Neptune Memorial Reef . It is a Reef that has been given the name of Neptune , God of the sea , of horses and of earthquakes . It is also known as the Atlantis Reef (in English Memorial Reef Atlantis). It is the world ‘s largest artificial reef , covering 600,000 square feet (56,000 m²) of ocean floor), and located 3.25 miles (5.2 kilometers) off the coast of Key Biscayne , Florida . Marine mausoleum created to place the cremated remains under thewater . Construction began in July 2003 and it was inaugurated in 2007 .
Summary
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- 1 Location
- 2 History
- 3 Description
- 4 burials
- 5 Sources
Location
It is located three miles (5 kilometers) off the coast of Key Biscayne Florida . It was inaugurated in 2007 after a series of difficulties, including permits and legalization of the place.
The Artificial Reef stretches across 16 acres (65,000 m2) of ocean floor designed as a home for marine life and “a destination for divers”. The cremated remains are mixed in different structures and columns.
History
The project called Atlantis Reef for the creation of the Mausoleum for obituary purposes began to be designed in July 2003 by businessman Gary Levine and sculptor Bert Kilbride , who had initially thought of creating a theme park and then an artificial reef. Which opens in 2007 .
Burial prices vary according to the area in which the remains of the deceased are located, as well as the decoration to choose to adorn their grave . To access this service you have to pay between 1,500 to 6,000 dollars.
Description
According to its promoters, it is a marvel of design and engineering. At the entrance there are two huge metal doors over 3 meters high in the shape of butterfly wings , and on the sides there are two stone lions guarding the entrance.
It has large columns like imitating Atlantis . You can see arches, benches, walkways, roundabouts and concrete streets all at the bottom of the sea, even though it has only been in the water for two years.
In Neptune there are only tombstones in the form of seashells and tombs that look like Doric columns. Where the ashes of the deceased lovers of the sea can be and form part of the largest artificial reef in the world; where there are two thousand tons of concrete structures in an area of almost 65 thousand square meters.
burials
There are many people buried on this site. Years before its inauguration, the ashes of several deceased were mixed with the concrete used in the construction of this cemetery .
Edith Hink from Naples passed away in 2011 and her family decided to cremate her and bury her here because she loved the sea.
