Jason deCaires Taylor's Eco-Friendly Museum in Cannes.

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Dive from your yacht and dip your head just below the azure blue waterline of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Cannes, and you'll find more than fish and seaweed. You'll discover a stunning artificial seascape of huge portrait sculptures split into two connected but distinct halves.

You'll have discovered the magical Underwater Eco-Museum designed by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. It was created not only for Cannes' many visitors but also to promote biodiversity and ensure the marine life here flourishes.

While you're not likely to discover the museum by accident, as we were facetiously suggesting above, if you want an eco-friendly underwater experience, this is the place for you.

Visiting the underwater eco-museum in Cannes

Cannes is a French Riviera city known for its world-renowned film festival, and pristine beaches. With its designer stores, world-class hotels, and various fine dining restaurants, it's not hard to see why many decide to spend their summers in the city.

Yacht Charter in Cannes

If there is anything more relaxing and fulfilling than staying in one of the 5-star hotels in Cannes, it's enjoying the luxury a private yacht charter offers.

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Cruising over the azure blue waters with the warm sun beating down and a refreshing Mediterranean breeze keeping you comfortable will likely make you extend your tour for as long as you can.

There's no shortage of destinations to explore by yacht around Cannes, and you don't have to travel far to get to the most interesting one, Île Sainte-Marguerite island.

Île Sainte-Marguerite

Île Sainte-Marguerite is a shining jewel in the Mediterranean, packed with all types of fauna and flora. It's best known for Fort Royal, one of the three French prisons where the Man in the Iron Mask was held. The clear waters around the island make it an excellent place for snorkeling. But rather than wander around without a clear plan, visiting Écomusee Sous-Marin should be your goal.

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Écomusee Sous-Marin (Underwater Museum)

Perhaps the most famous of all the attractions located around Île Sainte-Marguerite is the Eco-Museum built by Jason deCaires Taylor.

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The museum, which consists of 6 giant face sculptures, is about 84-132m from land and approximately 3-5m deep. This makes the location perfect for snorkeling (diving with an oxygen tank isn't permitted without a permit). The entire area around the Underwater Museum is protected from boat mooring so, it's safe for visitors and good for the ecosystem.

If you're visiting the island during a yacht cruise, you can still moore close enough for a short swim to the museum. You can also use a tender to get closer than the yacht is allowed.

The Faces

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Commissioned by David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes, the museum's goal is to attract locals and visitors in addition to encouraging biodiversity.

The faces, made of PH-neutral materials, are designed to be eco-friendly. They have thoughtfully designed nooks and crannies for fish and other sea life to hide in. The rough surfaces also make it easy for algae and corals to use as anchors.

Over time, the faces are expected to become an artificial reef to help the local sea life flourish and revitalize an important part of the Mediterranean Sea.

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The museum is a sight to behold and should be on the to-do list of anyone visiting Cannes. The faces or masks, as they are also known, stand at 2m tall and weigh roughly ten tons each.

Every face depicted is of a member of the local community. These include Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, and another of Anouk, a 9-year-old elementary school pupil. Jason deCaires Taylor made 40 castings to begin with and then narrowed them down to the final six in the museum.

The split in the masks is deliberate and symbolic. The outer part symbolizes the Man in the Iron Mask's imprisonment. In contrast, the inner part symbolizes the performing arts linked to Cannes.

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The inner and outer masks also symbolize the two different sides of the ocean. One represents the strength and brutality the ocean often expresses, and the other reminds us of its fragile ecosystem due to human activity.

Jason deCaires Taylor's Other Underwater Projects

Spectacular as it is, Écomusee Sous-Marin isn't the only one of its kind. The sculptor is responsible for several similar museums and underwater sculpture parks. These include the stunning Museo Subacuático de Arte in Mexico.

Situated between the coasts of Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc in Cancún, MUSA is home to over 500 life-size human sculptures.

Other sculpture collections by this skillful artist include Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada, Ocean Atlas in the Bahamas and Museo Atlántico in Spain.