One of the several hundred statues in Cancun's Underwater Museum — Photo courtesy of Jason deCaires Taylor / MUSA
The Cancun Underwater Museum, already the largest underwater museum in the world with over 450 statues, just got bigger. In July 2012, sixty new statues were added to the underwater art collection. The statues were created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor, who has also made 65 pieces of art for an underwater museum in Grenada as well as unique pieces of underwater art for other projects.
Roughly 750,000 people visit the Cancun Marine Park each year, and that has caused damage to reef. Hurricanes, in recent years, have also hurt the reef. In an attempt to draw snorkelers and divers away from the area's natural coral reef, Cancun's glorious underwater museum was created, not only for for water sports enthusiasts to enjoy, but also as a home for marine life. Coral has already started growing on the statues that were placed underwater in 2012.
Cancun Underwater Museum has statues in two underwater locations; Salon Punta Nizuc and Salon Manchones. Salon Punta Nizuc is located at the southern tip of Cancun's hotel zone, near Club Med Cancun Yucatan and the popular Wet 'n Wild water park. Salon Manchones is off the coast of Isla Mujeres, a small island located approximately six miles north of Cancun.
Snorkeling or scuba diving excursions to The Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA) can be booked through many of Cancun's tour companies, including Aquaworld Cancun.
