(CNN) — For the person who gets a sinking feeling every time they set foot inside a museum, at last the perfect destination.

Accessible only to snorkelers, divers and sea life, Europe's first underwater museum is opening in waters off the Spanish island of Lanzarote.

The Atlantic Museum , based on the seafloor of Las Coloradas bay, has begun installing a set of sculptures by international artist Jason deCaires Taylor inspired by "the defense of the ocean."

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DeCaires Taylor has supplied similar sculpture installations at underwater museums in the Bahamas, Mexico and the Antilles.

His work, made from environmentally friendly concrete, portrays scenes from everyday life and is aimed at raising awareness of oceanic issues. Submerged at depths of between 12 and 15 meters, the enigmatic human figures will help form part of an artificial reef, acting as a breeding site for local species.