British Columbia, Canada - Simon Morris, sculptor
of the well known bronze mermaids placed underwater in Grand Cayman and British
Columbia, has just completed the clay original for a new underwater sculptural
project promoting diving tourism and environmental stewardship.
Guardian of the Reef is a new sculpture 13 feet
tall, representing a mythological creature comprising the top half of a warrior-guardsman
wearing ancient Greco-Roman armour & decorated breastplate, carrying a
circular shield and a trident made from a conch shell. 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.
The project calls for six of these sculptures to be
placed around the world at locations where resorts and dive operators meet
stringent environmental stewardship guidelines. 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 sculpture into the
Reefs Around the World Grant Program (see details at www.reefball.org).
The integration of this sculpture into a “Reef
Ball” installation will provide excellent habitat enhancement and a place of
interest for divers to hone their buoyancy skills before venturing onto the
sensitive natural reefs in the area. In many heavily dived areas, the reefs are
suffering from the pressure of too many diver impacts.
A
testimonial from Dr. Joe 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 -a medical doctor - is a
noted deep-sea explorer, environmentalist, and best-selling author. 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.
Dr. MacInnis was an advisor to the Titanic discovery team. 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.
The bronze mermaid Amphitrite has been phenomenally
successful in attracting dive tourism to Grand Cayman. The Diving Industry
Association of British Columbia www.diveindustrybc.com
has committed to purchase the first casting of the Guardian of the Reef, to be
placed near Horseshoe Bay, just outside of Vancouver, B.C. Other tourism groups
around the world are racing to raise funds to be one of the five remaining
sites knowing that a large number of scuba divers will be flocking to the
locations selected.
Some locations actively considering the placement
of the Guardian are the British Isles, The Caribbean, The Sea of Cortez,
Australia, and the eastern Seaboard of the United States. Operators around the
world are invited to contact the sculptor to discuss participation.
Each sinking will become a widely publicized
“event” drawing crowds of enthusiastic divers and spectators eager to be among
the first to dive the new attraction.
At Powell River, BC in 1989, 1,000 people came to witness the sinking,
which was accompanied by members of three level of government, two marching
bands, and an aerial fly by of precision flying jets from the nearby air force
base. The sinking of the mermaid “Ampihtrite” in Grand Cayman was held during PADI
Total Submersion Week at Sunset house, October 2000.
The
Volunteer Services Division of the Reef Ball Foundation has offered to host
coral propagation and transplanting clinics for schools and local volunteers
whenever the locations are in areas suitable for tropical coral reef
restoration.
Simon
Morris lives on Saltspring Island British Columbia Canada. He is a recipient of
the “Canadian National Diving Achievement Award” from Underwater Canada for the
mermaid’s contribution to the raised public awareness of the fragile nature of
British Columbia’s unique marine ecosystem. An avid diver for nearly 30 years,
he suffered a case of the bends during a diving accident on March, 2000. No
longer able to dive, Simon remains committed to the oceans environment, and
still enjoys free-diving to his underwater sculptures.
“It
is my pleasure to write this letter about Powell River’s famous underwater
sculpture “The Emerald Princess.” Simon Morris’ beautifully crafted 9’ bronze
mermaid has been attracting tourists from all over the world to our Province to
spend their vacations diving in 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.”
-
Don Cardo, Owner, Don’s Dive Shop, Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
“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, British Columbia, Canada
For more information contact
Simon Morris Sculpture, Inc
125 Woodland
Drive
Saltspring
Island, British Columbia
Canada, V8K 1K1
250 537 2511
www.morrissculpture.com