Maui, Hawaii Wyland Whaling Wall 30

History of the Maui, Hawaii Wyland Whaling Wall 30

-Maui Humpback Breaching

In the early 1990s, while still a struggling artist, Wyland relocated to the state of Hawaii. After reading for years about the town of Lahaina, Maui, he rented small studio on the town’s famous Front Street where he could continue developing his art, while studying the humpback whales who frequented the warm waters during the winter breeding season.

Early on, he noticed a wall rising from the seawall on Front Street with the right dimensions to paint a life- size humpback whale. After completing a rendering of what he envisioned the wall to look like, Wyland approached the Lahaina Restoration Society with his plans. Unfortunately, the mural was initially rejected, seemingly ending any chance of a new mural project. After nine years of making no progress, he decided to forgo the politics and, in his words,” focus on the conservation.” At 3 a.m. on a Friday morning, he and a volunteer crew set up scaffolding at the base of the wall and began painting.

As dawn broke, a powerfully detailed mural of a humpback whale that had seemingly emerged overnight. Anticipating the worst, he braced himself for the backlash. Instead, the sudden appearance of the new public artwork was embraced and soon became a gathering spot for visitors who wanted to show what it was like to stand beside a life-size humpback whale. The permanence of the mural, however, was not to be. A year later, at the request of the city council, the mural was ordered removed, plank by plank, and returned to the artist, with whom it remains to this day, perhaps making a return as Lahaina rebuilds in the wake of the tragic fires that devastated the city in 2023.

Did you know?

• The waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are considered one of the world’s most important habitats for humpback whales, with more than 10,000 of these great mammals migrating to warm
  waters during the winter months.

Whaling wall 30

Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
26 Feet Long x 30 Feet High
Dedicated January 21, 1991
By John Pitre, Surreal Artist & Jerry Lopez, Renowned Surfer

OUR news

Latest from Blog

Check out our latest and newest blogs for detailed articles on Wyland’s achievements, volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and giveaways. Shop Wyland, and all proceeds from your purchases directly support our efforts to bring people together for clean water and healthy oceans.