“Whale Song,” a new public art installation created by French artist Jean-Marie Appriou to demonstrate the historical and mythological significance of whales, premiered at Boston’s Central Wharf Park on Wednesday.

The endangered North Atlantic right whale, which lives off the coast of Massachusetts, may go extinct due to human activities and climate change. An estimated 400 right whales remain, and the species has been on the endangered species list since 1970, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.