Orland, Florida Wyland Whaling Wall 11

History of the Orlando, Florida Wyland Whaling Wall 11

-First Born

Whaling wall 11

When Wyland granted a request from SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, to paint a mural of a baby orca whale and her mother, it was the first time the artist had done an actual portrait of his subjects. Like all of Wyland’s work, the mural was rooted in the artist’s desire to connect people more closely to the animals that depended on the health and well-being of our oceans. While it was clear that the care and well-being of animals that could no longer be released into the wild was paramount, it also reaffirmed Wyland’s dedication to a future with expanded marine sanctuaries, protection of wild orca pods, and healthier marine habitats.

In the years since then, attitudes around large animals in captivity have changed, with institutions changing their focus toward rehabilitation and education, supporting and caring for animals that can no longer survive in the wild. For others, Wyland and the Wyland Foundation continue to promote the benefits of healthy ecosystems where these beautiful creatures can thrive as they did before the dawn of humankind.

• In 1986, roughly at the time of the Wyland mural, years of human activity had created new pressures on the state of Florida’s marine ecosystems. Wyland’s mural and the attention surrounding it put added focus on the complex relationship between humans and nature.
• These works reinforced the emergence of new laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act that were put in place to help the recovery of marine mammal populations impacted by coastal development and pollution.

Renaissance Orlando Resort, 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida
30 Feet Long x 12 Feet High
Dedicated September 26, 1986
By Bill Evans, Washington D.C.

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