![]() ![]() The molds have been destroyed and there have been no additions since the Atlantis group and Neptune have severed relationships. ![]() ![]() Now that reef-building coral have developed at the site, the Neptune Society Memorial Reef can be properly identified as a coral reef.Ĭonstruction has stopped on the reef. Boaters and divers are welcome, but no fishing or lobster-taking is allowed. The Neptune Society Memorial Reef lies in a special management zone. The reef stretches across 16 acres (65,000 m 2) of ocean floor designed as both a home for sea life and "a destination for divers". During the permitting process, Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 hurricane swept through, requiring a re-engineering of the Reef. We can assist with pre-arranging your cremation as well. The cost of cremation and a placement at the Reef is substantially less than the cost of a funeral and burial. One of the construction requirements was that the Memorial Reef be built to withstand the strongest storm in the last 100 years. The Neptune Memorial Reef offers an affordable alternative to traditional burial. After an extensive evaluation and permitting process, the Atlantis Reef Project has been permitted by the EPA, DERM, NOAA, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and the Army Corps of Engineers. The man-made reef, located three miles (5 km) off the coast of Florida's Key Biscayne, opened in 2007 after a number of difficulties, including permits. The Reef is more correctly identified as a cremation memorial site. Cremated remains are mixed with cement to form features of the Reef, and memorial plaques are added. ![]() Though often referred to in news articles as an underwater mausoleum or underwater cemetery, the Neptune Society Memorial Reef meets the criterion for neither. It is a type of burial at sea and the first phase is estimated to be able to accommodate 850 remains, with an eventual goal of more than 125,000 remains. Keith Mille, an environmental specialist with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, said he was impressed with the engineering concepts for the reef and the environment it creates for divers.The place was chosen at 3.25 miles (5.2 km) off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida. Hutslar said the reef is designed to last for ever and engineered to withstand the harshest hurricane that has hit Florida in the past 100 years. The cost of a placement starts at $995 (£510) and can go up to $6,495. "Nothing is going to be in words to describe these features. "If it's music I might have concrete or metal musical instruments," Brandell said. I wanted it to be contemporary or modern in design."Īs a diver swims down the pathways of the reef there will be themed areas, like dancing or sports. I didn't want it to look like Roman or Greek architecture. I am hoping and planning it be to the most dived location on the planet. It is the same pH balance as the sea, Brandell said. Some of the sculptural elements are in bronze and steel. "I think he would feel very honoured," his son, Gary Kilbride, said.Īrtist Kim Brandell, who designed the reef, said he was given no parameters in the reef's designs, which grew as they waited three years for permits. Kilbride was named the oldest living scuba diver in this year's Guinness World Records. In March, the remains of 93-year-old diver Bert Kilbride, who called himself the Last Pirate of the Caribbean, were placed on the top of a column of the reef's main gate. "I intentionally try to think about the person," Hutslar said. Jim Hutslar, who manages the construction and placing of the memorials, said he wears sunglasses when mixing the remains with cement to hide his emotions, especially when the family of the deceased is present. A copper and bronze plaque is installed with the person's name, date of birth and death. The ashes are mixed with cement designed for underwater use and fitted into a mould, which a diver then places and secures into the reef. The artificial reef's first phase allows for about 850 remains. The Neptune Memorial Reef is located in open waters three miles off the coast of Key Biscayne, which means any certified diver can visit. The Neptune Memorial Reef is attracting recreational scuba divers as well as homeless fish, while enhancing the coastal environment and reducing demand on other fragile natural reefs. "This is simply as good as it gets," said Gary Levine, a diver who conceived the reef and is now a shareholder in the company that owns it. ![]()
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