It is a copy of "Il Cristo Degli Abssi," located in the Mediterranean Sea near Genoa, Italy. The original statue was cast by artist Guido Galletti, and was modeled after Italian swimmer/diver Duillo Mercanet. It was placed in 1954.

In 1961 Italian SCUBA entrepreneur Egidi Cressi commissioned the second casting from the original mold, and donated it to the Underwater Society of America. The statue ended up in storage at O'Hare airport in Chicago, waiting for a home. Senator Spessard Holland of Florida helped John Pennekamp Park to get the nod, where it was placed on August 25, 1965.

Today, Christ of the Abyss is one of the most famous and popular underwater sites in the only underwater park in the world. Funeral At Sea is proud to provide scattering services at Christ of the Abyss.