Captivating Charlotte County

About the mural

Below the water line you will find various local fish, a turtle, dolphin, manatee, and other marine life of Charlotte Harbor. Above the water line you will find local bird life such as a great blue heron, a night crown heron, and a roseate spoonbill. If you look closely maybe you may find the alligator lurking in the back.

The original mural was painted in 1998 by local artist Liz Hutchinson (dedicated on April 8, 1998) and contained four panels celebrating the wildlife of Babcock Ranch. It was painted on the entrance to the Best Western (now Punta Gorda Hotel & Suites). The mural sponsor, Bayvue, Inc., owned the hotel and the ranch at the time. The mural was destroyed by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004.

In 2007, the mural was recreated at the current location (Laishley Park Municipal Marina) and dedicated on October 18, 2007. It was designed as a larger composite of two of the original four panels by the original artist with emphasis on the aquatic and bird life.

Unfortunately the wall surface had issues and the mural deteriorated. In late 2021, the mural was removed and aluminum panels were installed to hold a replacement mural. Artist Keith Goodson designed and painted the replacement mural on mural cloth in his studio, keeping the local wildlife theme. The mural was installed in January 2022 on the aluminum panels.