Two new statues in Grenada’s Underwater Sculpture Park
The world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park, located 2 miles north of Grenada’s capital St George’s at Moliniere Bay, is now home to two new statues.
The first piece, a replica of The Christ of the Deep statue on the Carenage, was commissioned by the Grenada Board of Tourism to commemorate not only the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the liner ‘Bianca C’, but also the hospitality, selflessness and ‘Spice Isle’ spirit shown by the Grenadian people in the rescue of over 670 passengers and crew.
“As the statue looks up to the surface of the water with arms outstretched it is a wonderful new piece of living art for both our diving and snorkeling visitors,” said Howard Clarke of Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park Management Group.
The second sculpture, Sienna, is based on a character from the short story ‘A Different Ocean’ written by local author Jacob Ross. Sienna is a young girl gifted in free diving. The story follows friendship and betrayal as her talent is exploited in the search for lost treasure. This was one of the original pieces which were damaged by corrosion and sea conditions; Howard said: “It is a culturally important piece. The new statue is designed to be much more robust than the previous one and should last considerably longer.”
The latest additions to the park are part of a regeneration plan funded by both the private and public sectors, designed to regenerate and continue the development of the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park. Both statues were created by local artist Troy Lewis.
On 17th November the process of moving the statues to their final locations within the park got underway. The statues were first placed in the water by crane and then floated out to the site using heavy duty lifting bags in a joint operation by Underwater Solutions Ltd, Grenada Seafaris, Eco Dive & Trek and the Royal Grenada Coast Guard.
As the regeneration plan continues, more sponsors are being approached for the largest piece in the project which is the replacement of the iconic circle of children which consists of 26 children holding hands, sometimes known as Vicissitudes. Fundraising for this piece is on-going.
Find out more about diving in Grenada at Grenadagrenadines.com/godive.