Museum plan for Ocean Sentinels to take up position at Alma Bay
THE Museum of Underwater Art is laying the groundwork for a new snorkelling installation off Magnetic Island.
MOUA deputy chair Adam Smith presented the plans to the Townsville City Council on Tuesday, outlining the group’s plan for the new installation – Ocean Sentinels – at Alma Bay.
While there are still approvals to come for the new plans, Dr Smith told the council MOUA had gone through extensive consultation to consider multiple areas on Magnetic Island but had ultimately landed on Alma Bay.
MOUA launched in Townsville in 2019 with the siren at The Strand, and later expanded to include an underwater exhibition at John Brewer Reef in 2020.
The group considered a number of locations on Magnetic Island for the new installation, which is currently on display at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, including Geoffrey Bay.
While the installation at John Brewer Reef must be accessed via boat, the new installation on Magnetic Island would be close enough to access without a boat.
Dr Smith said MOUA had tried to balance the logistical and environmental needs of the projects with the community’s views.
“We came up with a potential location, which is about 200m off the beach, well away from the activities of the surf life saving club in an area that is already used by snorkellers and scuba divers at the right depth,” he said.
“There will be a snorkel trail over about a 30m area that you could access from shore.”
The Ocean Sentinels structures, which will be submerged at all times, are 2.2m tall pieces by artist Jason decaires Taylor depicting some of the world’s leading marine scientists.
Dr Smith said there was once a shark barrier, which was still under the water, at Alma Bay.
The structure was destroyed by a cyclone in the early 1970s.
“That structure is a lot bigger than what we are proposing to do,” he said. “Our vision from the getgo was to have something people could see from land for everyone to see on The Strand, something for scuba divers out on the reef and then something in-between for snorkellers.”