The Silent Evolution (Evolución Silenciosa) In Musa, Isla Mujeres
- Tracy Gunn
- Aug 2
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 2
If you’ve been diving or snorkelling in Isla Mujeres since 2010, chances are you’ve seen a mysterious cluster of statues submerged at a depth of 10 meters (33 feet). But do you know their story? It’s an extraordinary one.
The Silent Evolution is more than an art installation — it’s a living reef, quietly transformed over time as marine life colonises and reshapes it. That’s where the name comes from: the silent, natural evolution of sculptures into thriving marine habitats.
The installation was designed by renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and submerged in 2010 as part of MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) — a visionary project aimed at reducing pressure on the hurricane-damaged Manchones Reef.
Occupying over 420 square meters of previously barren seabed, The Silent Evolution features 45 modules, each holding ten life-sized human figures — that’s 477 statues in total, based on 90 real people from the local fishing community where Jason lived. Five of the modules were placed separately during earlier stages of the project.
Each sculpture is anchored to the ocean floor with heavy-duty spikes and crafted from pH-neutral marine cement, offering an ideal base for coral colonisation. Over time, what was once a sterile sandy patch has become a vibrant, complex reef ecosystem.
How the Statues Were Made
To bring each figure to life, Jason deCaires Taylor used a precise multi-step casting process. It began with alginate, the same material dentists use for teeth impressions. This medium captured incredibly fine details — from facial lines to textures in hair and clothing.
From the alginate mould, a Jeno cast was made, followed by dressing each model in specific clothing or poses. Then, a final mould was created using silicone, which was used to form the finished statue in marine-grade cement.
Each figure is rich in detail, full of personality, and reflects real individuals from the fishing village where Jason lived. He was deeply committed to capturing their essence — their stories, expressions, and even their clothes — with complete authenticity.
A Reef Comes to Life
The statues were installed on a flat shoal of sand and stones — a site once barren and overlooked by divers. But the positioning of the sculptures was anything but random.
They were arranged in the shape of an eye, facing the traditional pathway of hurricanes. This orientation helps reduce the energy of passing storms. The installation is also placed just downstream from the Manchones' natural reef, inside the Manchones National Park, allowing it to intercept coral larvae during seasonal spawning.
The timing of the placement was carefully planned to coincide with coral spawning, maximising the chances of colonisation.
Marine life began arriving almost immediately. First came a fuzzy layer of turf algae and hydroids, followed by grazing fish and sea urchins. Soon, orange and pink coralline algae appeared, and eventually encrusting corals and fleshy algae took hold.
Today, more than 2,000 juvenile corals are thriving here, with the statues serving as shelter and substrate — turning what was once a lifeless seabed into a dynamic, living reef.
Faces of the Silent Evolution
Each statue in The Silent Evolution is a portrait — not just in form, but in spirit. These aren’t anonymous figures. They’re modelled after real people, with real lives, from the fishing village Jason deCaires Taylor called home. All the "Silent Evolution" statues show how some humans see their surroundings and embrace them, while others hide their faces.
Among them is Valeria Ramírez, a young girl who sat perfectly still for nearly 50 minutes during her casting. She clutched her small bag and held a soft, serene smile — now immortalised underwater, looking up toward the surface.
Nearby is Paz, a man cast with his hands stretched above his head — a pose he had to hold for over an hour. His sculpture exudes quiet strength and patience.
One of the most beloved is Juanita, a singer from Mérida. Her statue is interactive — divers can place their regulator hose into a space on her back, causing bubbles to rise from her mouth as if she’s singing underwater. A copy of Juanita’s statue is also displayed at the MUSA headquarters in Cancún.
And then there’s Amandeep Banghu, a BBC journalist who came to Cancún in 2009 to cover the swine flu outbreak. For those of us around here at the time, it was a shock to the whole area when tourism disappeared entirely for over two weeks. Little did we know what 2020 would be like with COVID. Swine flu emptied hotels, and Isla Mujeres became a ghost town. It devastated the economy and almost completely closed down the hotel zone in Cancun. Expecting chaos, she found empty beaches and quiet streets — and a fledgling sculpture project beneath the sea.
Amandeep wanted to know, "Where are they hiding all the dead people?". There was just nothing to see. So Roberto Diaz suggested that she change the story and cover the still-in-progress making of the sculpture park, as it was known by then.
She eagerly agreed to cover the story, but she also wanted to be cast as one of the statues. Jason agreed but explained that the casting was done naked, and she would need to be without clothes during the process. Being the professional reporter she was, she had Jason wired with a microphone during the casting, which he forgot to remove afterwards. Luckily, nothing too inappropriate was said by him (that I know of).
Stories Carved in Stone
One of the most touching stories behind The Silent Evolution comes from Roberto Díaz, president of MUSA. During a visit to the MUSA headquarters in Cancún, he shared the story of two statues placed side by side: a nun and a pregnant woman.
The woman cast as the nun was Jason’s Spanish teacher. Though not part of a religious order in real life, Jason dressed her in a nun’s habit for the final sculpture — a symbolic and artistic choice.
The pregnant woman was Lily, who gave birth to her daughter (also named Lily) the same month that Jason’s Spanish teacher, Rosario, passed away. These two statues — life beginning and life ending — are placed on the same grouping underwater as a quiet tribute to the cycle of life.
Another playful detail is hidden on the statue known as “The Cleaner.” If you look closely, you can still make out the famous pixelated tag of Space Invader, a French urban street artist who collaborated with Jason and left his unmistakable mark on the sculpture. Two more can be found in MUSA. One is at Urban Reef (locally known as Casitas) and the other is at the MUSA Headquarters.
And then there’s the story of the Victoria’s Secret models. Jason originally planned to include fashion models in the project, but the first group posed a… structural challenge. Many had already been enhanced with silicone, and their “top-heavy” proportions proved too challenging to keep still during the casting, and he could not continue. In the end, Jason opted for more naturally built models, whose statues now rest peacefully beneath the waves — subtly reminding us that nature is the best sculptor of all.
A Living Museum Beneath the Waves
Today, The Silent Evolution is more than a dive site. It’s a powerful example of how art, science, and community can come together to restore life where it was once lost. The installation has evolved from a barren seabed into a thriving reef — sheltering marine life, capturing imaginations, and telling stories through stone and silence.
Each figure holds a personal history, shaped not only by the people they represent but also by the ocean itself. Their surfaces change with time — softened by algae, wrapped in coral, and touched by passing fish — reminding us that nature will always leave its mark.
A heartfelt thank-you to Roberto Díaz and the entire MUSA team for sharing the stories behind this extraordinary project. If you're visiting Cancún, don’t miss the MUSA headquarters, where you can view statue replicas, see the third Space Invader, and even see new sculptures before they’re placed in the ocean.
Depth
10 meters / 33 feet
Boat Ride
10-15 min
Dive Type
Reef
Artificial Reef - Statues
Experience Level
Snorkelers
Divers - Entry Level, Beginners, and all levels of certified divers
Average Visibility Underwater
20-30 mt / 66-99 feet
Average Water Temp
28 C°/ 82F°
Dive Time
Approx 45 min
📩 Message us to book a tour or ask about certifications — we’re always happy to chat diving!
M.U.S.A. Museo Subacuático de Arte. (2022, April 25). Underwater Sculpture by Jason deCaires Taylor. https://www.underwatersculpture.com/projects/musa-mexico/
Taylor, J., McCormick, C., & Scales, H. (2014). The Underwater Museum: The Submerged Sculptures of Jason deCaires Taylor (Illustrated ed.). Chronicle Books.
MUSA, Museo Subacuático de Arte “El Arte de la Conservación.” (2016). Grupo Regio.
Tracy Gunn is the founder and owner of Pocna Dive Center on Isla Mujeres, Mexico. A former banker turned adventurer, Tracy left a decade-long corporate career to pursue her passion for diving and island life. With over 35 years of diving experience and 24 years of living on Isla Mujeres, she now serves as a PADI Course Director, training the next generation of divers at her dive school. When she’s not underwater, Tracy shares her love for the island and the ocean through engaging blogs about diving, marine life, and the culture of Isla Mujeres.
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