Salt water crocs

[diverken374]

When we were there this past October we saw this giant croc at the golf course a few days in a row. It is hard to geta perspective on size from the picture however we estimated it to easily be 10 feet long. It reminded me of one of those giant crocs on Wild Kindom that take downs the wildebeest crossing the river.

 

[Mossman]

I love Cozumel trivia! I'll bet there just may be a few other people out there who do too!
Here is a quiz: When and where was the Christ statue first placed, before it ended up at Chankanaab and who was the artist who made it?
Since you don't like trivia, Texasguy, what are your questions about shore dives?

I found half the answer: "In 1985 a 4 metre bronze statue of Christ was placed here [Palancar], but Hurricane Gilbert (1988) knocked over the statue, which was later moved to Chancanab. Today only the base of the statue remains."

I'm curious, though. What does it indicate when an "act of God" knocks over a Jesus statue? If the islanders had only listened, they may have warded off Wilma.

 

[El Graduado]

I found half the answer: "In 1985 a 4 metre bronze statue of Christ was placed here [Palancar], but Hurricane Gilbert (1988) knocked over the statue, which was later moved to Chancanab. Today only the base of the statue remains."

I'm curious, though. What does it indicate when an "act of God" knocks over a Jesus statue? If the islanders had only listened, they may have warded off Wilma.

Good job! I'll give you a hint on the other half: The statue was made in Mexico City by an artist who also erected a monumental sculpture in Houston, in the old sixth ward, as well as works in Mexico city, Acapulco, and Durango. I'm not sure that 1985 is correct, though. I helped pour the concrete base of the statue and it seems to me it was 1984. After bouncing all the way from DF, un-restrained and un-padded in the back of a flat-bed truck, the bronze statue made it here with only one arm; the other had broken off in transit and we had to braze it back on. The concrete base, as far as I know, is still at the Horseshoe in Palancar.

 

[cvchief]

Good job! I'll give you a hint on the other half: The statue was made in Mexico City by an artist who also erected a monumental sculpture in Houston, in the old sixth ward, as well as works in Mexico city, Acapulco, and Durango. I'm not sure that 1985 is correct, though. I helped pour the concrete base of the statue and it seems to me it was 1984. After bouncing all the way from DF, un-restrained and un-padded in the back of a flat-bed truck, the bronze statue made it here with only one arm; the other had broken off in transit and we had to braze it back on. The concrete base, as far as I know, is still at the Horseshoe in Palancar.

It that what that big piece of concrete is? I always wondered.

 

[betsyinczm]

Yes, Chief.........that was the base of the statue......you can brush it off of sand and see the inscription. And, I always was told that the actual statue was moved way before it was blown over in any hurricane because too many divers were sitting on the arms posing for pictures and it was risking breakage......but el graduado will tell me if THAT is a myth......could be. That base used to be REALLY exposed but after Wilma, it became almost buried.

 

[El Graduado]

I was off-island when it happened, but I would tend to believe the statue broke free from the base during the hurricane because it offered so much surface area to be buffeted against in the storm surge and so little area of attachment at the feet. It was a poorly engineered structure, at best. The base, however, was built for the centuries! The idea that divers sitting on its arms being dangerous doesn't "hold water" for me in that divers should be nearly neutrally buoyant and would not be much of a load if they sat on an arm.

 

[adampax]

Good job! I'll give you a hint on the other half: The statue was made in Mexico City by an artist who also erected a monumental sculpture in Houston, in the old sixth ward, as well as works in Mexico city, Acapulco, and Durango. I'm not sure that 1985 is correct, though. I helped pour the concrete base of the statue and it seems to me it was 1984. After bouncing all the way from DF, un-restrained and un-padded in the back of a flat-bed truck, the bronze statue made it here with only one arm; the other had broken off in transit and we had to braze it back on. The concrete base, as far as I know, is still at the Horseshoe in Palancar.

Leonora Carrington?

 

[betsyinczm]

""The idea that divers sitting on its arms being dangerous doesn't "hold water" for me in that divers should be nearly neutrally buoyant and would not be much of a load if they sat on an arm""
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Well.....as we all know here, divers can make themselves be negatively buoyant to be able to sit on the arms of the statue......and I thought there was probably some tank banging type damage while trying to do that......but that's just what I heard........I also "heard" that it was removed way before hurricane damage.........but maybe asking at Chankanaab Park would provide the best answer? They would surely know.

 

[El Graduado]

Leonora Carrington?

Nope. It was a guy.

---------- Post added April 28th, 2013 at 11:20 AM ----------

""The idea that divers sitting on its arms being dangerous doesn't "hold water" for me in that divers should be nearly neutrally buoyant and would not be much of a load if they sat on an arm""
---------------
Well.....as we all know here, divers can make themselves be negatively buoyant to be able to sit on the arms of the statue......and I thought there was probably some tank banging type damage while trying to do that......but that's just what I heard........I also "heard" that it was removed way before hurricane damage.........but maybe asking at Chankanaab Park would provide the best answer? They would surely know.

I'm not sure that the folks at Chankanaab will remember, because they gave me a press release to proof for them a few months back that claimed that Jacques Yves Cousteau donated and placed the statue in Chanknaab! They were quite surprised when I told them where it came from and who was involved. Cousteau didn't have anything to do with it. I'll check into the events surrounding the statue's movements after it was placed at the Horseshoe and get back with you.

I'm new to this forum stuff and am unsure of the etiquette, but I feel like I goofed up by changing the subject of this thread (crocodiles on Cozumel) to Cozumel statues, history, trivia, or whatever we are dealing with now. Should I drop the subject, or should we start a new thread?

 

[cvchief]

I'm new to this forum stuff and am unsure of the etiquette, but I feel like I goofed up by changing the subject of this thread (crocodiles on Cozumel) to Cozumel statues, history, trivia, or whatever we are dealing with now. Should I drop the subject, or should we start a new thread?

Actually I believe if you stay on topic for more than 20 posts the thread will automatically lock. So you are probably ok....