One way dive sites are made more interesting is by placing unique objects underwater, whether they be busses or planes in inland lakes, or wrecks and sculptures in open water sites.
Unfortunately, some divers have a habit of “liberating” pieces they find underwater, depriving the rest of us from experiencing them.
According to Divernet, this is exactly what happened to Turkish diver and sculptor Murat Yaman, based in Izmir, who owns Poseidon Diving School in Gumuldur. In an area rich with history, people have gotten the wrong idea about Yaman’s sculptures, which are in a classical style. The sculptures are so convincing that many people think they have genuine historical value.
Yaman is angry understandably because his works keep disappearing from dive sites as thieves think they have located some long-lost treasure. Most of the sculptures were commissioned by local hotels around Tvsan Island to create an underwater museum. His suspicions that misguided treasure hunters are involved were confirmed, when several locals who lack the required diving skills approached Yaman, and asked him to steal one of his own work on their behalf.
Although Yaman is sick of people stealing his work, he can probably be secretly proud of the fact that his art is of such quality and accuracy that people think it is the genuine article.
You can read the original Divernet report here.
