DEAD SEA
Isn’t the name Dead Sea sounding very creepy? It is called so because NOTHING lives in it. The Dead Sea is located in the Jordan Rift Valley. It is 422 meters below sea level; its shores are the lowest point on the surface of the earth. It is one among the most saltiest waters around the world, almost six times saltier than the oceans. Due to this reason it prevents many aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it.
The climate at the Dead Sea is sunny throughout the year. The temperature in summer ranges between 32 - 39 ˚C and the temperature in winter ranges between 20 - 23 ˚C. Many animal species and hundreds of bird species are found living in the mountains surrounding the Dead Sea. Tourists can see Foxes, Jackals, Hares, Camels, Ibex and even Leopards.
Dead Sea is considered the world’s richest source of natural salts. The minerals found here are rich in concentration and possess the properties that help in relieving pains caused due to headache, foot-ache, arthritis, rheumatism and also cure skin ailments such as Acne, Eczema, and Psoriasis. This water contains nearly 35 different types of minerals namely Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Bromine, Iodine and several others which are used in making a variety of products for medicine, agriculture, beauty and many more.
The Dead Sea is considered one of the natural and most beautiful landscapes around the world. As it has been catching the eye of tourists since 2000 years, new roads, wonderful hotels/restaurants with spa and fitness facilities are being provided. Seaside therapeutic clinics are made available which provide therapies like Climatotherapy, Heliotherapy andThalassotherapy.
UNDERWATER SCULPTURES
Ever imagined yourself visiting an Underwater Sculpture Park? The world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park located in Grenada, West Indies was created by Jason de Caires Taylor in the year 2006 that has given him international recognition for his exclusive artwork. He was born in 1974 and graduated from the Camberwell College of Arts, University of Art London with a BA Honor in Sculptures and Ceramics. His two passions of diving and sculpture have made him create this amazing underwater art.
These artworks created by him depicted Grenada’s history and tradition. His sculptures tell us about the ecological processes and it also explores the complex relationship between the environment and modern art. These sculptures ended up in creating artificial or say man-made reefs which helped in enhancing the marine world and it also puts forward the artists’ intentions to promote the need to safeguard our natural world.
The sculptures are placed well below the clear shallow water which allows easy access to the divers, snorkelers and can be easily viewed from the glass-bottomed boats. Some of the artworks that are present underwater are:-
· Vicissitudes (Depth 4.5m, Grenada, West Indies): depicts a circle of 26 life-size figures and all are linked by holding hands. This is the largest among all.
· The Lost Correspondent (Depth 7m, Grenada, West Indies): depicts a man sitting at a desk with a typewriter. The desk is covered with original newspaper articles and cuttings which date back to the late 1970’s.
· The Un-Still Life (Depth 7.8m, Grenada, West Indies): depicts an arrangement of cement objects, a Vase, a Bowl and Fruits.
· Sienna (Depth 3.8m, Grenada, West Indies): depicts a young girl who is gifted with free diving, a character from Jacob Ross short story ‘A Different Ocean’ from the book “A Way to Catch the Dust”.
· Grace Reef (Depth 4.2m, 16 figures, Grenada, West Indies): depicts a series of 16 figures casted from the body of a Grenadian woman.
· La Diablesse (Depth 7.5m, Grenada, West Indies): depicts the traditions of Caribbean story-telling and folklore. La Diablesse is derived from the French word ‘She-Devil’. Her face resembles the corpse and half of her head is hidden under a brimmed hat.
The other artworks present are:-
TamCC Project (depth2m, 18 heads, Grenada, West Indies), The fall from Grace (Depth 6.5m, Grenada, West Indies), Inverted Solitude (Depth 1.5m, Chepstow, U.K), Alluvia (depth 1.2m, Canterbury, U.K), Fish & Chips (depth 2m, Grenada, West Indies)
