On land museums can recreate forgotten worlds, remind visitors of ancient civilisations or even teach them about the origins of objects, languages, religions and culture.
But move them under the sea and suddenly they’re incredible while also, well, a little creepy.
It’s like watching the final scene of James Cameron’s The Titanic where viewers are taken on one last eerie tour of the iconic vessel sitting isolated 12,500 feet underwater in the North Atlantic Ocean – you’re amazed at how well the water preserved the ship over a century, but also can’t help but feel a little haunted by the images of its rusted remains (it also doesn’t help to have the underwater silence filled with the somber music to Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’).
That’s how we felt scrolling through images of Europe’s first underwater museum, which is scheduled to open in March off the Spanish island of Lanzarote.
image: Jason deCaires Taylor/Facebook
Taking almost two years to complete, the site features some 300 sculptures created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor, including several ambiguous human figures, CNN reported.
Sitting 12-15 metres under the water the museum is only accessible via snorkelling and diving, and according to its creator, is designed to form part of an artificial reef to help local sea life.
image: Jason deCaires Taylor/Facebook
DeCaires Taylor said divers will feel like they’ve entered a “portal to another world”.
“I want it to inspire people to understand more about our oceans and the threats facing it.”
Jason deCaires Taylor, Artist
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