The Cayman Islands will soon be expanding its remarkable collection of underwater sculptures with yet another captivating creation by Shearwater's own and world renowned sculptor, Simon Morris.
Along with managing the North American region for Shearwater sales, Simon is also a member of Ocean Futures, the Ocean Artists’ Society, and the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographic Foundation. Simon has gained worldwide acclaim, especially from divers, for his bronze sculptures which are strategically placed underwater to promote responsible dive tourism and environmental consciousness.
Grand Cayman visitors may already be familiar with the mermaid Amphitrite, which has graced the reef at Sunset House since 2000. Following this enchanting presence, The Guardian of the Reef, a limited-edition fierce merman warrior bronze statue, emerged. The first of four statues was completed in 2013 and now stands proudly at Lighthouse Point in Grand Cayman’s West Bay. Now, exciting plans are underway for a third mermaid sculpture, The Angel of the Reef, to find its home on Soto’s Reef.
This artistic endeavor was inspired by author Nicholas Harvey, who initially interviewed Simon about a mermaid sculpture featured in his novella Angels of the Deep. Remarkably, Harvey ended up incorporating Simon as a character in the book! Building upon this serendipitous connection, Harvey and co-author Nick Sullivan collaborated with Simon Morris to transform the mermaid sculpture from the pages of fiction into a real-life masterpiece.
The author Nicholas Harvey says: "The idea of including an underwater bronze statue in our Angels of the Deep book came about largely due to our love of Simon’s existing pieces, which we’ve dived countless times. In fact, the statue was the beginning of the story, long before we had a title. The plot was built around the gift and placing of the bronze.
The idea of bringing to life, what began as a focal point for our novella, is mind-blowing to me. A magnificent piece of artwork by an incredible artist, to be seen, admired, and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people over time."
This exquisite sculpture, accompanied by a turtle and a stingray, aims to raise awareness about local conservation efforts to protect the green sea turtle. The “Angel” – the mermaid herself – is nine feet tall from the tip of her tail to the top of her head. She will be installed on a “Layer Cake” style Reef Ball concrete structure. The Reef Ball will include sockets to allow placement of ceramic plugs seeded with Calcareous Algae growth proven to attract and accelerate coral formation. The stingray and sea turtle are also impressively rendered to life size proportions.
To help raise the necessary funds for creating, transporting, and installing the Angel of the Reef, Simon has unveiled a captivating artist’s impression of the sculpture (shown above). You can purchase a limited edition proof here.
Additionally, Simon is crafting 1/6 scale versions, which are approximately 45cm tall, in a limited edition of 25 pieces. Each of these scaled replicas will be signed, numbered, and dated. For collectors seeking the utmost exclusivity, there are only three Artist’s Proofs also available here. These unique editions allow art enthusiasts to own a piece of the Angel of the Reef’s legacy while supporting its realization.
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Simon Morris, Sculptor
A British-born Canadian Citizen, Simon lived and sculpted on Saltspring Island in British Columbia for thirty years, now based on Vancouver Island. He was inducted as a Signature Member of the Artists for Conservation Foundation in February 2020 and as a Member, College of Fellows, The Royal Canadian Geographic Society in October 2021. He is the creator of the two nine-foot tall underwater bronze mermaids, "The Emerald Princess" in Mermaid Cove, in Saltery Bay near Powell River, British Columbia, and "Amphitrite" at Sunset House Grand Cayman, as well as "The Guardian of the Reef" placed underwater at Divetech resort in West Bay, Grand Cayman. Simon has also worked concurrently in the diving industry since 1973 for many of the major companies, including GM at SCUBAPRO Canada, International Product Development Manager for SCUBPRO, and VP Product Development Manager for BARE. Currently Sales Manager for Shearwater Research Inc.
