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Deep in the waters of the Mexican Caribbean these statues look like relics of an ancient civilization

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

but they are just the beginning of what will be the world’s largest underwater sculpture museum

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

Located in the National Marine Park, on the west coast of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, these life size sculptures are the first of 400 that will be laid on the seabed over the next year

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The underwater artworks are designed to celebrate the region’s Mayan history

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

It is hoped the underwater museum will heighten environmental awareness in the area, by creating an artificial reef in the hurricane-hit region. It is hoped the sculptures will attract juvenile algae that will give the statues radiant colours

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The project has been 18 months in the making . The project was founded by Jaime Gonzalez Cano of The National Marine Park, Roberto Diaz of The Cancun Nautical Association and renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor

The laying of the sculptures saw the completion of phase one of the project for the team

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

Phase two will see the laying of 400 figurative sculptures. Casts for the 400 statues will be made from the local Mexican population

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

In total, phases one and two will cost an initial $450,000 (£277,000)

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico

The Largest Underwater Museum, Caribbean, Mexico