India's first underwater museum

under construction

India's maiden underwater museum, artificial coral reef and submarine tourism project is being developed off the Sindhudurg coastline near the Nivati Rock formations. The project involves transforming a decommissioned Kumbhir-class landing ship of the Indian Navy into an underwater museum installed 22 metres below sea level. It aims to promote marine tourism, marine conservation, heritage reuse, and adventure tourism, including scuba diving, guided underwater tours, submarine rides, underwater photography, and marine biodiversity exploration. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is also developing a submarine tourism facility to allow non-divers to view the underwater attraction. Artificial coral reefs will be created around the submerged vessel to foster marine life, with sustainability and biodiversity conservation as key focuses. Fishing and anchoring restrictions within a 500-metre radius are proposed to protect marine biodiversity. The project is expected to boost the local economy by creating employment opportunities in various tourism-related sectors.