Unterwasserwelt

Admire underwater art aboard a DPV scooter

immersioni subacquee con dpv

A diver with a DPV scooter is unlikely to get bored during their dives, with all the wonders of the underwater world just waiting to be explored.

The masterpieces of nature are joined by man-made works, dotted along the seabed and offering breath-taking scenes in which natural and artificial elements combine to shape a surreal atmosphere.

Submerged shipwrecks are undoubtedly the most impressive example of this type of underwater attractions, but sometimes even smaller objects can have an equally striking impact on divers, such as underwater sculptures.

These human figures rising up from the seabed, in an environment alien to them, can awaken all sorts of sensations: amazement, curiosity, reverence, disquiet, admiration…whatever the impact, it’s sure to be a memorable experience for divers running into them on a DPV scooter!

Let’s take a look at some of the best-known and most interesting statues that can be found on the seabed around the world.

In Italy, the sea at Portofino is home to Cristo dell’Abisso, a statue of Christ created by the Italian artist Guido Galletti to commemorate his fellow Italian Dario Gonzatti, who died during a dive in 1947.

The 2.5-metre-tall statue, located at a depth of 10 metres, has become a monument to all those who have lost their lives under the water, and is visited by divers wishing to pay tribute to them.

The same mould yielded two other copies: one in Grenada, in the Caribbean, in memory of the Italians who lost their lives in 1961 when the passenger ship Bianca C sank, and the other in Florida, in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park of Key Largo.

Much more imposing is the Ocean Atlas, a statue with a height of five metres and a weight of 60 tonnes, which can be found in the Bahamas, at New Providence: it is the largest underwater sculpture in the world, with dimensions that required the use of an innovative technique to assemble it under water.

The striking figure is crafted in the pose of Atlas, the Greek titan who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the features are those of a girl with the typical appearance of the area. The message is clear: it is young people who are supporting the future of the planet, carrying a burden imposed on them by the preceding generations.

At the same time, the statue is committed to safeguarding nature. It is made from sustainable material with a neutral pH, it can be colonised by the local fauna, and it has drawn public attention to oil leaking into the sea from a plant on the islands.

There are also underwater museums that can be visited, bringing together a number of works in the same area.

The Museo Subacuatico de Arte (MUSA) is located in Cancún, Mexico and hosts over 500 life-size sculptures, giving the visitor the impression of looking at an ancient civilisation engulfed by the sea.

The Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada, in the Caribbean, is the first of its kind in the world. The collection features 75 statues, of human and other figures, the most striking of which is the circle formed by 26 children holding hands. Named Vicissitudes, the work represents the cyclical nature of life and the need to adapt. 

Visitors to Cannes, in France, can admire six 10-tonne statues depicting the faces of ordinary people who reside in the town that hosts the famous film festival, while the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is home to the Moua (Museum of Underwater Art), which hosts sculptures created using a special material that encourages the growth of coral and helps to preserve the barrier reef.

SUEX underwater scooters are suitable for long-range dives, both recreational and technical, offering a new way to explore underwater shipwrecks, as well as advanced navigation systems.