The "Mighty Mo" Gets an Art Installation

The 165-foot World War II warship USS Mohawk CGC – now a living reef thriving with exotic marine life, including goliath groupers and the occasional passing whale shark – was transformed into an underwater art gallery.

Celebrated photographer Andreas Franke of Austria led a team 28 nautical miles off the coast of Sanibel Island that installed 12 images, creating a gallery within the ship’s inner spaces. They will remain on display through Sept. 14, 2013.

For this project, Franke exhaustively researched the history of the Mohawk, which survived 14 attacks against German U-boats and rescued 300 torpedoed ship survivors. Based on this research, he envisioned the life of sailors past aboard the Mohawk – their daily lives and dreams of home – and superimposed images of models in period clothing onto original photography.

Each image measures roughly 2.5 by 3.5 feet and is encased in steel-framed Plexiglas. During their time at sea, the photos will evolve with accumulation of marine life, which will give them a seaworthy patina and life of their own.

For divers, the clear waters offered about 70 feet of visibility, perfect for viewing the ethereal images.

The 165-foot World War II Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk launched 14 attacks against submarine contacts between 1942 and 1945 and rescued hundreds of sailors from the freezing waters of the Atlantic. One of her most famous deeds was being the last ship to radio Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower that the weather was clearing for the D-Day invasion.

Senior Editor Mary Frances Emmons from sister magazine Scuba Diving was on the dive. Look for a more in-depth report in an upcoming issue of Scuba Diving and on scubadiving.com.