The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has completed the renovation of the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park (USP), which is located off the West Coast of Grenada in the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area.
A destination for snorkelers and divers, the Grenada Underwater Park was first opened in 2006 under the direction of British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. National Geographic has called it one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World.
“The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park is a national treasure and its maintenance is important to the upkeep of the pure allure of Grenada’s waters,” said Petra Roach, CEO of Grenada Tourism Authority. “Innovatively designed to act as an artificial reef, the park has attracted a stunning array of diverse marine life to the area since its installation and provided a surface for coral to grow – which is ultimately important to our ongoing preservation efforts and commitment to combat the ravages of global warming. We at the Grenada Tourism Authority will continue to advocate for and support such projects in order to ensure the destination’s viability and sustainable efforts.”
Photo credit: Brett Fairhead, Moorsafe Group Ltd.
The park includes 82 life-size sculptures that reflect Grenada’s culture, and allow for marine life to develop in the area and on the statues.
“One of the park’s most famous sculptures is the Vicissitudes, a circle of 28 figures cast from local Grenadian children linked by holding hands,” GTA explained. “Other notable pieces include the ‘Lost Correspondent,’ a man working at a typewriter on desk covered with historical newspaper cuttings; ‘Sienna,’ an elegant sculpture that depicts the graceful figure of a young skin diver from a much-loved local story; and ‘TAMCC Faces,’ a series of life-sized faces seemingly molded into the crevice of a large coral boulder which involved students of the local community college.”
Photo credit: Brett Fairhead, Moorsafe Group Ltd.
The restoration was undertaken to protect the park from environmental forces, as well as ensuring all sculptures were suitable to the surrounding marine life. Some sculptures were repaired while others were relocated.
Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique are a destination for divers, with more than 50 diving sites between them.
For more information, visit the Grenada website here.
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