Lots Happening at Marine Life Studies!

Whale Tales is February 12, 2011 at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Maui. Hope to see you there.

Still time to stretch your donation with Birdies for Charity. Now through February 25, 2011 they match 15% so Marine Life Studies receives 115% of all funds raised! Your tax deductible donation is vital with 98% of your donation applied to Marine Life Studies research, education and conservation projects. Click here to donate today.

Whalefest 2011 was a huge success. The special concert performance presented by Marine Life Studies with Barbara Joy and the La Mesa School Children's Chorus was wonderful and beautiful. Barbara has the most amazing singing voice and worked with the children to make the concert a huge success. They sang with such heart and passion to a packed house. After which, Whiskie the Whale Spotter™ performed her whale tricks to the delight of the audience. Marine Life Studies had a booth with interactive activities which both kids and adults took part in. Met lots of nice folks and saw future scientists in the making with the matching game.

Special Performance Concert with Barbara Joy and La Mesa School Choir directed by Gloria A. Souza

Whiskie the Whale Spotter™ performing whale tricks.

Young kids having fun while learning.

I was privileged to speak about W.E.T. (Whale Entanglement Team) of Central and Northern California after the film “In the Wake of Giants” presented by the BLUE Ocean Film Festival at the Monterey History & Maritime Museum during Whalefest. “In the Wake of Giants” is an exciting look at how rescuers free humpback whales entangled in ropes and fishing nets with Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. It won Best National Marine Sanctuary Short during the BLUE Ocean Film Festival in August 2010, by Akua Films, produced by Mark DiOrio and Mara Kerr, written and directed by Lou Douros.

A special thanks goes to Mary Alice Fettis for coordinating Whalefest. She did an amazing job. Thank you to all the Marine Life Studies volunteers that helped make Whalefest a success: Judy Iverson, Terri Dratt, Ron and Sue Leinweber, Victoria Wade, Janice Barker, Kate Cummings, Dick Stap, and Mary Whitney.

I was invited to speak at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for at the Student Oceanography Club. This is an amazing program for kids and they are very bright and care about marine wildlife. It was fun as they asked great questions and really are excited to learn about whales and dolphins in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Volunteer Victoria Wade playing matching game with future scientist.

Peggy Stap speaking to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Student Oceanography Club.

We want to express our heartfelt thanks for your generous donations during the Monterey County Gives! 2010 campaign. The funds raised will enable use to continue providing educational programs to the children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, both Seaside and Salinas Units this summer. We also plan to take the kids whale watching so they can experience the ocean first hand. We are so excited to see the kids as they see a whale or dolphin for the first time. This will have a powerful impact that could be life changing - it was for me after I saw a whale for the first time.

Stay tuned… more to come.

Aloha,
Peggy