Tide · Destination · Ayia Napa, Cyprus
The Silent Museum
Diving MUSAN, the underwater sculpture park off Pernera Beach, where Jason deCaires Taylor's figures rise out of the blue at eight metres.
Words by Alex Wilson · 21 June 2026 · 5 min read
The Silent Museum
MUSAN, or the Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa, has been on my diving bucket list for a while, and a recent trip to Cyprus was the perfect chance to tick it off. The site is a collection of Jason deCaires Taylor's sculptures placed just off Pernera Beach for divers to explore.
I booked an afternoon dive with Alpha Divers and was impressed from the start: a clean, well-organised centre, top-of-the-line X-Deep rental kit, and a clear briefing before a straightforward shore entry. A 200–250m surface swim brought us to the installation, where the first figures emerged from the blue at around 8m.
We wove between small statues of children — some with faces covered, others holding vintage film cameras — then reached towering trees whose branches split into offshoots like giant sea urchins. At their base, solemn men stood silent on the seabed. Aside from our guides, we had the place to ourselves. We completed a couple of leisurely laps, capturing memories on an Osmo Action, before swimming back into open water. It was peaceful, thought-provoking and wonderfully ethereal — unlike any dive I have experienced before.
Frames from MUSAN
