Red Bull Top Ten List

Two sculptures by Simon Morris have made # 1 and #2 in the Red Bull list of the top ten world's most intriguing underwater statues.

Check it out!!

http://www.redbull.com/us/en/adventure/stories/1331710924882/the-world%E2%80%99s-most-intriguing-underwater-statues

Mermaids in their Element by Professor Sarah Peverly

¨Mysterious, alluring, and often deadly, mermaids have captured the imagination of writers and artists since the dawn of civilization."

Professor Sarah Peverley will include the video of Amphitrite - the nine foot tall bronze mermaid sculpture by Canadian sculptor Simon Morris - at Sunset House, Grand Cayman's Hotel For Divers, by Divers in her talk at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool on May 15th.

See the video by Frans De Backer below:

https://vimeo.com/58828208

For more information visit:

https://www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/…/mermaids-in-their-ele…/

DIVETECH AND SIMON MORRIS SUPPORT WEST BAY ECO WARRIORS IN GRAND CAYMAN

Help Kids in Grand Cayman discover the marine world all around them.

April 12^th 2015 marks the first anniversary of the sinking of the Guardian of the Reef bronze statue by sculptor Simon Morris at the Divetech Lighthouse Point Resort in West Bay Grand Cayman.

Simon is creating a series of ORIGINAL graphite portraits of the Guardian of the Reef to be sold through Divetech, with a percentage of sales through May 15^th 2015 donated to The West Bay Eco Warriors program.

Each one is a framed original graphite sketch – no two are the same - and each is signed by Simon. The portrait is on 11” X 15” 100% acid-free, cold pressed 140 lb rag stock, framed in black wood, one matte, and glass.

500.00 US$ F.O.B. Vancouver Canada

PLEASE…

ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY

CONTACT DIVETECH AT divetech@candw.ky to place your order

Cayman Magic Reef Recovery Needs Your Help

PLEASE HELP!! Cayman Magic Reef Recovery volunteers are working tirelessly to repair the terrible damage done to thousands of square feet of reef near Georgetown Grand Cayman in August 2014. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BUY A TEE SHIRT. The front has the logo of the CMRR and Grand Cayman 2015 on the left chest, and the back has a graphic portrait of the Guardian of the Reef. The Tees are top quality and you can pick size and three colours. You'll look great and feel great about helping save the coral from certain death. Please forward and share this message with everyone you know...thanks so much. 100% OF PROFITS GO TO CAYMAN MAGIC REEF RECOVERY. BUY YOUR SHIRT HERE.
teespring.com/cayman-magic-reef-recovery 

Cayman Magic Reef Recovery Project

Help restore the damage caused in Grand Cayman on August 2014 when the Carnival Magic cruise ship dragged its anchor and 450 feet of heavy chain across a beautiful reef. Thousands of square feet of coral was crushed and broken. Volunteer divers must...

teespring.com

CAYMAN REEF RESTORATION PROJECT

In August 2014 a cruise ship dragged its anchor over a reef in Grand Cayman. A major restoration is underway and need your help.

To help raise funds for the Cayman Reef Restoration Project I will donate 40% of the proceeds from the sale of any bronze sculpture in current inventory to the cause.

They can be seen on these specific links to my website pages:

“Amphitrite”: Sunset’s Mermaid
1/12 scale: http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/mermaid9-simon-morris.html
1/6 scale: http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/mermaid18-simon-morris.html
1/3 scale: http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/mermaid18-simon-morris.html
“Hang Time” Technical diver
¼ Life scale http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/hangtime30-simon-morris.html
“Crossroads” Manatee Mother & Calf http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/crossroads-simon-morris.html
“Dofleini Domain” Giant Pacific Octopus http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/dofleini-simon-morris.html
“Orca Spirit” Killer Whale http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/dofleini-simon-morris.html
“The Navigator” The Head, Hands and Sextant portions of the “Tradition” sculpture in Heroes Square, Georgetown http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/navigator-simon-morris.html
To reach me for more information on any piece, click on “Purchase” on the relevant page. This will take you to a contact page. Please just send me an email from there with “Cayman Reef Restoration Project” in the body. I’ll get in touch with you as quickly as I can.
I will also offer this on the new limited edition sculpture of the Guardian of the Reef, available in a few weeks. http://guardianofthereef.com/simon-morris-guardian-of-the-r…
My homepage is www.sculptorsimonmorris.com
Grand Cayman and its people have been very good to me. I hope I can help with this program.
Thanks,
Simon Morris

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Grand Cayman Reef Restoration Project

Community event planned on the waterfront February 27; Food, music, prizes, organizers hope to raise $10,000 

Cayman Islands, January 20, 2015 - A fundraising campaign has been launched in Grand Cayman to help finance and sustain a major reef restoration project currently being done by volunteer divers supported by local dive operators, and overseen by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment.
 During the past five months volunteers have donated hundreds of man-hours to repair the devastating damage caused when a cruise ship dragged its anchor across a dive site in August. Diving from shore and on weekend boat trips donated Red Sail Sports, Divetech and other operators, the volunteers have removed tons of rubble and salvaged pieces of live coral to be replanted in the restoration process. Now they’re fanning out into the community to help raise money to keep going.
“Everyone’s been giving of themselves to the project, so we have decided to have a fundraiser to recoup some expenses, buy supplies and go forward,” said Keith Sahm, General Manager for Sunset House and co-coordinator of the project. “The goal is to raise $10,000 and we’ve got the Cayman government’s full backing.”
Sahm says marine science experts have suggested capping the scarred area on the reef base with concrete to keep the particles and silt from floating around and affecting nearby live corals, so bags of cement are needed for that phase of the project. A special marine epoxy to reattach live corals to the base must also be ordered. Some live corals have already been reattached in surrounding reef and they are doing well according to project co-coordinator Lois Hatcher of Ocean Frontiers, who is experienced with this coral restoration technique.
“Its amazing! The ones we replanted look really good,” she says, giving credit to the whole team of volunteer divers who are a part of this daunting project, expected to take a year to complete. “We’re lucky to have a good strong core of volunteers who care deeply and are dedicated to the effort. Everyone is working well together.”
“We are headed there slowly,” added Keith Sahm.
The volunteers are now knocking on doors in Cayman’s business community soliciting donations for the cause. A fundraising event is also planned for Friday, February 27 at the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal on the waterfront in George Town. The fundraising festivities will be held in late afternoon after the cruise ship traffic has cleared. Organizers are lining up music, sponsors and prizes for a silent auction and drawings. T-shirts are also being printed for the cause and will be available for purchase.
Donations for the Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project can also be made online with the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Online contributions must be designated for the Environmental Programs listed on the giving page.
www.nationaltrust.org.ky
Response so far from Cayman’s community is generous says Hatcher, adding that some people have come forward to donate supplies without being asked. Renowned sculptor Simon Morris who created “Amphitrite” the mermaid at Sunset House, “The Guardian of the Reef” at Divetech Lighthouse Point dive site, and “Tradition” the sculpture of the man and boy in Heroes Square in Georgetown is also pitching in to help the cause. He’s donating 40% of the proceeds from the sale of any bronze sculpture in current inventory to the restoration project.
“The tireless and generous efforts of all the volunteer divers and companies donating support in cash and kind to restore the terrible reef damage prove once again that Grand Cayman has true spirit and many heroes,” he said. “Every time I visit I am overwhelmed at the treatment I receive. My art is all about our need to love and protect our marine environment and if it can be used to help in anyway to assist in the efforts to repair the reef, I'll be grateful for the opportunity.”
Divers planning to visit Cayman on vacation are also offering to get involved with the project during their stay. Organizers say they can use all the help they can get. As they reach out to the community, the volunteers are spreading the message that keeps them going and working for a successful fundraising campaign.
“We’re working to save Cayman’s marine environment for the future so we can’t afford for it not to be a success,” she said.
For more information on the fundraising campaign for the Magic Reef Restoration Project contact Keith Sahm at keith.sahm@sunsethouse.com or Lois Hatcher at lohatcher@gmail.com. You can also visit the Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project Facebook Page:  Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project
About Us
The Cayman Bottom Times is news collaboration by five leading dive operators to promote the superb diving of the Cayman Islands, and keep the diving public informed of important developments and events. Divetech, Ocean Frontiers, Red Sail Sports and Sunset House in Grand Cayman, and the Southern Cross Club in Little Cayman, all members of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, represent more than 100 years of solid experience in a destination that is recognized as the birthplace of recreational diving. With a unique combination of deep wall and shallow reef diving, several wrecks, and world-famous Stingray City, the Cayman Islands has cemented its place as the top diving destination in the Caribbean.
Offering diverse and wide-ranging dive programs on both Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, the members of this dive group represent the best Cayman has to offer; Divetech, Ocean Frontiers, Red Sail Sports Grand Cayman, Sunset House and the Southern Cross Club.
Web: www.cayman-bottom-times.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/caymanbottomtimes 
Media Contact: Adela Gonzales White at Adela.G.White@comcast.net or call (941) 350-8735. 

Frans de Backer video wins at Belgrade UW Film Festival

OCT 2014 Frans de Backer’s “Guardian of the Reef” video wins Best Ecological Topic at Silent Underwater Film Festival in Belgrade, Serbia

 Congratulations to Frans! Beautiful video of my sculpture.

See it at http://vimeo.com/m/92801730 

See more at www.guardianofthereef.com

Also see Frans’ video of my mermaid “Amphitrite” sculpture underwater in Cayman at http://vimeo.com/58828208 See www.sculptorsimonmorris.com