Artist Wyland's whales will grace Norwegian Bliss hull

The 167,800gt Norwegian Bliss will begin sailing in Alaska in June 2018 as the region's largest cruise ship.

'Humpback whales are an iconic part of the Alaska landscape and one of the most compelling sights visitors can see while cruising the Last Frontier,' said Andy Stuart, president and ceo, Norwegian Cruise Line, adding it's fitting that an 'artist of Wyland's caliber should create the artwork for our first ship designed for Alaska.'

Stuart, who joined Wyland to reveal the design at the Wyland Galleries in Fort Lauderdale Thursday morning, added: 'We hope that our guests are just as inspired as we are by this beautiful artwork.'

Wyland has been diving the world’s oceans for the past 30 years and these wildlife encounters have inspired him to paint the animals life-size, on more than 100 ocean murals throughout the US and 18 other countries around the world.

Taking advantage of Norwegian Bliss as a canvas, Wyland created a life-size portrait of marine creatures including giant manta rays, dolphins, sea lions and sea turtles.

'As a marine artist who has painted the largest murals in the world, it is an honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with Norwegian and present my art on such a grand scale,' Wyland said. 'I can’t think of a more perfect canvas for a marine artist than Norwegian Bliss and I hope my art inspires people to see the beauty in nature and hopefully work to preserve it.'

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