Kralendijk- The mural at the Trans World radio (TWR) studio at the Kaya Gob Debrot roundabout for many years has been a popular tourist attraction. People passing by at the studio these days will notice that the building is in scaffolding and has now been painted in white, waiting for a new mural.

Similarly, to 1998 when the first mural was painted, cars are slowing down to observe what is happening at the wall of the TWR studio. In 1998, the initial plan was to paint a ‘whaling wall’.  However, the artist Paul Gallo designed an underwater mural of tropical fish.  The painted lionfish raised many eyebrows because Lionfishes did not inhibit the Bonairean waters at that time. 

Over the years, the colors of this mural faded.  According to the current TWR director, Bernard Oosterhoff, something needed to be done.  “The new mural will mark a new phase for TWR; after four years of hard work we are increasing the Power of the radio masts located at the salt pans and this will double the reach of the transmitter”, according to Oosterhoff. Oosterhoff says that with the upgraded transmitter, TWR will be able to reach hundred million people living in Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and North and Central Brazil.  “The new mural is already a beautiful visual marker of this new era”, says Oosterhoff.