WYLAND'S KEY LARGO WHALING WALLS PRINT

Key Largo, Florida Keys - Internationationally acclaimed environmental artist and conservationist Wyland has painted number 95 in his planned series of 100 massive marine life murals, known as ''Whaling Walls,'' in Key Largo.

Key Largo is the gateway to the Florida Keys, the arc of small islands that curves to the south and west beneath the southern tip of the Florida peninsula.

The mural which showcases the living coral reef that parallels the Keys, is the last ''Whaling Wall'' Wyland intends to paint in the United States. It wraps around all four sides of a building located at Mile Marker 99.2 U.S. Highway 1, visible to everyone driving into or out of the island chain. ''It is a gift to the Florida Keys and all the people who live and visit here,'' said Wyland.

A part-time Keys resident, Wyland draws inspiration for his portrayals of marine life from diving the islands' colorful reef - North America's only living contiguous barrier coral reef. He has spent more than twenty-five years using his art to increase awareness about the need to preserve and protect the marine environment. His conservation message has reached an even broader audience with his recent book: Hold Your Water: 68 Things You Need to Know to Keep Our Planet Blue, and a one-hour special last month on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet network.

Wyland's work and environmental commitment have been lauded by world-renowned ocean scientists and explorers including Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Rober Ballard. In 1993 he established the Wyland Foundation, a publicly supported environmental education organization. He has been recognized by the United Nations for his conservation efforts, and recently finished the third year of a five-year campaign promoting clean water issues throughout the United States. His life-size ''Whaling Walls'' can be seen in the U.S. and other countries including Japan, Australia, France and New Zealand.

Wyland's remaining murals include international locations such as Abu Dhabi and his last project, a 2+ mile long mural with children from around the world, as a pre-Olympic project in Beijing.

For more information about Wyland's Key Largo ''Whaling Wall'' project, visit www.wylandkeywest.com