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After 25 years roaming a Tallahassee front yard, a pod of four humpback whale sculptures will be moved to Panacea.(Jacob Murphey\/WCTV)<\/p>\n
Gulf Specimen Marine Lab Founder Jack Rudloe happened to be watching. <\/p>\n
Rudloe\u2019s legendary career studying marine life has spanned more than half a century. But right now, he\u2019s engaged in an unusual mission. <\/p>\n
After his aquarium\u2019s old sign off Highway 98 in Panacea had to be removed following a land dispute, he needed to come up with a new eye-catching display. <\/p>\n
He bought a new tract of land off the highway, commissioned a Florida artist to sculpt some marine life, and thought that was that. <\/p>\n
But then he saw the whales. <\/p>\n
\u201cTotally unexpected. We had no idea that was going to happen,\u201d Rudloe said. <\/p>\n
He reached out to William Green, a Tallahassee businessman and current owner of the whales. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would it take to get the whales, or could we have your whales?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n
More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n
Turns out, it wouldn\u2019t take much. <\/p>\n
Green was sold. \u201cI immediately thought, this is the place,\u201d he told WCTV.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing very specific and memorialized there in Panacea and at the marine lab, I think will be a bigger story than they do here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Now, a true community effort is in the works to make this migration happen. <\/p>\n
Rudloe said Fielder Tree Service has offered free cranes and transport down to Panacea and the Wakulla County Sheriff\u2019s Office has offered a free escort. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s miraculous how the community is coming together between Tallahassee and down here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Rudloe has never been afraid of dreaming big. Now, in addition to a swordfish and octopus piece already created, he thinks the whales could be the crowning piece of his roadside display. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to create a sort of terrestrial ocean here where you have whales jumping, you have fish migrating, and we\u2019re going to have a mermaid,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
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After 25 years roaming a Tallahassee front yard, a pod of four humpback whale sculptures will be moved to Panacea.(Jacob Murphey\/WCTV)<\/p>\n
Rudloe said he hopes the vibrant new piece will attract new visitors to Panacea, while also still honoring the whale\u2019s original purpose of inspiration and reflection. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want that preserved and put right here. It\u2019s not just about another attraction of, hey, look at these different creatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The timeline is still getting ironed out. But the hope is the whales will be on the move in November. <\/p>\n
Rudloe wants to refurbish the whales, restore them as proper fountains, and add water vapor blowholes and loudspeakers to play whale songs. <\/p>\n
All of that will take extra funding. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the money to go on with all the stuff we want to do.\u201d <\/p>\n
So now, he\u2019s seeking donations<\/a> to make his one-of-a-kind underwater land ocean a reality. <\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n