Spanish underwater museum is Europe’s first

THE island of Lanzarote will be the first European setting for an underwater sculpture park accessible only to divers and sightseers on glass bottom boats. 

The Museo Atlantico is the brainchild of Jason deCaires Taylor, a British sculptor whose previous projects include setting up similar museums in Cancun, Mexico and Grenada in the West Indies.  

Taylor´s haunting underwater scenes are described as a tribute to the conservation of the natural world. His work on the Grenada sculpture park paid off when it was listed in National Geographic as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World. 

The Lanzarote museum will feature 400 sculptures of humans, which are fixed to the seabed some 12 metres below the surface. All are designed as a harmonious addition to the marine environment and should attract plant and animal life. 

Lanzarote Council President, Pedro San Gines, expressed his support for the project, which he claims will “open a door to the ocean that strengthens our position as a unique tourist destination”. 

Sculptures unveiled so far include a dinghy full of migrants, a selfie-taking couple and other human sculptures based on local Lanzarote residents. 

The official opening of the Museo Atlantico is in March 2016.