Lanzarote & Museo Atlántico · Spain · Artificial reef
Museo Atlántico
Europe's first underwater museum, opened in January 2017
Area photo: Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0
Museo Atlántico is an underwater sculpture museum standing on a flat sand floor at 12 to 14 metres in the sheltered Bay of Las Coloradas, off the south coast of Lanzarote. Around three hundred figures by Jason deCaires Taylor are spread over some 2,500 square metres of seabed, cast in pH-neutral marine cement so they double as an artificial reef. Visits are guided and made by boat from Marina Rubicón.
Also known as Museo Atlántico de Lanzarote.
Where it is and how deep
28.8536° N, 13.8093° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive begins over white sand, and the sculptures appear suddenly rather than building up: one moment open bottom, the next a group of figures standing in front of you. The bottom sits at 12 to 14 metres throughout, so the profile is flat and long, and the site feels very different from the rest of the diving on this coast — it has an identity of its own.
Clarity is the other half of it. At this depth the site typically offers visibility of over 20 metres, enough to pick out a whole group of figures from the edge of it. The installations cover about 2,500 square metres of seabed and hold some three hundred sculptures, so the dive is spent moving between them across a flat bottom rather than working a reef line.
The cement is doing a job as well as holding a shape. The figures are cast in pH-neutral marine cement chosen to support marine life, and since they were installed the area has seen a marked increase in species such as barracuda, octopus, rays and angel sharks. Every visit is run under the supervision of a certified instructor or guide, so the dive follows a set plan.
Background
The museum is the work of the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and was officially inaugurated on 10 January 2017, the first underwater museum in Europe and in the Atlantic Ocean. It holds a total of 300 sculptures occupying a surface of about 2,500 square metres, conceived as a place for conservation, preservation and education about the marine environment rather than as art alone; the pH-neutral marine cement used for the figures was chosen so that they would support marine life.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Lanzarote & Museo Atlántico: Divable all year in 18–24°C water; Jun–Oct is warmest and calmest, and angel sharks are most reliably seen Nov–Mar.
Dive videos
MUSEO ATLÁNTICO LANZAROTE 2020 · divo7474 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Museo Atlántico?+
The sculptures stand on a flat sand floor at roughly 12 to 14 metres in the Bay of Las Coloradas, so the dive is shallow and long rather than a descent to a single feature.
Can you dive the Museo Atlántico independently?+
No. Every visit takes place under the supervision of a certified instructor or guide, and boats run from Marina Rubicón about 300 metres away.
Sources
- Museo Atlántico dive site — PADI
- Museo Atlántico Lanzarote – Europe's only underwater museum — Underwater Museum Lanzarote
- Museo Atlántico de Lanzarote — Wikipedia (Spanish)
- Jason deCaires Taylor — Wikipedia
- Playa Blanca — Wikivoyage
- Best dive sites in Lanzarote guide — Dawn Dives Lanzarote
More dive sites in Lanzarote & Museo Atlántico
Artificial reef
A dive that starts at a submerged boat and runs to 40 m
A short swim-through entered at 26 m, exiting at 18 m
Reef
Shore-entry reef at 7-8 m, the local beginner and refresher dive
Reef
Black coral forest and gorgonia between 40 and 85 m
Reef
Lava formations stepping from 12 m to a 45 m bottom
Cave & cavern
A cave full of narwhal shrimp on a wall with a 40 m foot
Artificial reef
Outfall pipes standing as the only structure on an open platform
Wall
A branch of orange coral inside a cave at the end of the wall
Similar dives elsewhere
Artificial reef
Cemetery of Anchors
Azores · Portugal
Four centuries of ships' anchors scattered across Angra bay
Old anchors and fish traps grown over with sponges and corals
Mimic, wonderpus and blue-ringed octopus under the pillars
The large tugboat Triumph, and very large ling cod on the structures