Whale Fest
March is when the gray whales make their way from the Arctic to Baja and coastal OC gets to witness part of the journey. Find out what activities are in store as Dana Point celebrates the whales, and check out our video of a whale-watching excursion.
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| Take to the High Seas Whale of a Good Time :: Save the date for Dana Point’s Festival of Whales 2010, March 6-7 and 13-14. :: dpfestivalofwhales.com Whale Watch :: See the whales for yourself on one of the Ocean Institute Marine Mammals Cruises. 949.496.2274 :: ocean-institute.org |
The crisp wind whipping the Dana Point bluffs this month brings more than clear blue, cloudless skies. March is when the gray whales make the trek from Arctic waters to the warm lagoons of Baja, while coastal OC gets a ringside seat to the journey. And quite the journey it is.
“It’s 10,000 miles round-trip,” says Tim Sullivan, director of the At Sea programs at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. “They make the longest migration of all marine mammals. When we see them, they are on a mission.”
During peak season, determined pods can be sighted along the Dana Point headlands with up to 50 whales passing by in a day. Dana Point celebrates the gray whales, many of which use the city’s 200-foot cliffs as a landmark to guide them, with a yearly festival. This year, the Festival of Whales takes place over two weekends, kicking off with a parade on March 6 and closing with the 5k Grunion Run on March 14. Attendees can check out the Street Faire, the Marine Mammal Lecture Series at Harpoon Henry’s, sailing rides, and the Ocean Institute.
“We’ll be offering a variety of hands-on activities throughout the festival, like mackerel dissection and programs on sound and echolocation and other whale-specific marine and mammalian activities,” says Jonathan Witt, director of Environmental programs at the institute.
Besides the running activities, there are also several scheduled events, such as fishing and stand-up paddling clinics, Dana Outriggers Canoe Club race, a pancake breakfast, a horseshoe tournament, and musical performances by Ugly Paint, the Surf City All Stars and the Tijuana Dogs.
And then, of course, there are the whales. “Along the coast of California, you can see whales blow,” says Sullivan. “You may even see them diving with their flukes out of the water.”
You might even catch a glimpse of a baby whale or two. “You can see the ones with calves especially, because they will use the shoreline as a guide for their first northern migration,” Sullivan says.
The views from the bluff are marvelous and the addition of the majestic marine mammals makes the scenic sights even more so.
