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]
| WW index[2] | Name | Location | Dedicated | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Gray Whale and Calf | July 9, 1981 | Painted over in 1996; painted ceramic tile mural made in 1996; wall-mounted painted mural-on-canvas in 2019[3] [4] | ||
| 02 | Young Gray Whale | March 20, 1982 | Relocated to Concordia Elementary School, San Clemente. | ||
| 03 | Spyhopping | June 27, 1984 | EXTINCT[5] | ||
| 04 | The Gray Whale Family | 15248 Russell Avenue, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada | September 26, 1984 | Recently restored; will remain as a façade following demolition of the original building. | |
| 05 | The Orcas of Puget Sound | Edgewater Hotel2411 Alaskan Way | November 10, 1985 | Original was painted over in 1995, repainted in same location in 2019[6] | |
| 06 | Hawaiian Humpbacks | April 21, 1985 | Original wall is EXTINCT. A recreation was done at the Pacific Airport Center opposite WW85 | ||
| 07 | California Gray Whales | July 6, 1985 | EXTINCT | ||
| 08 | Orcas | 1170 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | September 10, 1985 | Mostly covered by new constructions. Whales no longer visible | |
| 09 | First Voyage | February 4, 1986 | EXTINCT, torn down during Gateway kitchen renovations | ||
| 10 | Manatees | 1986 | Terminal A. Prior to security gates. | ||
| 11 | First Born | September 26, 1986 | Moved from SeaWorld. In hotel lobby. | ||
| 12 | Laguna Coast | February 2, 1987 | Tiled 1996. | ||
| 13 | A-5 Pod | 1250 Wharf Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | June 20, 1987 | Decaying and faded, but still alive for now. As of June 2020, there are plans by the new owners of the building to turn it into a boutique hotel, so the future of the mural may be in jeopardy. | |
| 14 | Sperm Whales | October 14, 1987 | |||
| 15 | Dolphins of Makapuu Point | 1988 | |||
| 16 | Orcas off Point Loma | Belmont Park Plunge poolSan Diego, California | June 29, 1989 | EXTINCT; removed during renovation in 2017[7] | |
| 17 | Bottlenose Dolphins | August 27, 1989 | done for a 24-hour televised telethon in Tokyo, Japan | ||
| 18 | Sperm Whales of the Mediterranean | October 1989 | |||
| 19 | Forbidden Reef | July 9, 1990 | EXTINCT | ||
| 20 | Gray Whale Migration | July 9, 1990 | EXTINCT | ||
| 21 | Washington Orcas | 928 A Street,Tacoma, Washington | July 1990 | ||
| 22 | Orca Heaven | 1990 | A ceiling mural. | ||
| 23 | Bundaberg Humpback Family | September 28, 1990 | |||
| 24 | Humpback and Calf | September 28, 1990 | |||
| 25 | Humpbacks | October 8, 1990 | |||
| 26 | Sperm Whales & Florida Keys Reef | October 30, 1990 | EXTINCT repainted as Whaling Wall 87 | ||
| 27 | Minke Whales | October 30, 1990 | In the Crane Point Museum and Nature Center | ||
| 28 | A Time for Conservation | January 8, 1991 | |||
| 29 | Humpbacks off the Pali Coast | January 8, 1991 | |||
| 30 | Maui Humpback Breaching | January 21, 1991 | EXTINCT | ||
| 31 | Gray Whale Migration | June 24, 1991 | |||
| 32 | Whales | August 1991 | |||
| 33 | Planet Ocean | July 9, 1992 | Was the largest mural in the world at that time[8] | ||
| 34 | Ocean Biosphere | April 18, 1993 | EXTINCT | ||
| 35 | Orcas of the Oregon Coast | May 9, 1993 | EXTINCT | ||
| 36 | Whales off the Coast of Maine | June 7, 1993 | |||
| 37 | Isle of Shoals Humpbacks | June 14, 1993 | Wall demolished, September 20, 2021. Robert Bendetson of Cabot House Furniture refuses to allow restoration.[9] | ||
| 38 | Stellwagen Bank | June 21, 1993 | EXTINCT; Painted over in 1999 with a killer whale scene by Ron Deziel. | ||
| 39 | Finback Whales | June 28, 1993 | EXTINCT | ||
| 40 | Inner City Whales | July 5, 1993 | |||
| 41 | The Great Sperm Whales | July 12, 1993 | Repainted 2006 by David Bishop of Mystic, CT,(WCRC)and any damage repaired each year by Whaling City Restoration Committee. #41 is complete as originally painted in 1993. Photos at www.whalingcityrestoration.com. | ||
| 42 | East Coast Humpbacks | July 19, 1993 | EXTINCT Torn down for renovations to Aramark Headquarters building.[10] | ||
| 43 | Humpbacks off the Jersey Coast | July 26, 1993 | EXTINCT | ||
| 44 | Delaware Marine Mammals | August 2, 1993 | |||
| 45 | Dolphins-Small Tooth Whales | August 9, 1993 | EXTINCT, removed in 2023 and replaced by a new Wyland mural focusing on corals and fishes of Lanai.[11] | ||
| 46 | Extinct Atlantic Gray Whales | August 16, 1993 | Repainted in 2014 by Shawn James and Charles Lawrance of Mural Masters, Inc. of Baltimore, MD. | ||
| 47 | Humpbacks off the Virginia Coast | August 23, 1993 | |||
| 48 | Coastal Dolphins | August 30, 1993 | |||
| 49 | Right Whales off the South Carolina Coast | September 6, 1993 | |||
| 50 | Atlanta's Right Whales | September 16, 1993 | EXTINCT Paint removed pursuant to building renovation[12] | ||
| 51 | Florida's Dolphins | Mote Marine Lab1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida | September 20, 1993 | EXTINCT | |
| 52 | Florida's Living Reef | Waterfront Brewery,201 William Street, Key West, Florida | September 27, 1993 | ||
| 53 | Orcas off the Gulf of Mexico | March 14, 1994 | Repainted by Andell prior to 2024. One wall retains original subject while second wall now has dolphins instead of whales | ||
| 54 | Alaska's Marine Life | August 8, 1994 | |||
| 55 | Orcas A-30 Subpod | Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | August 15, 1994 | EXTINCT; Completely painted over on June 20, 2017. Reports of the aquarium designer didn't like it and thought it didn't fit in the new west coast theme. | |
| 56 | Vancouver Island Orcas | 1390 Granville, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | August 15, 1994 | Restored for the Vancouver Olympics. EXTINCT after building demolition in 2015[13] | |
| 57 | Leap of Faith | August 22, 1994 | EXTINCT in 2011 | ||
| 58 | Orcas off the San Juan Islands | August 22, 1994 | EXTINCT in 2011 | ||
| 59 | Gray Whales off Oregon Coast | August 29, 1994 | |||
| 60 | Spyhopping Gray Whale | September 5, 1994 | Across from Pier 39 | ||
| 61 | Grays off the San Francisco Coast | September 5, 1994 | Between Pier 39 and Aquarium | ||
| 62 | Celebrating Gray Whales | September 12, 1994 | EXTINCT | ||
| 63 | Life Size Blue Whales | September 12, 1994 | |||
| 64 | San Diego Migration | September 19, 1994 | Visible only from an adjacent apartment building, on their pool deck. | ||
| 65 | Friendly Grays of San Ignacio | September 26, 1994 | EXTINCT | ||
| 66 | Free Keiko | September 26, 1994 | EXTINCT part of an agreement to free Keiko (Free Willy) | ||
| 67 | Earth Day Hawaii | April 22, 1995 | |||
| 68 | Pacific Realm | November 6, 1996 | Ceiling | ||
| 69 | The Blues Whales | May 3, 1997 | |||
| 70 | Heavenly Waters | Redpath Sugar Refinery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | September 1, 1997 | The mural is located on the north wall of the sugar shed. It is viewable from Queens Quay. | |
| 71 | Our Ocean Family | September 8, 1997 | |||
| 72 | Whale Commuters | September 15, 1997 | Mural demolished May 3, 2006 during removal of Courthouse Annex and Marquette Interchange reconstruction; small portions of mural with adult & baby dolphin and "Wyland" signature installed at northern portal of the Kilbourn Tunnel at I-43 Northbound in February 2007 | ||
| 73 | The Windy Whales | September 22, 1997 | New construction has covered all but a sliver of wall. Signature still visible but not much else. | ||
| 74 | Orcas Passage | September 29, 1997 | |||
| 75 | Song of the Whales | October 6, 1997. | Restoration completed and wall rededicated October 4, 2019[14] | ||
| 76 | Whale Tower | October 13, 1997 | 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.[15] | ||
| 77 | Eye of the Whale | Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | October 21, 1997 | EXTINCT | |
| 78 | Florida's Marine Life | May 4, 1998 | On SE 1st Street side of building | ||
| 79 | Santa Monica's Marine Life | August 25, 1998 | EXTINCT as of Jan-2012 | ||
| 80 | World of Ocean Life | 2275 S 300 W Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 | September 7, 1998 | ||
| 81 | Atlantic Humpback Whales | September 29, 1998 | |||
| 82 | Ocean Life | April 16, 1999 | |||
| 83 | Race to Save the Ocean | June 12, 1999 | 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 | October 15, 1999 | EXTINCT[16] | |
| 85 | New Millennium | December 15, 1999 | Re-creation of Whaling Wall 6 | ||
| 86 | Manatee Sanctuary | October 23, 2000 | Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park Visitor Center building | ||
| 87 | Florida's Radiant Reef | March 9, 2001 | Painted over WW 26. Restored by Wyland in 2022 [17] | ||
| 88 | Marine Life of the Gulf | October 17, 2001 | Touched up in 2015 | ||
| 89 | Humpback Realm | December 2002 | |||
| 90 | Palau's Blue Corner | February 2003 | Companion mural at the Etpison Museum | ||
| 91 | Guam's Ocean Life | February 19, 2004 | |||
| 92 | Baja Tranquility | August 8, 2005 | |||
| 93 | Great Whales of New Bedford | October 20, 2005 | |||
| 94 | Ride the Tide | June 24, 2006 | |||
| 95 | Keys to the Seas | February 12, 2007 | |||
| 96 | Riches of the Ocean | April 12, 2008 | |||
| 97 | Sea of Life | May 10, 2008 | National Marine Aquarium | ||
| 98 | Celebrating the Reef | May 17, 2008 | Santos Municipal Aquarium | ||
| 99 | Water for Life | June 14, 2008 | McNab Road | ||
| 100 | Hands Across the Oceans | June 14, 2008 | 2008 Beijing (Green) Olympics; Panels presented in Washington DC, September 30, 2008; in storage |
Wyland Wall #51 Extinct in 2022