The original plan for a mural on the ocean-facing wall of Fat Kahuna’s Beachside Grille in Cocoa Beach called for a shark.
However, Cocoa Beach, which provides matching funds for murals and other artistic beautification efforts, nixed the shark idea. While the city did want a beach/ocean motif, sharks were not the image Cocoa Beach wanted to convey to the thousands of tourists who visit the area each year and swim in the Atlantic.
If Fat Kahuna’s wanted any kind of matching funds for the mural, the shark would have to go. The owners, Dewey and Kat Siljestrom opted for a turtle.