There's A New Underwater Museum In Australia And It Looks So Surreal. Here Are The Photos
No, this isn't a hauntingly beautiful scene from Titanic.
No, this isn't a hauntingly beautiful scene from Titanic.
For those who are scouring the internet for out-of-this-world places to visit once COVID-19 restrictions are eased, this could be it. But be warned, getting there may be quite the adventure.
The Museum Of Underwater Art (MOUA), the first and only underwater art museum in the southern hemisphere, was just launched on Aug 1. Located in Townsville North Queensland in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the unconventional attraction comprises a series of installations to raise awareness of reef conservation and restoration.
The man behind these works of art is British underwater sculptor and marine conservationist, Jason deCaires Taylor, who also helped set up the world's first underwater sculpture park in the Caribbean.
According to MOUA’s Facebook page, it is highly recommended for visitors to possess a diving license in order to fully experience the underwater museum and appreciate these submerged sculptures. Something for diving enthusiasts to look forward to once we can travel again, perhaps?
But if you don't have a diving license or would rather do some armchair travelling, scroll on for more pictures of the surreal underwater museum in Australia.
Among the exhibits completed in the first phase of MOUA's launch is the 'Ocean Siren' at The Strand Jetty. The sculpture changes colour according to the water temperature, thanks to the live data that it receives from the local weather station at Davies Reef.
You may be able to see “Ocean Siren” from land, but you’ll likely have to get wet for the next installation: “Coral Greenhouse” at John Brewer Reef.
Tourists who dive down to the largest MOUA installation get to explore the nine-metre stainless steel greenhouse structure weighing more than 58 tonnes. Inside are 20 reef guardian sculptures of marine science students, which will grow over time with coral to attract new marine life to the Great Barrier Reef.
But if you prefer to snorkel instead, you'll “still see it all” from above, “especially if the visibility is good”, according to the museum's Facebook page. “However, the best experience would probably be scuba.
More info at moua.com.au.
Photos: Museum of Underwater Art/ Tourism Australia
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