Human sculptures in the "Silent Evolution" installation -- picture from photo gallery on Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
A close-up of Lucky, an underwater statue -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Fish swimming over sculptures -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
A sculpture "blowing" bubbles -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
An activist with a statue -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Caribbean underwater sculptures -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Sculpture in progress -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Portraits of local people -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Statues on Cancún beach -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Statues being lowered into water -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Wide view of underwater museum -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
The waters off Cancún -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
Kneeling underwater sculpture -- picture from photo gallery on "The Silent Evolution" Caribbean underwater sculpture park off Cancun, Mexico
1 of 13
Visitor From AboveA snorkeler swims over life-size statues near Cancún, Mexico, in a late 2010 picture. More than 400 of the permanent sculptures have been installed in recent months in the National Marine Park of Cancún, Isla Mujeres, and Punta Nizuc (map of the region) as part of a major artwork called "The Silent Evolution." The installation is the first endeavor of a new underwater museum called MUSA, or Museo Subacuático de Arte. January 6, 2011—Hundreds of life-size human sculptures were recently installed as part of a new underwater sculpture garden off Cancún, Mexico.

&permalink=http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/culture-places-news/mexico-human-reef-vin.html&share=true">

Created by Mexico-based British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the Caribbean installation is intended to eventually cover more than 4,520 square feet (420 square meters), which would make it "one of the largest and most ambitious underwater attractions in the world," according to a museum statement. (See "New Artificial Reefs 'Grow' From Mideast Peace Deal.") In doing so, Taylor hopes the reefs, which are already stressed by marine pollution, warming waters, and overfishing, can catch a break from the approximately 750,000 tourists who visit local reefs each year. "That puts a lot of pressure on the existing reefs," Taylor told National Geographic News. "So part of this project is to actually discharge those people away from the natural reefs and bring them to an area of artificial reefs." —With reporting by Fritz Faerber
Photograph courtesy Jason deCaires Taylor

Pictures: "Bodies" Fill Underwater Sculpture Park

A new underwater sculpture garden off Mexico is to help lure tourists away from fragile natural reefs, says the project's creator.

January 07, 2011

Go Further