The placement of underwater stat

Guardian of the Reef

Miami Beach, Florida

Fall 2007

Ken English, Project Manager

The placement of underwater art to increase diving tourism for a specific destination is now a proven success.

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The original "Il Christo Degli Abissi" statue was placed in the Mediterranean Sea off Genoa, Italy, in 1954. In 1961, a second statue "Christ of the Deep" was cast from the same mold. The Cressi family of Italy donated the statue to the Underwater Society of America, which in turn donated it to the Florida State Park Service, in recognition of the conservation efforts involved in the creation of America's first underwater park.

In 1965, the nine foot tall 4000 pound bronze statue "Christ of the Deep" was attached to a concrete base, and placed in 25 feet of water on the seaward side of Key Largo Dry Rocks. Since then, "The Statue" has become an icon of Key Largo scuba diving. In 1975, Key Largo Dry Rocks, along with pretty much everything else over three miles offshore, out to 300 feet of depth, became a part of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, which in turn became a part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The Christ Statue is one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on earth, accessible to divers and snorkelers alike!

Thirty-five years later, Keith Sahm, the General Manager of Sunset House Resort in Grand Cayman, estimated the resort received over US$300,000.00 worth of free publicity within six months of placing a nine-foot bronze mermaid within swimming distance of the beach in November 2000. Scroll down to read his letter.

In 1984, Miami-Dade County sank an obsolete tugboat to initiate a program to establish artificial reefs. The process of sinking ships attract diving tourism peaked this year with the sinking of the 888-foot aircraft carrier Oriskany in the Gulf of Mexico, 24 miles from Pensacola.

The installation of a high-quality sculpture can provide a missing element for recreational diving in the Miami area since there is little to see in shallow water.

A single highly publicized and recognizable sculptural focal point will increase the international exposure of Miami Beach, and as importantly, provide a location for first dives and novice checkouts.

The financial success of the mermaid in Grand Cayman has become well known in the industry, and that there is now a growing demand for new sculptures to place underwater in the same fashion. This proposal presents a new and even more ambitious sculpture to be made available for that purpose.

Description of the sculpture
(Rough clay sketches pictured)

Guardian of the Reef is a new sculpture by Simon Morris. It stands 13 feet tall and represents a mythological creature comprising the top half of a warrior-guardsman wearing ancient Greco-Roman armor & decorated breastplate, carrying a circular shield and a trident.

At waist level, the sculpture morphs into a Sea Horse, the same way a mermaid is a morph between a human female and a fish. The guardian’s helmet is a stylized sea horse head, and a dorsal fin protrudes from the back of the breastplate.

The tail is coiled around a heavy bronze ring embedded in a Roman column which acts as his sentry post.

The column is aged, and shattered, with many open spaces revealing a “Reef ball” style perforated inner cement column that actually becomes part of the natural reef over time.

The symbolism reflects that the oceans need our protection, but are being neglected.

In the picture at left, to provide a sense of scale, the sculptor is standing next to the tail at the height at which the tail stands above the sea bed. The rest of the sculpture continues upwards almost another eight feet.

The plan for Miami Beach is to place the statue on a 15 foot mound of limestone boulders and concrete reef balls, enabling divers to see encounter the statue at a 30-foot depth.

Full Size Clay Original

These pictures represent the full size sculpture nearing completion in the original plastelina clay material. It is now ready to be transported to the foundry for the casting process. The column will be created at the foundry, and is not included in these pictures. The sculpture is currently split into two pieces for manageability.

Project Description

Bronze Statue
13 foot high, 1500 pounds

Foot print
100 foot radius of reef balls, rising 15 feet from the bottom.

Location
Wreck Trek reef site within the Anchorage artificial reef area, 2 miles due east of Miami Beach, Florida.

Maximum Depth: 50 feet

Cost: $100,000

Sponsorship Levels

Gold: $5000
Name on bronze plaque attached to base of Guardian.
One page advertorial in Ocean Realm Journal
Banner AD with link on Ocean Realm Online

Silver: $3500
Name on bronze plaque attached to reef ball at top of mound.
1/2 page ad in Ocean Realm Journal
Banner AD with link on Ocean Realm Online

Bronze: $1500
Name on bronze plaque attached to reef ball near bottom of mound.
Showcase AD in Ocean Realm Journal
Banner AD with link on Ocean Realm Online

Supporter: $250
Name on bronze plaque attached to a reef ball.
Listed on supporter page in Ocean Realm Journal & Ocean Realm Online

The Reef Ball Foundation, an international non-profit charity known around the world for its work in restoring oceanic ecosystems endorses this project, and will automatically accept any “Reef Ball” installations placed in conjunction with the “Guardian of the Reef” into the “Reefs Around the World” Grant Program.

Testimonial from Dr. Joseph MacInnis

"Simon Morris is one of those rare individuals who use art to capture the spirit of the sea and to help conserve the ocean. His magnificent underwater sculptures have been seen by thousands of divers who have been moved by the experience.

Simon is now embarking on an ambitious project placing large scale bronze sculptures at diving destinations around the world. The project is designed to help replace lost habitat, repopulate dwindling marine life stocks, and promote the beauty of the marine world.

I support Simon and the other members of his team who are helping him rebuild the vitality of the seas."

Dr. Joseph MacInnis

***

Dr. Joseph MacInnis - a medical doctor - is a noted deep sea explorer and best-selling author. The first person to dive under the North Pole and among the first five to dive to the Titanic, Dr. MacInnis has written five books on the ocean as well as articles for National Geographic and Scientific American. Among his books are Saving the Oceans and Titanic: In a New Light. His most recent book is Fitzgerald's Storm, released by MacMillan in the fall of 1997.

Since 1964 Dr. MacInnis has been involved in some of the deepest and longest dives made by man, joining that small group of pioneers whose work in physiology opened up the deep and cold oceans.

Dr. MacInnis was an advisor to the Titanic discovery team and the first Canadian to explore the world's most famous shipwreck. In 1991 he was co-leader of the most daring deep diving project ever conducted, a seven million dollar expedition to film Titanic in the IMAX format. He has made two dives to the bow and stern sections of the wreck. Currently he is working on multimedia projects aimed at restoring the health of the oceans and the Great Lakes.

Since 1996 he has been the national chair of Canada Trust's Friends of the Environment Foundation. His work has earned him a number of distinctions, including three honorary doctorates, the Queen's Anniversary Medal, the Admiral's Medal and his country's highest honor, the Order of Canada.

PO Box 479 GT Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands BWI

April 25, 2001

To Whom It May Concern:

Re: Amphitrite, Siren of Sunset Reef

It is my pleasure to write this letter regarding Simon Morris’s nine foot bronze mermaid that Sunset House purchased in 2000.

The “Mermaid” was the center of attention here at the resort from the day we opened the crate. Due to logistics in sinking here off the shore of Sunset House, we had her on a pedestal outside of the bar area for approximately three months. While holding a contest to name her and being in the limelight of above water, we saw an increase of traffic just to see her and have pictures taken with her. When we did sink her, in November of 2000, every local patron was asking when I would replace her with another, as she became a focal point for all that passed through to the bar. We are in the process of erecting a monument with the more recently purchased three foot version of her in the same place were she stood, along with a map of the reef where one can find her much taller sister.

Interest is still growing as international news stories and media releases continue to appear in dive magazines and web pages. In a dollar figure amount, Simon’s work has generated approximately $300,000.00 in free advertising with the publicity that we have gained on her based on rate sheet value of the articles. She will be on the cover of Skin Diver and Rodale’s Scuba Diving magazines later this year. Rodale’s has rated Sunset House’s shore dive the number one shore dive in the Cayman Islands, with much credit going to Amphitrite.

In our intention to keep the momentum going, the monument will also serve as a yearly award to be given to a person who values the importance of reef awareness as we do and what Amphitrite symbolizes at our resort.

For more information on Simon’s work here, visit our web page at www.sunsethouse.com or reach me at Sunset House via the contacts listed below.

Sincerely,

Keith E. Sahm
General Manager

345.949.7111 or keith@sunsethouse.com

3890 Quadra Avenue Powell River, BC V8A 5E7 (604) 485-6969
fax 485-7609 donsdiveshop@powellriver.net donsdiveshop.powellriver.net

January 29, 2000

To Whom It May Concern:

Re: The Emerald Princess

It is my pleasure to write this letter about Powell River’s famous underwater sculpture “The Emerald Princess.” The beautifully crafted 9’ bronze mermaid by Simon Morris has been attracting tourists from all over the world to our Province to spend their vacations diving this well known area. Our Dive Shop’s Guest Book is filled with comments written by divers who have come from as far away as Germany, Australia, France, England and The Netherlands to dive the Mermaid.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of charter requests since the mermaid was installed at Saltery Bay. Local dive shops have profited from the addition of this tourist attraction as most visiting divers will request charter or guide services from the local dive shops whose staff is familiar with the area. She remains a popular, easy access year-round shore dive for local divers and our dive shop uses the site regularly as a “reward” for new dive students who have completed their training.

In 1998 members of The Deep Breather’s Dive Club held a 10^th anniversary party to celebrate a decade of diving and pay tribute to the famed princess. This community event attracted divers and dive clubs from all over Vancouver Island, The Lower Mainland and Washington State and was so successful that it is now planned as an annual diving event. This year’s event will feature articles on Powell River in Diver Magazine, The Northwest Dive News, CBC Radio, and BCTV.

“The Mermaid has virtually become the symbol of diving on the West Coast of British Columbia. It is difficult to find a publication about diving in our emerald seas without finding the Emerald Princess featured on the cover.” – Glen McRae, Economic Development Officer, Powell River