CLOWN fish, sea horses, dolphins and all manner of tropical creatures.

They are known to roam the depths of the sea and now they are making a splash on the design of Snorkel the Snowdog.

He is one of more than 40 giant sculptures dotted around Brighton and Hove as part of an art trail to raise money for The Martlets hospice.

Affectionately nicknamed Snorkel, the Snowdog formally known as Under the Sea is sponsored by the Sea Life Centre and stands at the bottom of the aquarium’s staircase near Brighton seafront.

Artist and jeweller Lynne Bannon said: "I wanted to make the Snowdog as bright and colourful as possible and all about holidays by the sea and the fantastic creatures that live underwater.

"It's a really fun design and took more than 60 hours over a few weeks to make. I covered it with a base of emulsion paint before painting the fish and detail with acrylics."

The 45-year-old, who creates jewellery and teaches the craft at a workshop in her Albourne home, first heard about the project from her neighbour Charlie Langhorne - the director of Wild In Art which runs the project to raise money for charity.

She said: "I loved seeing the Snowdog come to life over the weeks and seeing it in place at the Sea Life Centre was like meeting up with an old friend. I feel very honoured to be involved in the project and hope that it gives visitors as much joy as it has given me."

Sea Life general manager Max Leviston said: "We really wanted to make a splash with our Snowdog, after all, it is the only underwater dog in the whole country.

"We can’t wait to see the enjoyment Snorkel will bring to our visitors and trail-goers. Above all, we are delighted to be able to support the Martlets and the excellent work it does."

The Snowdogs by the Sea trail is live now until November 27. There are 43 giant sculptures in Brighton and Hove, a 44th in London Victoria Railway Station and 22 Snowpuppies decorated by schools in city museums and libraries. After the trail the sculptures will be auctioned off the raise funds for the hospice.

Snowdog hunters can unlock special offers when they chart their progress on the trail app which can be downloaded at snowdogsbythesea.co.uk or by searching on the App Store or Google Play. It works on iPhone and Android. Each giant dog has a QR code to scan. Find the Under the Sea Snowdog to access a 40 per cent discount on entry to the Sea Life Centre and a free hot drink in the coffee shop.