The Underwater Museum in Cancun, Mexico
Located in the beautiful city of Cancun, this is a place you shouldnât miss in your sightseeing tour. The opening of the Underwater Museum took place on November 26, 2010 and it has unique sculptures on display. Although already is a large collection, (it consists of approximately 400 pieces, all in actual size), in the near future the size of the collection will grow. More artists have been invited to take part of the project. The first item to be on display was the sculpture called âEl Coleccionista de los Sueños Perdidosâ ("The Lost Dreams Collector")
The man that designed and envisioned this space is the British artist Jason de Caires Taylor who enjoys international fame and recognition. One reason for his fame is that he seeks to highlight ecological processes while exploring the relationship between environment and art. A proof of this is that the authorities of Yucatan National Marine Park (whose official name is West Coast National Marine Park Isla Mujeres-Punta Cancún-Punta Nizuc) worked along with Jason de Caires. At its first stage, the museum itself strives to provide a glimpse of the evolution of Mayan Art.
A visit to the museum is possible through the use of appropriate equipment for diving or snorkeling; you donât need a lot of previous experience to do so, since there are guides available and ready to ensure you fully enjoy the museum, however, itâs necessary to take a course prior to your visit to the museum, as the depth of the various "rooms" of the site varies between three and eight meters deep! The length of each display is approximately one square kilometer.
Despite the short time since its opening, the museum has already been mentioned and praised by local and foreign media. It has been included, along with 12 other destinations, in the Forbes list as one of the unique sites to visit around the world. An additional purpose of the Underwater Museum, besides letting the visitor look at the different sculptures, is to showcase part of the extraordinary reefs located in the area.
The sculptures are made from eco-friendly materials and it is intended that, as time passes, they can serve as a foundation for the growth of corals and marine life in general. In fact the area has begun to host algae, and fish are being seen there occasionally. Also care has been taken with the sculptureâs design (they have a very wide base) to prevent the underwater currents from displacing them.
To access the Museum you must obtain permission from the tourism authorities and pay an amount ranging from $29 per person (as part of a group) to $88 for beginners who wish to use oxygen tanks and the guided service. It should be noted that the museum has Twitter and Facebook accounts, which are located at:
http://www.facebook.com/Cancun.Underwater.Museum, and http://twitter.com/cancun_uwmuseum
In short, I invite you to visit the site so you can see it for yourself!
Article produced by the Editorial Team of "Explorando Mexico".
Copyright Explorando México, All rights reserved.
Photo: MUSA Cancún
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