Underwater Sculptures: Cancun's Newest Museum

Art-loving scuba divers have another reason to make a dive trip south of the border: The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau recently announced the newly opened Cancun Underwater Museum Visitors Center, showcasing replicas of 26 of the Cancun Underwater Museum’s (MUSA) most popular underwater sculptures.

MUSA artist Jason de Caires Taylor also submerged 11 new sculptures, bringing the total pieces of underwater art to 500.

The additional pieces will be submerged in “The Silent Evolution” gallery — the first phase of sculptures submerged in 2010. “The new pieces use a revolutionary form of stainless steel framework and will rely on live planted corals to form the narrative and structure of the works,” says Taylor. Two of the new sculptures include “The Glass Ceiling” and a new “Man on Fire” piece.

Inaugurated on September 7, the visitors center features a step by step process of how and why eco-sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor created his renowned art. Guests who explore the underwater museum can enhance their experience by visiting the center, which can also be an alternative for sea-wary travelers to use should they wish to view Taylor’s art without having to set foot in the ocean.

Since 2010, the artist has submerged sculptures to the bottom of the ocean, where marine life has slowly moved into the museum area, bringing life to “The Silent Evolution.” With everything from life-size human sculptures, many of which were cast from Cancun locals, to a full VW Beetle that was especially designed for lobsters to make their home inside the vehicle, each statue is made with materials that are safe for marine life and encourage the formation of a coral reef.

Since its beginning, the Cancun Underwater Museum was created to facilitate the preservation of natural coral reefs by doubling as a home for fish and other underwater organisms, drawing visitors away from Cancun’s delicate natural reefs.