ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys -- A new artwork has been added to the "gallery" of outdoor canvases in the Florida Keys.

Sea life artist David Dunleavy has completed a gargantuan "Dolphin Rodeo" mural on the sides of two metal boat storage barns at Tavernier Creek Marina in Islamorada.

Dunleavy's large-scale creation, featuring a bull and cow dolphin fish leaping to feed on flying fish, stretches 252 feet wide and 32 feet high. The New Jersey-based artist says they are the largest dolphin fish, also known as mahi-mahi, ever painted in the world.

Not to be confused with dolphin the mammal, dolphin fish are popular gamefish found off the Florida Keys. They delight anglers with their bold colors, an ability to leap at the end of fishing lines and as lunch and dinner entrées.

Dunleavy worked seven to eight hours per day for 23 days to create the vibrant illustration at the marina, mile marker 90.8 bayside, using more than 400 gallons of paint. The marina's location just off the Florida Keys Overseas Highway ensures the mural's high visibility for southbound motorists.

It is the 62nd in a series of outdoor sea life murals Dunleavy has painted in the U.S., Bahamas and Australia. It is his fourth mural in the Keys and has become the largest outdoor artwork ever created in the island chain.

"Islamorada is the sportfishing capital of the world and there is no better location for this mural," Dunleavy said Monday. "I want to inspire people to put down their smart phones, go out and experience sea life, whether they go fishing, paddleboarding or scuba diving.

"It's all about teaching people about conservation and protecting our oceans for future generations," he added.

Other artists who have created public outdoor art in the Keys include Wyland, Guy Harvey, Rick Worth, Seward Johnson, Debra Yates, John Martini and Richard Blaze, who sculpted Betsy the Florida Keys spiny lobster that stands outside Islamorada's Rain Barrel Artisan Village.

Islamorada Visitor Information: www.fla-keys.com/islamorada

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