The Art of Discovering Whales – Larry Foster, Whale Artist
Available at the Noyo Center for Marine Science Discovery Center in Fort Bragg, California. (Also available on Amazon, Cypress House, Ingram Wholesale and Paradise Cay Publications; also ebook available on Amazon)
LF Life-Size Gray Whale Mural Completed October 2025
A remarkable event has happened in Fort Bragg, California this summer. An impressive 56 feet “Gray Whale in Kelp” mural has been created for all to admire on the North Coast Brewing Co. building in downtown Fort Bragg, 455 North Main Street. The Brewery’s north facing wall was transformed into an artistic masterpiece portraying a life-size whale majestically swimming westward toward the Pacific Ocean among the Bull Kelp that lives along the Pacific Northwest coastline. The original image was painted by notable National Geographic and Smithsonian magazine whale artist Larry Foster, who is renown for his anatomically precise illustrations and artwork of all Cetacea – whales, dolphins and porpoises – for over 60+ years. Marta Alonso Canillar, a local artist/muralist, collaborated with Foster every day for two months to produce the most accurate depiction of a life-size gray whale anywhere in the world. Read the Fort Bragg Advocate-News article here about this amazing event.
We think lovers of whales, the oceans, the environment, good beer and beautiful scenery would be interested to see and learn about the two local artists and the art loving community that made it happen. This notable melding of art and the scientific world of whales produced in a small town in northern California is nothing short of fascinating and wonderful. Fort Bragg, California, a small town of 7,000, four hours north of the Bay Area, is beginning to be known for its murals, as part of The Fort Bragg Alleyway Art Project. With the addition of this largest mural to date, the public can stroll throughout downtown Fort Bragg to view a total of 16 murals as part of a self-guided walking tour. No admission required. Highly evolved public art as best as it can be.
Whale Trail – See Larry Foster Illustrations
From British Columbia to Southern California along the Pacific Ocean coastline, there are over 100 viewing sites to view and enjoy marine mammals and other wildlife. Visit the Whale Trail website here to find the closest viewing spot near you. Each location’s placard displays Larry Foster’s anatomically accurate Cetacean illustrations to inform and educate all that visit. It’s an honor to be part of such a noble and outstanding project as the Whale Trail.
Fort Bragg Whale Festival March 11-19, 2023
Larry Foster Book Signing – March 18, 2023
On March 18, Fort Bragg, California’s Noyo Center for Marine Science’s Discovery Center, 338 N. Main Street, held a book signing event – Larry Foster and his award-winning book The Art of Discovering Whales. All proceeds went to the Noyo Center for Marine Science.
The Art of Discovering Whales – Now a 2022 Award Winning Book!
Nautilus Book Award – 2022 Silver in Photography and Art
Eric Hoffer Book Award – 2022 Finalist for da Vince Eye Award for superior cover artwork
Honorable Mention – 2022 Eric Hoffer Award – Art Category
Summary and Excerpts from Larry Foster’s The Art of Discovering Whales
Larry Foster is the only scientific artist to commit his entire fifty-plus-year career to producing anatomically correct portrayals of Cetacea—whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Foster’s pioneering images have been seen in the National Geographic, Smithsonian, and BBC Wildlife magazines, and scores of other publications, as well as in the bestseller The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins.
What do whales truly look like? To answer this question, Larry Foster has devoted decades of research and study to show whale lovers everywhere the true body shapes of whales, dolphins, and porpoises―Cetacea. His goal: to debunk the centuries-old myths that incorrectly presented whales as grotesque, blimp-like, and dangerous animals, and to accurately depict whales as the graceful, sleek, and streamlined marine mammals they really are. The Art of Discovering Whales is a beautifully detailed look into Larry’s fifty-plus-year career as the only scientific artist to produce anatomically correct portrayals of 75+ species of whales with over 300 color images of his prolific whale artwork in every medium imaginable: drawings, paintings, stained-glass and life-size sculptures and more. Anyone who appreciates and is inspired by these truly majestic animals will be in wonder how no one individual has done so much in the field to correct any misinterpretations of the appearance of any group of animals as Larry Foster. Readers will delight in Larry’s unique whale discoveries firsthand, and gain appreciation for his pioneering contributions in the quest to teach, discover, and celebrate whales. Here are some sample pages:
Videos of The Art of Discovering Whales being printed by Transcontinental Printing in Quebec, Canada (February 2021):