Whale Art Installation at North Beach Social
In early 2021, Andy had a conversation with Dan Tinghitella, the Chief Operating Officer of Jim Shirley Enterprises (Great Southern Cafe, The Bay, North Beach Social, etc), about his bucket list desire to create a life-size whale art installation. Dan mentioned it to Jim Shirley, who was excited to make the idea a reality.
Shortly after Dan and Andy’s discussion, Andy came across an article about a whale he had never heard of — Rice’s Whale. This whale was named after Dale W. Rice, who first published evidence that Bryde’s whales are present in the Gulf of Mexico in 1965. According to NOAA Fisheries:
Rice's whales are members of the baleen whale family Balaenopteridae. With likely fewer than 100 individuals remaining, Rice's whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world. Recovery of the species depends upon the protection of each remaining whale.
The Rice's whale has been consistently located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, along the continental shelf break between 100 and about 400 meters depth. They are the only resident baleen whale in the Gulf of Mexico and are most closely related to Bryde’s (pronounced “broodus”) whales. In 2021 scientists determined that the Rice’s whale was a unique species, genetically and morphologically distinct from Bryde’s whales.
Andy knew his whale art installation should honor Rice’s whales, given that they call our local Gulf waters home and are endangered. His project would be a loose interpretation of them, with characteristics of other whales that inhabit the Gulf. Jim agreed and the project officially went into the planning phase.
Jim and Andy are both fans of public art displays. They first considered installing the whale at one of Jim’s restaurants in Seaside. But after further discussion, they agreed that North Beach Social would be the perfect canvas for a project of this scale.
January 27, 2022 // Jim Shirley and Andy
February 9-10, 2022 // time-lapse taken during installation process
Rice’s Whale Facts, according to NOAA Fisheries:
Rice’s whales can weigh up to 60,000 pounds (that is 30 tons), which is about five times as heavy as an elephant!
They can grow up to 42 feet long.
Not much is known about their life expectancy, but closely related species reach sexual maturity at 9-years-old and can live about 60 years.
The biggest threats to the species include vessel strikes, ocean noise, energy exploration, development and production, oil spills and responses, entanglement in fishing gear, and ocean debris.
They are found in the Gulf of Mexico in the Southeast United States.
Andy’s Art Installation Facts:
30 feet wide
12 feet tall
materials weigh about 800 pounds
55 hours to complete
February 8, 2022 // Andy delivered all the wood pieces that he had previously cut and laid them out in the sand to determine the shape.
February 8, 2022 // It was kind of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
February 9, 2022 // The first piece Andy hung was the tail, followed by the head. Then he started connecting them, building layers as he went along.
February 9, 2022 // We got messages from several people who could see the whale going up as they drove across the Clyde B. Wells bridge.
February 9, 2022 // Most of the big wood pieces had been cut out at our house, but he had to cut additional layers at the restaurant. The people eating lunch didn’t seem to mind, as many of them came out to watch the installation process.
February 9, 2022 // Andy estimates all the wood weighs about 800 pounds, all of which he had to carry up the scaffolding. He was incredibly tired and sore!
February 9, 2022 // Day 2 ended with the two sides almost connected.
February 10, 2022 // Andy finished connecting the tail and body, then started working on the layered wood details.
February 11, 2022 // On Day 4, he finished all the cutout details, which included some fish, swirls, flowers, and...
February 11, 2022 // …even guitars! After all, North Beach Social often has live music for everyone to enjoy.
February 11, 2022 // Andy positioned the Rice’s Whale so that it appears to be looking out at Choctawhatchee Bay.
February 12, 2022 // He spent all of Day 5 painting!
February 12, 2022 // More painting details.
February 13, 2022 // For a large scale project, this was the only waste. Andy tried his best to be purposeful and intentional with the materials he used.
February 14, 2022 // He touched up a few spots, sealed it, and it was finished!
The completed whale!
For additional photos, check out Andy’s Instagram. To watch the installation process and find out more about our “local” whale, check out this video put together by Ocean Reef:
To see the Rice’s Whale in person, visit North Beach Social: 24200 US-331, Santa Rosa Beach, FL