List of Whaling Walls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of Whaling Walls, which are large outdoor murals by the American artist Robert Wyland (b. 1956), featuring images of life-size gray whales, breaching humpback whales, blue whales, and other sea life. Whaling Walls (a pun on the Wailing Wall) are created by invitation of the communities, institutions, and building owners of the structures on which they are painted. His first mural was created in 1981, and Wyland's 100th Whaling Wall was painted in Beijing in 2008.[1]
Whale Commuters, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Humpback Realm, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii USA
Planet Ocean, Long Beach, California USA
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| WW index[2] | Name | Location | Dedicated | Comments[Note 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Gray Whale and Calf | 509 Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, California, USA | 1981-07-09 | 2025: Canvas damaged in Santa Ana wind event; repainted on wall[3]
2019: Mural recreated with painted ceramic tile and canvas[4] 1996: Building owner painted over mural[4] |
| 02 | Young Gray Whale | San Clemente, California, USA | 1982-03-20 | 2010: Salvaged mural relocated to Concordia Elementary School, San Clemente[5]
2005: Original location (Orange County Marine Institute) was demolished; mural was removed and framed in pieces[5] |
| 03 | Spyhopping | Marineland of the Pacific, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA | 1984-06-27 | EXTINCT (2006): Building demolished; it had been closed since 1987[6] |
| 04 | The Gray Whale Family | White Rock, British Columbia, Canada | 1984-09-26 | 2014: Cleaned and damaged areas touched up by local artist Elizabeth Hollick[7]
2007: Restored by Wyland[8] |
| 05 | The Orcas of Puget Sound | Edgewater Hotel, 2411 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Washington, USA | 1985-11-10 | 2019: Wyland repainted mural at same location[9]
1995: Building owner painted over mural[10] |
| 06 | Hawaiian Humpbacks | Pacifica Airport Center, 3049 Ualena Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | 1985-04-21 | 2017: After legal dispute about needed building repairs and mural ownership,[11] Wyland repainted mural[12] with changes to the original design[13] |
| 07 | California Gray Whales | Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, California, USA | 1985-07-06 | EXTINCT (2006): Fairground building was replaced with a new building and Wyland painted a new mural for it (Whaling Wall #94).[14][15] |
| 08 | Orcas | 1170 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 1985-09-10 | EXTINCT (1997): Condo was built adjacent to the mural, hiding the mural from street view [16][17] |
| 09 | First Voyage | Polynesian Cultural Center, Oahu, Hawaii, USA | 1986-02-04 | EXTINCT (1996): Building was moved during renovations, and the mural could not be preserved[18] |
| 10 | Manatees | Terminal A, Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, USA | 1986 | Oil on canvas painting of manatees, located prior to security gates[19] |
| 11 | First Born | Renaissance Orlando Resort, 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida, USA | 1986-09-26 | 1989 or earlier: Moved from original location at SeaWorld to Stouffer Orlando Resort (now Renaissance) [20] |
| 12 | Laguna Coast | 2171 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California, USA | 1987-02-02 | 2021: Dispute with building owner about removing the tiles[21]
1996: Recreated in painted tiles to be moveable (it was on a building Wyland rented for a gallery)[21] |
| 13 | A-5 Pod | 1250 Wharf Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | 1987-06-20 | 2024: Decaying and faded; Wyland proposed restoring it and the building owners hope to preserve it[22] |
| 14 | Sperm Whales | Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan | 1987-10-14 | |
| 15 | Dolphins of Makapuu Point | Sea Life Park Hawaii, Oahu, Hawaii, USA | 1988 | |
| 16 | Orcas off Point Loma | Belmont Park plunge pool, San Diego, California, USA | 1989-06-29 | EXTINCT (2017): Removed during renovation[23] |
| 17 | Bottlenose Dolphins | Painted at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo during a live broadcast of the 24 Hour Television: Love Saves The Earth telethon | 1989-08-27 | Stored in Osaka, Japan[citation needed] |
| 18 | Sperm Whales of the Mediterranean (La fresque des Cachalots) | 186 Av. Robert Surcouf St-Laurent-du-Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 1989-10 | 2015: Building masonry renovated and mural restored[24] |
| 19 | Forbidden Reef | San Diego, California, USA | 1990-07-09 | EXTINCT[citation needed] |
| 20 | Gray Whale Migration | San Diego, California, USA | 1990-07-09 | EXTINCT[citation needed] |
| 21 | Washington Orcas | 928 A Street, Tacoma, Washington, USA | 1990-07 | |
| 22 | Orca Heaven | Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan | 1990 | A ceiling mural |
| 23 | Bundaberg Humpback Family | 142 Bourbong St, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | 1990-09-28 | |
| 24 | Humpback and Calf | Sydney Aquarium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 1990-09-28 | |
| 25 | Humpbacks | Lamphere High School, Madison Heights, Michigan, USA | 1990-10-08 | |
| 26 | Sperm Whales & Florida Keys Reef | 5561 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, Florida, USA | 1990-10-30 | EXTINCT (2001): Wyland painted a new mural (Whaling Wall 87, Florida's Radiant Reef) over this one. |
| 27 | Minke Whales | Crane Point Museum and Nature Center, 5550 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, Florida, USA | 1990-10-30 | |
| 28 | A Time for Conservation | Clock tower at Kauai Village Shopping Center, 4-831 Kuhio Highway, Kapaʻa, Hawaii, USA | 1991-01-08 | 2017: Wyland repainted mural after tower was repaired.[25] |
| 29 | Humpbacks off the Pali Coast | Kauai Village Shopping Center facing Kuhio Highway, 4-831 Kuhio Highway, Kapaʻa, Hawaii, USA | 1991-01-08 | 2017: Wyland repainted after mural was removed during renovations, but with whales swimming in the opposite direction[26] |
| 30 | Maui Humpback Breaching | Lahaina, Hawaii, USA | 1991-01-21 | EXTINCT (1992): City council requested he remove the mural; it was painted on wood planks, which are now stored in a warehouse[27] |
| 31 | Gray Whale Migration | 1100 N. Harbor Dr., Redondo Beach, California, USA | 1991-06-24 | 2026: Property was sold to a developer, and the property's future use,[28] including the mural's future,[29] is being contested
2011: Wyland restored the mural[30] |
| 32 | Whales | Taiji Whale Museum, Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan | 1991-08 | EXTINCT (2013 or earlier): Mural was painted over[citation needed] |
| 33 | Planet Ocean | Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California, USA | 1992-07-09 | 2009: Wyland restored the wall mural,[31] and added a new mural to the roof of the arena (Earth: The Blue Planet)[32]
Was the largest mural in the world when first painted[33] |
| 34 | Ocean Biosphere | Biosphere 2, Oracle, Arizona, USA | 1993-04-18 | EXTINCT[citation needed] |
| 35 | Orcas of the Oregon Coast | Fox Theatre, SW Park at SW Taylor, Portland, Oregon, USA | 1993-05-09 | EXTINCT (1997): Entire block of buildings was demolished to make way for Fox Tower[34] |
| 36 | Whales off the Coast of Maine | Maine State Pier, Portland, Maine, USA | 1993-06-07 | |
| 37 | Isle of Shoals Humpbacks | 64 Vaughan Mall at Hanover St., Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA | 1993-06-14 | EXTINCT (2021): The wall's brick behind the mural was degrading; the building was demolished and the mural could not be saved[35]
2007: Volunteer group that restored Whaling Wall #41 in New London, Connecticut, offered to help restore this mural, but Portsmouth residents did not express interest[36] |
| 38 | Stellwagen Bank | 33 Traveler Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA | 1993-06-21 | EXTINCT (1999): Building's decaying brick facade was covered with aluminum siding[37] and a new whale scene was painted by Ron Deziel[38] |
| 39 | Finback Whales | 145 Crary St., Providence, Rhode Island, USA | 1993-06-28 | EXTINCT (2000): Building was demolished during the relocation of Interstate 95[37] |
| 40 | Inner City Whales | Port Authority Bus Terminal, 41st Street Underpass, New York City, New York, USA | 1993-07-05 | |
| 41 | The Great Sperm Whales | Eugene O'Neill Dr. & State Street, New London, Connecticut, USA | 1993-07-12 | 2023: Repainted by Wyland, with a new giant red squid[39]
2006–2013: Mural was retouched by hand every year, by local artists David Bishop and Norm Johnson[40] 2006: Repainted by local artists[41] |
| 42 | East Coast Humpbacks | 2400 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | 1993-07-19 | EXTINCT (2017): Torn down as part of renovations to Aramark global headquarters building[42] |
| 43 | Humpbacks off the Jersey Coast | 3800 Boardwalk Mall, Wildwood, New Jersey, USA | 1993-07-26 | EXTINCT (2018): Wall repairs and power-washing removed much of the mural and it could not be saved[43] |
| 44 | Delaware Marine Mammals | 117 N. Market St., Wilmington, Delaware, USA | 1993-08-02 | |
| 45 | Dolphins-Small Tooth Whales | Entrance to the Visitors Center, Smithsonian National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C., USA | 1993-08-09 | EXTINCT (2023): Wyland painted a new mural over this one, focusing on corals and fishes of Lanai.[44] |
| 46 | Extinct Atlantic Gray Whales | 600 W. Hamburg St., Baltimore, Maryland, USA | 1993-08-16 | 2014: Restored by local artists Shawn James and Charles Lawrance of Mural Masters, Inc.[45] |
| 47 | Humpbacks off the Virginia Coast | 999 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | 1993-08-23 | |
| 48 | Coastal Dolphins | Coastline Inn, 503 Nutt St., Wilmington, North Carolina, USA | 1993-08-30 | |
| 49 | Right Whales off the South Carolina Coast | Myrtle Beach Convention Center, 2101 North Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA | 1993-09-06 | 2018: Restored by local artist Tommy Simpson[46] |
| 50 | Atlanta's Right Whales | 90 Central Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia, USA | 1993-09-16 | EXTINCT (2010): Removed to make needed concrete repairs to the building[47] |
| 51 | Florida's Dolphins | Mote Marine Laboratory Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida, USA | 1993-09-20 | EXTINCT (2025): Aquarium closed to the public[48] |
| 52 | Florida's Living Reef | 201 William Street, Key West, Florida, USA | 1993-09-27 | 2022: Wyland repainted the mural[49] |
| 53 | Orcas off the Gulf of Mexico | South Padre Island Convention Centre, 7355 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island, Texas, USA | 1994-03-14 | 2002: Repainted several times, starting in 2002, by Harlingen, Texas, artist Angel Hernandez who has done many new murals in the Rio Grande Valley area as well as repainting historic ones;[50] work was done with Wyland's approval and no changes to the original design[51] |
| 54 | Alaska's Marine Life | 406 W. 5th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska, USA | 1994-08-08 | |
| 55 | Orcas A-30 Subpod | Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 1994-08-15 | EXTINCT (2017): Painted over[52] |
| 56 | Vancouver Island Orcas | 1390 Granville, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 1994-08-15 | EXTINCT (2015): Building demolished[53]
2010: Restored for the Vancouver Olympics[53] |
| 57 | Leap of Faith | 2224 Eighth Ave., Seattle, Washington, USA | 1994-08-22 | EXTINCT (2011): Mural was painted over, hotel was renovated for a 2012 rebranding[citation needed]
Whaling Wall #57 and #58 were painted on the same building on the same day. |
| 58 | Orcas off the San Juan Islands | 2224 Eighth Ave., Seattle, Washington, USA | 1994-08-22 | EXTINCT (2011): Mural was painted over, hotel was renovated for a 2012 rebranding[citation needed]
Whaling Wall #57 and #58 were painted on the same building on the same day. |
| 59 | Gray Whales off Oregon Coast | 617 SW Bay Blvd., Newport, Oregon, USA | 1994-08-29 | |
| 60 | Spyhopping Gray Whale | Pier 39 Public Parking garage, 172 Beach St. at The Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, USA | 1994-09-05 | |
| 61 | Grays off the San Francisco Coast | Pier 39, next to Aquarium of the Bay, The Embarcadero at Beach St., San Francisco, California, USA | 1994-09-05 | |
| 62 | Celebrating Gray Whales | Hollywood, California, USA | 1994-09-12 | EXTINCT (1999): Mural was painted on Mann's Chinese Twin, a theater adjacent to Grauman's Chinese Theater for 70mm presentations; the Twin was demolished to build the current-day Ovation Hollywood[54][55] |
| 63 | Life Size Blue Whales | Stage 29, Paramount Pictures, N. Gower St. at Leonard Nimoy Way, Hollywood, California, USA | 1994-09-12 | The mural remains and is visible from the street[56] |
| 64 | San Diego Migration | 1420 Kettner Blvd., San Diego, California, USA | 1994-09-19 | EXTINCT (2012, partial): Ariel Apartments built abutting the building with mural, blocking view for anyone except their tenants[57]
2010: US Bank committed to keeping it when they bought the building[58] |
| 65 | Friendly Grays of San Ignacio | Mexico City, Mexico, USA | 1994-09-26 | EXTINCT |
| 66 | Free Keiko | Mexico City, Mexico, USA | 1994-09-26 | EXTINCT
Mural was painted as part of an agreement to free Keiko (Free Willy) |
| 67 | Earth Day Hawaii | Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | 1995-04-22 | |
| 68 | Pacific Realm | Laguna Beach, California, USA | 1996-11-06 | Ceiling |
| 69 | The Blues Whales | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA | 1997-05-03 | |
| 70 | Heavenly Waters | Redpath Sugar Refinery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 1997-09-01 | The mural is located on the north wall of the sugar shed. It is viewable from Queens Quay. |
| 71 | Our Ocean Family | Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA | 1997-09-08 | |
| 72 | Whale Commuters | Milwaukee County Courthouse Annex, over northbound lanes of I-43, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA | 1997-09-15 | EXTINCT (2006): Demolished during removal of Courthouse Annex and Marquette Interchange reconstruction; small portions of mural with adult and baby dolphin and "Wyland" signature installed at northern portal of the Kilbourn Tunnel at I-43 Northbound in February 2007 |
| 73 | The Windy Whales | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1997-09-22 | New construction has covered all but a sliver of wall. Signature still visible but not much else. |
| 74 | Orcas Passage | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | 1997-09-29 | |
| 75 | Song of the Whales | Cleveland, Ohio, USA | 1997-10-06 | Restoration completed and wall rededicated October 4, 2019[59] |
| 76 | Whale Tower | Broderick Tower, Detroit, Michigan, USA | 1997-10-13 | Still intact. Was covered by lighted advertising during the 2006 World Series and infrequently afterward, but was eventually re-exposed to public view. The mural will not be maintained by the newly renovated Broderick Tower apartments and will fade naturally.[60] |
| 77 | Eye of the Whale | Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 1997-10-21 | EXTINCT |
| 78 | Florida's Marine Life | Macy's Department Store, 22 East Flagler St., Miami, Florida, USA | 1998-05-04 | On SE 1st Street side of building |
| 79 | Santa Monica's Marine Life | Santa Monica, California, USA | 1998-08-25 | EXTINCT as of Jan-2012 |
| 80 | World of Ocean Life | 2275 S 300 W, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115, USA | 1998-09-07 | |
| 81 | Atlantic Humpback Whales | Aquarium of Niagara, Niagara Falls, New York, USA | 1998-09-29 | |
| 82 | Ocean Life | 505 N. Akard Street, Dallas, Texas, USA | 1999-04-16 | EXTINCT (2026, partial): Largest side of mural (which spanned two adjacent sides of the building) was painted over for a 2026 FIFA World Cup advertisement; Wyland issued a cease-and-desist letter[61]
About 2015–2020: Mural completely covered by a vinyl wrap for outdoor advertising[62] |
| 83 | Race to Save the Ocean | San Diego, California, USA | 1999-06-12 | Two sides of the racing hull painted on the yacht Abracadabra competed in the 2000 America's Cup Race in Hawaii. Abracadabra currently at Maritime Museum of San Diego. |
| 84 | New Zealand Marine Life | New Zealand National Maritime Museum, Auckland, New Zealand | 1999-10-15 | EXTINCT (2010)[63] |
| 85 | New Millennium | Pacifica Airport Center, 3049 Ualena Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | 1999-12-15 | 2017: After legal dispute about needed building repairs and mural ownership,[11] Wyland repainted mural[12] with changes to the original design[13] |
| 86 | Manatee Sanctuary | 4150 South Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa Springs, Florida, USA | 2000-10-23 | Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park Visitor Center building |
| 87 | Florida's Radiant Reef | 5561 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, Florida, USA | 2001-03-09 | 2023: After significant community input, building owner commits to keeping the mural[64]
2022: Restored by Wyland[65] Wyland painted this mural on top of Whaling Wall 26, Sperm Whales & Florida Keys Reef. |
| 88 | Marine Life of the Gulf | 690 Regatta Bay Drive, Destin, Florida, USA | 2001-10-17 | Touched up in 2015 |
| 89 | Humpback Realm | NAVY Exchange, 4725 Bougainville Drive, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA | 2002-12 | |
| 90 | Palau's Blue Corner | International Airport, Yelch, Airai State, Palau | 2003-02 | Companion mural at the Etpison Museum |
| 91 | Guam's Ocean Life | Guam International Airport, Hagatna, Guam | 2004-02-19 | |
| 92 | Baja Tranquility | La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico | 2005-08-08 | |
| 93 | Great Whales of New Bedford | West Terminal, Maritime Terminal Inc., MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA | 2005-10-20 | |
| 94 | Ride the Tide | Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, California, USA | 2006-06-24 | Painted to replace Whaling Wall #07[14][15] |
| 95 | Keys to the Seas | Scuba-Fun, 99222 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida, USA | 2007-02-12 | |
| 96 | Riches of the Ocean | Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa | 2008-04-12 | |
| 97 | Sea of Life | Plymouth, Devon, England | 2008-05-10 | National Marine Aquarium |
| 98 | Celebrating the Reef | Santos, São Paulo, Brazil | 2008-05-17 | Santos Municipal Aquarium |
| 99 | Water for Life | North Lauderdale, Florida, USA | 2008-06-14 | McNab Road |
| 100 | Hands Across the Oceans | Beijing, China | 2008-06-14 | 2008 Beijing (Green) Olympics; Panels presented in Washington DC, September 30, 2008; in storage |
Notes
- "EXTINCT" indicates that the mural is no longer accessible. It may have been covered, destroyed, or significantly altered.
