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John Wyland > The Waling Wall in Destin Florida > Discover30A.conm

A Whale of a Family Outing
by Diane Carter

"If people see the beauty in nature, they will work to preserve it." --- Wyland

Rainy outside? Get a little too much sun yesterday? Don't sit around being miserable. Grab the family and do something different! How about a trip under the sea without getting wet for starters?

A 20-minute trip to the Mid-Bay Marina, located at the south end of the Mid-Bay Bridge in Destin, is home to a beautiful mural by internationally known artist, Wyland. Using the walls of the entire 71,560 square-foot building as a canvas, Wyland created his 88th "Whaling Wall", an intricate portrayal of marine creatures, a visual treat that's an artistic trip under the waves.

"This mural is our way of spreading the word that these animals need to be respected and protected," said Wyland. The 1,488-foot-long, 60-foot high mural is intended to raise awareness about the fate of sea turtles, dolphins, whales, manatees and other marine life in the Gulf of Mexico.

Every Wyland public mural project involves the local community, especially school children. The Destin mural was no different: hundreds of area children painted their own mural while Wyland was at work on his. He took time, however, to speak with the children about environmental conservation and protecting sea life. The weeklong work at the marina sparked a carnival-like atmosphere complete with music, food, games, environmental displays, and large whale mascots meeting and greeting visitors.

Wyland, 44, is considered one of the world's most famous marine life artists. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized him in 1992 as the painter of the world's largest mural - a painting wrapping around the Long Beach Sports Arena in California. In 1998, the United Nations proclaimed him the official artist for the International Year of the Ocean and issued a commemorative stamp in his honor.

The Destin mural, completed in October 2001, was created as part of an international arts-in-public-places project that has resulted in the creation of murals seen by an estimated one billion people annually in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Japan, according to the Wyland Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the artist to promote environmental education programs for youth.

The Wyland Foundation funds the mural projects with money raised by local and national sponsors. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the Wyland Foundation - Destin, P.O. Box 1849, Destin, FL 32540. For more information about the Laguna Beach, California-based Wyland Foundation, call 877-8WYLAND or visit online at www.wylandfoundation.org. (check out the section of his web site dedicated to kids!)

How to Get to Wyland's Mural

1. Head west on Highway 98 for about 40 minutes (depending on traffic) and turn right towards the Destin Mid-bay Bridge.

2. On your right before the bridge you will see a large, very colorful metal marina building. Turn onto the street before the marina and then left into the marina parking lot.

3. Look up and be amazed!