The Mexican state of Quintana Roo is known worldwide for the beauty of its beaches with crystal clear water, its paradisiacal islands and for the large presence of tourists. What many of its visitors do not know is that, in two of its most beautiful coral reefs, true works of art are submerged.
We are talking about the Manchones and Punta Nizuc reefs, in Isla Mujeres and Cancún respectively, where the two exhibitions of the Underwater Museum of Art (MUSA) are located. Featuring works by six internationally renowned sculptors, it is one of the most ambitious and attractive attractions in the underwater world.
The MUSA was born with the objective of protecting the marine fauna and flora of its reefs. One of its creators, the British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, had already promoted a very similar project on the coast of Granada, the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park.
The large influx of travelers and divers, attracted by the wide variety of corals, tropical fish and Caribbean algae, had seriously damaged the delicate ecosystem of the Mexican coast.
It was in 2008 when the director of the Costa Occidental national park of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún and Punta Nizuc, Dr. Jaime González Cano, began with the proposal of an underwater museum to divert the attention of visitors from the coasts of Quintana Roo, a of the areas most affected by human presence. With the support of the Cancun Nautical Association and the local community in the area, the MUSA was finally inaugurated in 2010.
The MUSA sculptures are made with pH-neutral cement, which does not contaminate the water that houses them, and they have small holes in all of them so that, over time, native corals and algae can grow and reproduce in them. While most artificial reefs take advantage of sunken objects and ships, which may contain substances harmful to marine fauna and flora, the MUSA sculptures are harmless to the habitat, thus ensuring their long-term survival.
All the museum pieces have the purpose – in addition to the aforementioned environmental conservation – to make those who visit them reflect on human action in nature.
In The Silent Evolution we observe more than 400 people interacting with the environment, some with great emotion and concern on their faces and others with complete indifference. Inheritance is a direct message, both with its title and its form, of what we leave to our descendants if we continue with this rate of ocean pollution. The Bankers is another direct criticism, this time of the country’s economic system, whom Decaires represents with his head in the sand, ignoring what is happening around him.
The MUSA offers different ways to visit it: on a glass-bottom boat tour, suitable for the whole family; snorkeling or diving, with different levels depending on previous experience in these sports; and for the most adventurous, the Jungle Tour, which allows clients to drive their own boat to the immersion area.
At the moment, there are 500 underwater sculptures of the more than 1,000 that the museum has permission to install, 477 at the Manchones reef and the other 23 at Punta Nizuc.