A new museum has taken this popular sightseeing activity to another level.
The underwater Museo Atlántico has just opened up on the south coast of Lanzarote and takes you 12 metres down in the water.
Not for the faint hearted, this museum can only be visited by those travelling with a certified diving company as tourists have to be able to safely use scuba diving equipment.
The museum consists of a huge artificial reef made up of pH neutral cement sculptures which, over time, will help the marine biomass flourish and facilitate the reproduction of species on the island.
For those not sure about diving into the depths of the ocean, the museum can also be viewed from above by snorkelers.
Just like most new tourist attractions, the underwater museum was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés, and the author of the monumental artistic exhibition, British eco-sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, had to get into their diving suits in order to do the honours.
Museo Atlántico has taken two years to create and includes a 30-metre long wall; the sculpture of a botanic garden that makes reference to the local flora and fauna, and a set of 200 real size human figures that make up a human whirlwind.
Visitors will not be alone as they view the exhibits as the museum has already attracted the interest of angel sharks, shoals of barracuda and sardines, octopus, marine sponges and the occasional butterfly stingray.
A leaflet for the attraction says: “A visit to Museo Atlantico may lead us to a closer understanding of our relationship with the natural marine environment and appreciate the need to value and protect this fragile ecosystem in order to save ourselves.”
http://www.cactlanzarote.com/en/the-museo-atlantico-of-lanzarote-opens-its-doors-to-the-world/