A WWII Ship Is Turned Into an Artificial Coral Reef  

WWII Ship

BVI Art Reef, a joined project comprised of Sir Richard Branson and a global network of philanthropists and artists, salvaged the Kodiak Queen, a decorated WWII ship, from the scrap heap and converted it into a beautiful underwater art gallery with a giant octopus sculpture sitting on top to support the replenishment of marine life, such as coral. This man-made reef was sunk deep into the waters of Virgin Gorda of the British Virgin Islands in the summer of 2017 and has not only survived the sweeping hurricane but has thrived. Filmmaker Rob Sorrenti captured the transformation process in a stunning video entitled “The Kodiak Queen

This charitable kick-off project in the British Virgin Islands combine art, ocean conservation, world history, marine science and economy…We’re saving a decorated WW2 ship from being scrapped for metal— suspected to be one of only 5 ships who survived Pearl Harbor— and transforming her into thriving artificial reef and “fantasy adventure dive site”…To rehabilitate heavily overfished marine populations in ways that boost income for local dive operators and the BVI economy…Using breathtaking art sculptures as coral out-planting platforms to kick-start a thriving reef ecosystem…

This is the 80ft long octopus sculpture which sits on the Kodiak Queen. The sculpture is amazing enough but its reason for being on this historical ship is even better. The Kodiak Queen was a fuel boat for the Navy in Pearl Harbor and managed to survive the attack. In an effort to save a piece of history from being scrapped it was proposed to make the ship into an art piece and artificial reef. The sculpture encourages coral growth while the ship provides an ideal habitat for Goliath grouper and other species. The new dive site has quickly increased the marine life in the area and has become a magnet to all types of divers. So far we've seen sharks, rays, barracudas, reef squid, nudibranchs, snappers, and large schools of jacks and wrasses. It'll be exciting to see the coral development in the future and what other marine life the wreck draws in. @unitebvi @btwaves . . . . . . . . . . . #secretsamuraiproductions #secretsamuri #wreck #wreckdive #scuba #dive #bviartreef #art #sculpture #octopus #bvisecrets #bvi #virginislands #underwater #coralreef #marinelife #tropical #island #Caribbean

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