Guardian of the Reef is a new bronze 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 staff with a globe that represents the world's oceans. The guardian's helmet is a stylized sea horse head, and a dorsal fin protrudes from the back of the breastplate. 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 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 sculpture is released as a world-wide limited edition of four signed numbered and dated castings. Number one in the edition has been purchased by Jay and Nancy Easterbrook, owners of the well-known Grand Cayman diving destination "Divetech".
Divetech celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2014 and on April 12, 2014 sank the Guardian at Lighthouse Point as an artificial reef and legacy for divers to visit for decades to come. Instead of offering the 'traditional' discounts for anniversaries, they will promote ocean conservation and donate one dollar from every dive on the Guardian towards "The West bay Warriors", an educational Ocean Conservation and Awareness program for local school children that works to promote, educate and action ocean and reef conservation. In addition, they will solicit donations from visiting divers with a goal of raising $20,000 the first year towards this cause.
The Guardian of the Reef will be the latest artificial reef to be sunk in the Cayman Islands. Prior artificial reefs - including "Amphitrite", Simon's earlier sculpture of a mermaid placed at Sunset House - have proven to be of substantial economic value to the Cayman Islands. Additionally, an artificial reef system helps to create biodiversity in the surrounding area, such as the introduction of fish to the structure that would not commonly be found in a sand flat. Artificial reefs also help to reduce the number of visitors and time spent on the natural reefs and thereby spread the diving visitors over a larger area. This is beneficial to the natural reef systems as it assists in reducing stress on them.
Guardian of the Reef
Click here to visit the Guardian of the Reef website for more informationLocation
Land Reference: Off Lighthouse Point - 571 NW Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman
Lat/Long: N19 375.14 / W81 421.30
Bottom Composition: Sand Flat, 67 feet of depth (at present date)
Diving
To Dive the Guardian, or donate to the Ocean Conservation and Awareness Program being set up around the Guardian, please contact:
LocationJoanna Mikutowicz - Divetech, Ltd.
PO Box 31435
West Bay, Grand Cayman, KY1 - 1206
GRAND CAYMAN
Websiteswww.divetech.com
Future Locations
There are three remaining available castings of the Guardian of the Reef for underwater placement in suitable locations around the world. Each location is given a large radius of exclusivity. (The Guardian in Grand Cayman will be the only one placed in the entire Caribbean basin for instance)
Please contact Simon at simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com
Scaled Limited Editions
As with the mermaid sculptures, Limited Edition castings of the Guardian will soon be available in 1/12th, 1/6th, and 1/3rd scale.
To purchase a scaled limited edition of the Guardian of the Reef, please visit guardianofthereef.com