The world's largest underwater museum

Mexico is preparing to build the world's largest underwater museum by releasing about 400 concrete statues under the Caribbean Sea.

An underwater sculpture.Photos: News .

The Subaquatic Sculpture Museum will be located in West Coast National Park, on the Yucatan Peninsula, and open next month. It will include neutral pH concrete statues, allowing algae and small mollusks to live, helping to promote the ecosystem. The appearance of the statues will change over time as coral reefs proliferate.

Nearly 300,000 visitors arrive this year and officials hope the underwater museum will help protect the natural reefs in the area.

Jaime Gonzalez, the park's director, said: " The coral reefs here have been severely damaged because visitors often swim nearby and ruin them. The underwater museum will be a tourist attraction, helping them leave natural reefs ".