Snorkeling in Grenada's Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park
April 12, 2024
5 min read
“Look down!” shouted my guide, who was treading water about 30 feet away. I tightened my goggles and pressed my face to the water’s surface, but they were too foggy from my breath to get a clear image. I popped them off to wipe them clear and pushed my face back down into the water. This time, I saw what he was talking about.
Firmly planted on the ocean floor was a mold of a journalist seated alone at his desk with a typewriter. The refracted sunlight created an intricate design surrounding his workspace, and a blue-green cloud of chromis fish darted around above the man’s head like an iridescent halo. I held my breath and took a few moments to soak in the haunting image.
This particular sculpture—called “The Lost Correspondent”—was the first of British eco-artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s works installed at Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada. In October 2023, Taylor replaced it with a new version constructed of a marine-friendly cement that’s far more durable than traditional construction cement; it’s also resistant to saltwater damage.
Getting to this underwater museum was an adventure in itself. It’s situated in Molinere Bay on the southwest coast of Grenada, only accessible by boat either from the capital of St. George’s or Grand Anse Bay. Grenada is one of the smaller Caribbean islands—in fact, you can drive from one side of the island to the other in about an hour and a half—so no matter where you’re staying, it’s a quick drive to either of these ports.
I took a catamaran tour from St. George’s, which included a snorkeling excursion to view the sculptures. If you have a scuba certification, diving provides a closer look at Taylor’s breathtaking work. However, since most of the sculptures are only submerged about 16–30 feet deep, they’re also easily viewable from the ocean’s surface with just a snorkel mask.
Taylor’s underwater sculptures can be found off the coast of Mexico, Australia, France, and many other destinations. But Taylor says the Grenada park has a special place in his heart for several reasons—in part because it was the first underwater sculpture exhibition in the world.
The inaugural collection, which debuted in 2006, featured 75 sculptures—including “The Lost Correspondent.” It also included “Grace Reef,” an installation of 16 different sculptures cast from a local Grenadian woman, as well as the “Vicissitudes,” which depicts a circle of 26 life-sized children from diverse ethnic backgrounds holding hands.
In November 2023, shortly before I arrived in Grenada, Taylor added a series of 25 sculptures inspired by the island’s annual Spicemas celebration—Grenada’s own version of Carnival—and I had the honor of being one of the first to see it.
Like all of Taylor’s other work, this latest collection—titled “Coral Carnival”—is a reflection of the local culture and traditions. It features a variety of iconic masqueraders that can be seen throughout the Spicemas festivities, including the cloaked Vieux Corps, the headdress-clad Wild Indian, flashy Fancy Mas dancers, and Jab Jab—a distinctive Grenadian character who represents freedom from slavery.
Even without the addition of new works, the beauty of this ever-evolving park is that no two visits ever look the same because it also functions as an artificial reef. Crabs, lobsters, octopi, coral polyps, sponges, and other marine life continue to make these sculptures their homes. As they take refuge in the nooks and crevices and attach to the surfaces, the sculptures take on new colors, shapes, and textures. Taylor later told me that octopi, crabs, and stingrays had already clung to these new sculptures just days after they were installed.
It’s no accident that Taylor’s sculptures serve an environmentally friendly purpose. While working as a dive instructor in Grenada in 2004, Taylor witnessed Hurricane Ivan’s damage to Molinere Bay firsthand. He conceptualized these sculptures in hopes that they might serve as a distraction for tourists, pulling them away from the fragile remaining reefs and reducing the strain on the ecosystem.
“Molinere Bay seldom attracted visitors before, but the creation of the sculpture park successfully changed the dynamics of tourism in the area—and over time contributed towards it being designated a Marine Protected Area (MPA),” Taylor told me.
An MPA is essentially a section of the ocean where the government regulates human activity more strictly for the purpose of protecting marine resources, conserving cultural heritage, and allowing aquatic life to thrive. Most notably for visitors, this means that diving must happen under the supervision of a tour operator, and you need an MPA permit in order to visit the bay with a boat or yacht.
When our group's time was up, I boarded the boat to ride back to shore—reluctantly, I might add. Despite now being out of breath from swimming in place and spending over an hour gazing down at sculptures of reclining mermaids, leatherback turtles, cyclists, and Grenadian women offering nutmeg to God with outstretched hands, I could've spent several more hours drifting with the current.
As I floated above these masterpieces, taking my sweet time getting back to the catamaran, I found one silver lining. When—not if—I come back to this underwater museum, there will likely be new works to marvel at. And even the existing ones will have taken on new life thanks to the marine life that takes refuge in the sculptures.
I felt eager to share what I'd observed with my husband and friends back home in Boston, yet I knew there was no way to capture this experience in words. Even photographs wouldn’t do Taylor’s sculptures justice. The truth is, the only way to fully appreciate these awe-inspiring works is while breathlessly treading water, gazing downward through a glass-bottom boat or snorkel mask (or getting up close and personal with the help of a scuba tank), and observing how the flickering filtered sunlight illuminates new details you never noticed a moment ago.
Getting there
- You’ll fly into Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND)—the only international airport on the island, which is in the capital of St. George's. There are a number of tour operators that offer transportation via boat from St. George's to Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park.
- Average Going price for cheap flights to Grenada: $280 roundtrip
How to do it
- When to go: The Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park is open year-round. However, the best time to visit is during Grenada’s dry season, from December to May. Stormy conditions are more likely between June and November, which may put a dent in your snorkeling plans.
- Cost: Tours to the sculpture park are typically $55–$100 per person. Prices can vary by the number of snorkel sites included in the trip. Some operators also offer packages, where you can visit the sculpture park on a private tour on a half-day trip, full-day trip with lunch, or a sunset trip.
- Tips & considerations: Since the sculpture park is a Marine Protected Area, you need to purchase a wristband and wear it throughout the entire excursion. The wristband costs $1 for snorkelers and $2 for divers and is included in most tour group fees. You can also purchase a wristband from the Ministry of Fisheries, which I was told is located above the fish market in downtown St. George’s. However, an advantage to booking an official tour of the park is that the guides are well-versed in conservation guidelines. Bring a towel and swimsuit, and check ahead of time to see which snorkel supplies your operator provides. A GoPro camera can come in handy, too, for snapping photos of the underwater sculptures.
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Published April 12, 2024
Last updated April 12, 2024
