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The Sri Lanka Navy ,this week released photographs of Sri Lanka’s first underwater museum, built at a depth of, 50 feet off the, Galle Harbour. The underwater museum ,with a collection of ,replica artefacts built by Navy artists is, expected to draw ,local and foreign tourists as Sri Lanka looks to reopen borders for the, tourism industry. The museum is designed to grow, coral reefs in the coming years, adding to coastal protection, and ensuring there is adequate habitat for the diverse marine life. The underwater facility is, dedicated to Navy divers ,who sacrificed their life in the line of duty. It was declared open on, 5 April by ,Navy Commander ,Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva.
The initial plan was to utilise unusable train compartments, and construct an underwater museum. However, due to the lack of such train compartments, the museum was, designed and created by the Navy utilising sculptures and other artifacts. This also serves as an underwater structure, typically built to promote, marine life in areas with a, generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing.
This effort by the Sri Lanka Navy, to create this underwater museum initially planned on ,reconstructing Sri Lanka’s cultural monuments, but as this was a sensitive issue religiously, this idea had to be scrapped.
Many coral reefs are built using, objects that have been built for other purposes, for example by submerging oil rigs, dredging ships, or using construction debris. Other artificial reefs are made mainly from, PVC or concrete. Shipwrecks can become artificial reefs, when stored on the seabed. Regardless of the method of development, artificial reefs generally provide ,a hard surface where algae ,and invertebrates, such as barnacles, corals, and oysters, thrive. the accumulation of marine life inherent ,in turn provides complex structures and food for fish assemblies.
Though artificial reefs have been used for centuries as, defensive structures, breakwaters and to attract fish, the typical reason modern reefs are, built is to increase ,available habitat for coral and fish. All the statues are handmade by the Navy personnel, unique, made of concrete and ,are completely eco-friendly and will promote the formation of corals which over time, will increase its beauty. The whole underwater story is set at a depth of around 50 feet in the Galle Harbour area providing a unique sightseeing experience for anyone – children and adults, experienced divers, complete scuba beginners, as well as for ordinary swimmers. Due to the overall experience provided by the site’s attractions, this will definitely provide a unique experience to both locals and foreigners alike and will certainly draw in foreign income for the country.
The Navy said that while the site has been created by them, anyone can visit the underwater museum through any recognised diving school. However, the underwater museum cannot be viewed using scuba gear, but can be reached using diving gear including oxygen tanks.
