Ocean Atlas and wall dive Bahamas

Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Depth: 5m
Installation date: 2014
Ocean Atlas sits on the western coastline of New Providence in Nassau, Bahamas.
The artwork depicts a local Bahamian girl carrying the weight of the ocean above her in reference to the Ancient Greek myth of Atlas, the Titan who held up the heavens.
Ocean Atlas is the largest single sculpture ever to be deployed underwater. It reaches five metres up from the sea floor to the surface and weighs over sixty tonnes. Due to the sheer scale of the sculpture, it had to be assembled underwater in sections using an ambitious new technique developed and engineered by Jason deCaires Taylor.
At low tide the work reflects a mirror image on the underside of the sea’s surface. It is a dramatic increase in scale from Taylor’s previous works and ensures that even after substantial coral growth the figure will still remain highly recognisable. A solar light and flag is located on the highest point to aid marine navigation.
Constructed using sustainable pH neutral materials, Ocean Atlas creates an artificial reef for marine life to colonise and inhabit, whilst drawing tourists away from overstressed natural reef areas. It has drawn media attention from around the world which in turn has highlighted a long standing oil leak from a power station refinery a few miles up the coastline which had been polluting the marine environment for many years.