Titled “Right Whales Off the South Carolina Coast,” the mural is 240 feet long and 50 feet high. It’s number 49 in a series of 100 Wyland Whaling Walls painted around the world by the renowned marine-life artist Wyland.
The accomplished painter, sculptor, photographer, writer and scuba diver traveled around the world capturing the undersea world in his mural series, all painted life-size to increase appreciation and understanding of undersea habitats and the life they hold. The series took 27 years to complete. According to the Wyland Foundation, the completed Whaling Wall series is one of the largest public art projects in history, including murals on five continents, in 13 countries and in 79 cities.
“We know now that water connects all the countries of the world,” Wyland says on the Wyland Foundation website. “Our goal with these projects over the last three decades has been to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public. The health of our ocean and waterways are in jeopardy, not to mention the thousands of marine animals and plants that face extinction if we do nothing.”
Myrtle Beach’s Whaling Wall, which pictures a life-sized pod of right whales, was dedicated on September 6, 1993, on the north wall of the Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall C. In addition to the endangered right whales, the mural also includes bottlenose dolphins and loggerhead turtles.
Twenty-five years later, in September 2018, Wyland’s mural was restored by local artist Tommy Simpson. In addition to touching up the original painting, Simpson added some plant life to the sea floor and brightened the sunshine filtering down through the water. Simpson’s signature joins Wyland’s at the base of the mural.
To learn more about Wyland and his murals, visit wyland.com. And when you’re ready to soak in all the amazing and picture-perfect views that the Grand Strand has to offer, book your getaway at Long Bay Resort on the Myrtle Beach oceanfront. We’re ready to host you and your family for a whale of an adventure on the Grand Strand!