UNDERWATER MUSEUMS - A WORLDWIDE TREND IN DIVING TOURISM

Underwater museums are different from sinking objects such as boats and planes to become diving attractions. Underwater museums consist of sinking works of art made for this purpose and, as art, with the clear intention of provoking emotions and senses in visitors.

Conceived as places to promote education, preserve and protect the marine and natural environment as an integral part of the human value system, underwater museums have been built around the world as a way to also encourage diving tourism and boost local economies.

Mexico, France, Russia, Turkey, Croatia, Australia and Greece are the destinations that have innovated by investing in underwater art and the images that spread across the internet help to promote the destinations far beyond the bottom of the sea.

The new IBAMA regulation on the subject, published in 2021, demystified the idea that it was impossible to obtain authorization for sinking, changing the understanding from zero impact to minimal impact, since any action without any impact is impossible. At the same time, there are already understandings, including from environmental agencies in the State of São Paulo, about the positive impact of the installations in preventing trawling.

As always, the artist Gilmar Pinna proposed his stainless steel works, completely harmless in terms of waste, to install the first underwater museum in Brazil. The innovation, in addition to the material, comes in placing the works at such a depth that it is possible to visit them in the new transparent-bottom boats, as well as by diving. The format generates media attention for the destination that hosts it, but also generates direct income for nautical tourism workers in the region.

Now it remains to be seen which tourist destination will be the pioneer in Brazil.