Wyland wants whale art lifted from license plate

Famed oceans artist Robert Wyland will announce at a news conference tomorrow that he is withdrawing his iconic image from one of California's most popular specialty license plates.

The plates, sold in California, have raised an estimated 40 Million dollars for California's Coastal Commission.

Now Wayland wants 20% of those funds to go into his own foundation changing his original agreement with the state. The Cal Commission has said politely told him they need every single dollar here in the state. California, like most states, is suffering from a 20 billion dollar budget shortfall. Unfortunately there's an old saying out there:

Money changes everything.

The well known commercial artist has financial agreements with the following organizations including the Wyland Waikiki Hotel:

Andrews McMeel American Zoo’s and Aquariums Blue Water Surfboards Busch Entertainment Corporation Chammyz Checks Unlimited Crystal Cathedral Deluxe Checks Discovery Communications Disney Consumer Products Eaglemont Press The Encore Group Fine Art Limited, Fine Art Licensee for 2008 Olympics First Commemorative Mint Global Wireless Entertainment Health Communications Inc. Home Shopping Network Hudson Group Laguna Canyon Winery Legoland Martin F. Weber Company Maui Divers MeadWestvaco The Michael Weems Collection MM Fab National Education Association NEXCOM Pin USA Princess Cruise Lines Real Networks Room Service Amenities Seapics.com Scripps Institution of Oceanography Smart Practice Starlight Originals Tatouage Teacher Created Resources Triton Hotel U Click Uncas USAopoly Wahoo’s Walter Foster Publishing World Wildlife Fund Wyland Waikiki Hotel

Perhaps leaving behind a solid legacy of "good will" with Californians would be a smart play. Someone should remind him of that.

Swimming with whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium

There's little good to say about the Georgia Aquariums decision to allow divers into the premier whale shark exhibit. We blogged about this months ago when they first announced the idea. Now it seems they have started the program and the L.A Times was there to document some of the first dives.

From the L.A Times article let us plainly show you why this is not a good idea:

"A diver named Kevin xxx broke into a flailing aquatic break-dance."

As an aquarium who's animals are already pulling "double duty", all of these magnificent animals are on a one way trip, adding paying divers to the mix is just plain wrong. Adding divers who feel that breaking into "a flailing aquatic break-dance" is a good idea-even worse.

It comes down to respect. Respect for the animals, respect for the aquariums legacy, respect for the idea of animal ambassadors. In a rush to increase corporate profits and bolster slowing attendance rates it would seem the Georgia Aquarium has lost its way.

There's an old saying here, and never truer in the case of the Georgia Aquarium "Just because you can do a thing, does not mean you should do it".