Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park: Diving the Molinere Sculptures

How the sculpture park began

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada hard, on land and on the reefs. Two years later, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor began placing sculptures on the sandy seabed at Molinere Bay, a few kilometres north of St. George's. The idea was to give divers and snorkelers something new to visit, take pressure off the island's natural reefs, and give corals and sponges a new surface to grow on.

The park opened to the public in 2006 and quickly became famous. It's widely described as the world's first underwater sculpture park, and it led to similar projects by deCaires Taylor and others around the world. Since then, Grenadian and visiting artists have added many more works, and new pieces have been placed in recent years, so the collection keeps growing.

What you'll see

The best known piece is Vicissitudes, a ring of life-size children holding hands, facing outwards into the water. The figures were cast from local children, and as they change with the reef, the work reads as a story about time, growth and the island's history. Another favourite is The Lost Correspondent, a man sitting at a desk with a typewriter. Grenadian artists have added their own works, including pieces drawn from the island's carnival traditions.

Every sculpture is made from marine-grade cement that is safe for reef life. Over the years they've been covered by algae, sponges, hydroids and small corals, so they look a little different every year. Fish use them as shelter, and you'll often see sergeant majors, snappers, trumpetfish and the odd turtle around them.

Depth and conditions

Most of the sculptures stand on sand in about 5 to 8 metres of water, with some pieces shallower. That makes the park one of the easiest dives in Grenada. It suits:

• New divers and students on their first open water dives
• Experienced divers who want a relaxed second dive after a deep wreck
• Snorkelers, who can see many pieces from the surface on a calm, clear day
• Photographers, who get good natural light in the shallows

Molinere Bay faces the calm Caribbean side of the island, so conditions are usually gentle. Visibility is best on sunny days after a dry spell. After heavy rain, runoff can cloud the water. Many dive centers combine the sculptures with the natural reef next to them, Molinere Reef, which drops off along a wall full of sponges and sea fans. The Grenada dive sites guide covers the reef and nearby Flamingo Bay and Dragon Bay.

A marine protected area

The sculpture park is part of the Molinere-Beauséjour Marine Protected Area. Visitors pay a small user fee that helps pay for moorings, rangers and the upkeep of the park. Dive and snorkel operators normally collect it for you. Inside the MPA, fishing, anchoring on the reef and taking anything are restricted.

How to visit

Most visitors go with a dive or snorkel boat from Grand Anse, True Blue or St. George's. The ride north along the coast takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes and passes the harbour and the green hills of the west coast. Dive centers often run the park as the second dive of a two-tank trip, after a wreck or a deeper reef. Glass-bottom boat tours also stop there for visitors who don't want to get wet.

The park is a good place for a first dive. If you're taking a course, ask whether one of your open water dives can be here: learn to dive in Grenada explains how courses work on the island. If you're an experienced diver, pair it with a morning on the Grenada wrecks, and if you're visiting Carriacou as well, plan the sculptures for your days on the main island.

For the best time of year, getting around and what to bring, read Grenada dive trip planning.