This giant steel kraken was purposely sunk with an old WW2 ship, to create an artificial coral reef

The project, titled BVI Art Reef, is located near the British Virgin Islands

The project, titled BVI Art Reef, is located near the British Virgin Islands

A historical World War II ship is called to solve marine health problems, after being converted into an artificial reef and art canvas. Last April, the ‘Kodiak Queen’ was purposefully sunk into the Caribbean Sea near the British Virgin Islands (BVI), carrying a 25m-long steel kraken on top of it, whose porous surface is considered ideal for the creation of a new coral system. Meanwhile, this underwater art gallery is expected to also serve as a cutting-edge education center for marine researchers, as well as a ‘must see’ spot for divers from around the world, that will benefit the local economy and community. The project, titled BVI Art Reef, will offer ocean rehabilitation as well, providing optimal feeding grounds and hiding spaces for the heavily over-fished Goliath Grouper and other marine life populations.

“It’s envisioned that within just a short space of time the ship and artwork will attract a myriad of sea creatures,” said Clive Petrovic, consultant on the environmental impact of the BVI Art Reef. “Everything from corals to sea sponges, sharks and turtles will live on, in, and around the wreck. The ship will become valuable for future research by scientists and local students alike.”

The story behind the project

In early 2015, historian Mike Cochran discovered the Navy vessel rusting in a junk yard with wrecked ships and ferries on the island of Tortola, BVI. The ‘Kodiak Queen’, launched in 1940 as U.S. Navy fuel barge YO-44, is suspected to be one of only 5 ships who survived Pearl Harbor. He set up a website in an effort to rescue the ship, and got some famous attention. Among others, the British photographer Owen Buggy saw the site and suggested the ship as an artificial reef. With the help of his friend and former boss Sir Richard Branson, the project soon began. The non-profit Unite B.V.I, the artist group Secret Samurai Productions, the social justice entrepreneurial group Maverick1000, and the ocean education nonprofit Beneath the Waves, also collaborated on this restorative art installation.

To sink the massive ship, the project sought the help of the Commercial Dive Services who safely submerged the vessel off the coast of the Virgin Gorda island. It was the first time the ship had been in the water for nearly 17 years, and was lead to its final resting place by a bevy of boats and helicopters. The construction and sinking of the kraken and the vessel was filmed by filmmaker Rob Sorrenti. While the full-length documentary is currently in post-production, estimated to be released early next year, you can watch a representative clip below:

Source: Colossal