Cabinet approves plan for new underwater mermaid statue

Cabinet has approved an application to sink a 9-foot-tall statue of a mermaid in the water off downtown George Town.

The Angel of the Reef has been designed by Simon Morris, the sculptor behind two other underwater statues in Cayman – the Amphitrite mermaid at Sunset House and the Guardian of the Reef at Divetech at Lighthouse Point in West Bay. Morris has also created the Tradition statue, honouring Cayman’s seafarers, in Heroes Square.

Cabinet has given permission for the new statue to be placed on the seabed by Soto’s Reef dive and snorkel site, which is within a marine reserve just outside of the George Town anchorage area.

Gary and Liz Frost, the team behind the Living the Dream dive operation, are commissioning the statue.

“We are beyond excited to be a part of this project and very thankful for those that have supported this initiative,” Gary Frost said.

He added, “Liz and I are proud that Living The Dream Divers is the current custodian of Soto‘s Reef and home of Bob Soto’s original pioneering dive shop. This statue will not just be the third in the series of underwater statues in Cayman, but a very important asset for the watersports industry in the Cayman Islands as it commemorates the life and work of Bob Soto on Soto‘s Reef and all those who came before us.

“We look forward to working with Simon Morris as we create this beautiful brass statue.”

The statue, which Morris has already created in miniature form, began life in the pages of a novella called ‘Angels of the Deep’, written by authors Nicholas Harvey and Nick Sullivan.

While writing the book in 2022, Harvey had consulted with Morris about the methods of creating and sinking a bronze underwater statue, as it was a central element of the story. The two got on so well, the sculptor ended up being a character in the novella.

Morris previously told the Compass, “So, the book came out, and after six months, I became infatuated with the concept of building this thing and seeing if I could put it underwater in Cayman.”

The statue will feature not just a mermaid, but iconic marine animals often seen in Cayman.

Morris said this week that the chance meeting during the writing of Harvey’s book “to clarify some details about placing bronze sculpture underwear was the direct link to the idea of combining his thoughts on the iconic images of diving in Grand Cayman – the mermaid Amphitrite, the stingrays of Stingray City, and the beloved green sea turtle”.

He thanked the Frosts for their “vision and enthusiasm from our first meeting at the DEMA [Diving Equipment and Marketing Association] three years ago that allowed the dream to become a reality”.

“I am looking forward to starting the creation of the full-size sculpture, and can’t wait to return to Grand Cayman for the sinking,” he said.

The Department of Environment, which submitted a report on the coastal works licence application by Soto’s Marine Ltd., recommended that Cabinet approve it.

Its report noted that the statue, which would be 11 feet, 7 inches tall once the concrete base was added, would be located where the seabed is 38 feet deep, with surrounding coral heads sitting at 12-26 feet deep. As such, “the statue is not believed to pose a navigational hazard”, the DoE said.

It also stated that the environmental impacts of the project “are limited to the direct construction impacts from the installation of the statue on the seabed”.

It added that the 2-foot, 7-inch concrete base would be put in place with the use of a barge and crane, during which there would be some disturbance to the seabed, but those would likely only last during the installation work.

Gary Frost said the “real work” now begins for the couple, “as we look to raise money for the sinking and creation of the third statue in the series”.

He added, “We think this will be an excellent addition to the diving and snorkeling industry in the Cayman Islands, both for those visiting and for the local community to enjoy.”