LOOK: Dive into this underwater forest

Musan features 93 artworks by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Picture: Jason deCaires Taylor

Musan features 93 artworks by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Picture: Jason deCaires Taylor

Published Aug 10, 2021

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The rise of underwater attractions are plenty, and the latest of these epic adventures is an underwater forest in Ayia Napa in Cyprus called Musan.

The underwater forest features 93 artworks by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Located 200m from Pernera beach, the new museum is ideal for scuba divers, freedivers and snorkellers.

The attraction, commissioned by the Municipality of Ayia Napa in Cyprus and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, is dubbed the first of its kind.

Picture: Jason deCaires Taylor

"These installations are placed at various depths from the sea floor to its surface and laid out to resemble a path through a dense underwater forest," Taylor said.

"Some of the tree forms will float just beneath the surface, so that the whole structure provides a complex environment for marine life at all levels of the water column."

Picture: Jason deCaires Taylor

Besides the stunning dive and grand views, the artworks play a significant role in the environment. As the area within a marine protected area, the forest is made from inert pH neutral materials that aim to replicate a terrestrial forest by becoming a focal point for biodiversity.

Experience

Once you dive down, marvel at the children playing among the trees.

"They remind us of our need for the natural world as a place to explore, discover and fire our imaginations,“ Taylor said.

“The forest children, camera in hand as they play hide-and-seek in the woods, point their lenses at the human race. They hope for a future in which the mystery and magic of nature will return. The need to re-wild our oceans is as pressing as the need to re-establish our connection to the natural world."

Picture: Jason deCaires Taylor

Earlier this year, a new underwater museum opened in Cannes in France. The attraction, which took more than four years to develop, was funded by the Mairie de Cannes and commissioned by its mayor, David Lisnard.

You will find it near the island of Sainte-Marguerite, one of the Lérins Islands off the coast of Cannes. It features six monumental three-dimensional portraits based on members of the community.

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environment