News
Underwater Sculpture rises from the seabed at luxury Indonesian resort
The world-renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has completed one of his most ambitious works yet – a man-made reef in the shallow waters off a beach voted Indonesia’s best by Tripadvisor.
For more than a decade the British-born artist has created hauntingly beautiful sculptures in waters from the Caribbean to the Canary Islands and the River Thames. His latest work, entitled Nest, is formed of 48 life-size human figures set in shallow water a short swim from the soon to be completed beachclub at BASK Gili Meno, a sustainable resort being developed on one of Indonesia’s most unspoilt tropical islands.
Gili Meno has a permanent population of just 500 people but is lapped by warm, crystal clear waters famed for their turtle population and blessed with one of the world’s richest ecosystems.
Nest features a ring of human figures, each sculpted from pH neutral, environmental grade concrete and based on the casts of real people. The material provides a natural home for corals, and within a year the ocean’s teeming marine life population will transform the sculpture into a reef. The work will continue to evolve and transform as the reef forms around it.
The work was commissioned as a centrepiece for a resort being developed by the acclaimed luxury developer BASK. When completed in early 2019, BASK Gili Meno will comprise of 87 secluded, chic and airy villas, each designed to celebrate natural beauty and respect the local culture.
The development blends sustainable materials, modern architecture and the latest energy-saving technology, as well as sensitivity to the car-free island’s unspoilt natural environment. Baywatch star David Hasselhoff became an early buyer at the resort after a visit to Gili Meno left him spellbound.
Greg Meyer, CEO of BASK Gili Meno, commented: “Gili Meno is a pristine island paradise and we’re determined that it should remain so. Our vision for BASK Gili Meno is to create an exclusive retreat that blends seamlessly into the rich tropical landscape. Jason’s works aren’t just sculptures, they are vibrant, thriving ecosystems in their own right. Nest is more than just a thing of beauty that will draw visitors to the island – as a perfect intersection of mankind and nature, it also symbolises what we’re trying to achieve at BASK Gili Meno.”
Jason deCaires Taylor added: “First and foremost Nest is an environmental space. The figures are arranged in a circular formation as an echo of the circle of life, and they will soon teem with life. Soft corals and sponges should flourish quickly paving the way for delicate hard corals and a fully established reef. But Nest is also a bridge between the human and marine worlds. It’s accessible to anyone and is just a short swim from a beach open to all. I hope people will visit it both as a piece of art and as an entrance point to the underwater world”.
“40% of the world’s coral reefs have been lost over the past few decades and scientists predict many more are now at risk. We hope Nest will remind visitors of the many treasures of the underwater world and how fragile they are,” continues Jason.
Visit www.baskgilimeno.com and www.underwatersculpture.com to find out more.
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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