A human mural — a group of people strategically posing in a specific manner so as to form a larger picture when viewed from above or at a distance — was staged in honor of Orca Action Month and photographed in Waterfront Park on Saturday, June 8.

The event was sponsored by Backbone Campaign, Sustainable Bainbridge and Orca Action Month, and was being presented in conjunction with the annual Boaters Fair, which was going on in the same location earlier in the day.

“The event was a rousing success,” said event organizer Sandra O’Connor. “We drew lots of postcards for Maria Cantwell asking for federal funding for orca and salmon, a lot of people connected with their neighbors, we learned a lot about actions everyone can take to help Salish Sea and all it’s creatures.”

This Human Orca Mural was reportedly the 13th to be staged in the Pacific Northwest since last August, and more are planned.

Organizers said the human mural was intended to show solidarity with Tahlequah, the orca mother who carried her deceased calf through the Salish Sea last summer for 17 days, as testimony to the urgent need to repair habitat.

“Through events like this, we’re building more heart centered community, giving voice to people who care about our Salish Sea and Southern Resident Orcas,” O’Connor said. “We want everyone to believe that their actions can make a difference.”