RIYADH — A Saudi man established a first-of-its-kind marine museum on Farasan Island in the Jazan region. Zaylai AlZaylai used special tools to mummify marine creatures, including fish and turtles, in addition to sea crustaceans. He revealed that the material comes from distinct trees on the island. In an interview with Al-Arabiya.net, AlZaylai revealed that his love for the sea blossomed after his retirement. He traveled with a group of fishermen and lived with them in the water for about 20 days, learning to swim, fish and do other activities. This influenced him to build the museum. AlZaylai said he began collecting marine artifacts about 16 years ago, pointing out that he bought some of them from fishermen, and later cleaned and mummified them with the help of his wife. He also used seashells and sea snails to design decorations and models to decorate the museum. AlZaylai stated that his museum now attracts people from both inside and beyond the Kingdom. His fame has reached as far as Italy. AlZaylai confirmed that he had given a television interview on one of the Italian channels about his museum and how it came to be. AlZaylai said his museum had 10,000 pieces of fish, shells, and crustaceans on display. He emphasized that 90 percent of the museum's components were from the Red Sea, which he claims is not comparable. He pointed out that the museum contained one of the perennial turtles that had been mummified. Italian scientists reviewed the turtle and confirmed that it is 300 years old, and that it is one of the turtles that can live for 1000 years. However, he refused to reveal the embalming substance he uses because it comes from Farasan Island's trees.
