Ocean Atlas is based on the legend of the titan who held the world up. It is a 60 ton sculpture depicting a girl holding up the ocean above her. The artist Jason deCaires Taylor created this with the intention to raise awareness regarding the gigantic task upon our shoulders to save the oceans.
4) Ruins Of Baiae (Bay of Naples, Italy)
A city that thrived in the Roman times, Baiae was once packed with amenities to live a lavish life. However, the location while mesmerisingly beautiful was also very unstable. This led to the engulfing of this city by the waters with time. However, the remnants of life from those days still remain. While some of the remnants have been removed to ensure their safety, replicas have been placed to retain the enticing nature of this spot. A mesmerising feast for the eyes, these ruins are akin to visiting a whole new world you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
5) Cancun Underwater Museum (Cancun, Mexico)
Fancy swimming about in an underwater museum? If that’s what you really want, we suggest you take your map and head straight to Cancun, for in Cancun, you’ll find about 500 beautiful sculptures underwater to gaze in absolute awe at. With the unflinching goal of conservation in heart, these statues were created to raise the quiet fire of awareness in the hearts of all those who’d see it. With statues depicting uncaring men or the possibility of the peaceful coexistence of humans and nature, the message sent by this museum is a strong one.
Related: Here Are 5 Fascinating Underwater Ruins That You Didn’t Know About
