Snorkeling in the Bewildering Underwater Life-Size Statue Museum.

Come on Francia, you only live once! I yelled at myself and jumped into the turquoise and crystalline ocean. My eyes gazed in awe at the magnificent underwater world. A wide range of fish of different colors, shapes, and sizes swam next to me and on the ocean floor. The marine life mirrors moving rainbows. What lies beneath the surface is striking and inviting. The clearness of the water allows the sunlight to shine on marine life, and it reflects on the statues.

The Cancun Underwater Museum has 5000 sculptures. I was snorkeling over life-size statues! The figures depict different people, from children to elderlies, in various positions like sitting down and leaning, pregnant women, children singing, and a guy writing.

The display is called the Silent Evolution, and it was created by local artists. 

One of the sculptures is “The Dream Collector,” which are dozens of bottles that contain messages of encouragement that were sent from around the world. One of them reads, “May our hearts never get as hard as our heads.” 

To this date, the display comprises the Silent Evolution, the Garden of Hope, Dream Collector, Man on Fire, the Promise, Inertia, Anthropocene, Inheritance, and Void— all created by Jason deCaires Taylor.

The reward for defying my fear was to witness exquisite man-made art and the splendid marine world. Sandy, my Mexican friend and one of the guides, promised to rescue me if I started drowning. When I was brave enough, I finally dig my head into the water. At first, it was a little scary and kind of choking in a good way. I lifted my head, shook the fear away, and dug it in again. What I’ve seen needed to be seen countless times and be touched too! The excitement was too big to hold. The statues do really look like people, and that vast universe is bewildering.   

I won’t lie; it took me quite a long moment to start breathing normally. My swimming abilities can be compared to those of a child trying to drive a truck. Luckily, one guy from the tour was close, and I stuck to him like glue. That was my second time snorkeling. The first time was in Roatan, Honduras. 

Once the snorkeling tour finished. We headed to Islas Mujeres, and I had a delicious local dish. The white sand caressed my feet softly. The bright blue color of the water sent peaceful vibes to my heart. The island’s atmosphere is relaxing yet fun at the same time. 

Until next time, dear Mexico! 

Interesting Facts:

• It is the biggest underwater museum in the world.
• Around 200,000 people visit it per year.
• The statues were made with pH-neutral cement.

That guy is the tour guide.