TNP paint mural inspired by Gibraltar’s ocean floor

By Benedict Vasquez

A new mural depicting Gibraltar’s ocean floors is being painted by The Nautilus Project, as part their work raising awareness towards marine environmental issues.

The mural can be found around their offices in the boathouse behind Victoria Stadium.

Young volunteers begun their work on Tuesday and it is projected the mural will be completed by the end of the month.

The underwater scene depicts the marine life found in Gibraltar’s water and will be expanded upon by future nautilus volunteers to capture more and more of the bio-diversity in Gibraltar’s waters.

Currently it depicts a sunfish, a tuna, a hermit crab and a bloom of jellyfish.

The project has been undertaken by three young nautilus volunteers; George Burns, Emily Rees and Dante Jimenez who have each taken art to a GCSE level.

The trio were keen on combining their passion for conservation with their joy of art and have been trusted to draft and paint the mural themselves.

“The area needed decoration, so why not raise awareness while we decorate?” said Emily Rees.

“It’s to remind the community of what it actually is that we’re trying to protect.”

The Nautilus Project prides itself on the flexibility it provides to its volunteers, offering a wide range of opportunities personally catered to each individual to ensure that they’re receiving the experience and funds they need to pursue marine conservation in their own way.

“We see where your interests lie, what you’re capable of doing and we start building skills in from there,” said the NGO’s Lewis Stagnetto.

These three volunteers will now be able to showcase their work and add the project to their UCAS form, helping them pursue Marine biology at a higher level as they go on to apply for universities.

Benedict Vasquez is a student on work experience with the Chronicle.