Whalefest Monterey 2016

6TH ANNUAL WHALEFEST MONTEREY on January 23rd & 24th - 10 AM to 5 PM
at Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey, California
The Whale Watching Capital of the World™

This free fun and educational, interactive family event for all ages celebrates the migration of the gray whales! The event also benefits many local and national marine organizations that educate, inspire, and empower the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Among the highlights at Whalefest 2016 is the symposium with exciting presentations and documentaries related to ocean and marine life conservation presented at the Museum of Monterey at the Stanton Center (MoM) auditorium (free admission) and fun, interactive hands on educational displays by participating organizations.

Activities will proceed, rain or shine! Adjacent to Old Fisherman's Wharf, Saturday activities will be in the white Custom House Pavillion and Sunday activities will be along the causeway, with the Symposium and documentaries in the Museum of Monterey at the Stanton Center.  

Symposium held at Museum of Monterey at Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza by Old Fisherman's Wharf (free admission):

• Dr. Wallace J. Nichols - Blue Mind - A Ground Breaking Conversation: Scientist, researcher and New York Times bestselling author of Blue Mind, will share his insights on the  remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under or simply near water. He'll sign copies of his book, held after his presentation on Saturday, January 24th. Presentation is from 1 pm - 1:45 pm with book signing afterwards until 3 pm . Blue Mind books will be available for purchase at the event and 50% of book sales will support Marine Life Studies' education programs and their Whale Rescue Research Vessel for Whale Entanglement Team. Date: Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 1 pm with book signing afterwards until 3 pm)

• Peggy Stap - Rescuing Whales, One at a Time: Peggy Stap, Co-Founder of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)℠ will recount how the team evolved over nearly a decade, and how raised awareness has resulted in a fast rise in the number of entanglement reports. Peggy describes vividly the process of disentangling whales off the California coast with footage of real life rescues. Date: Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 3 pm
• Panel Discussion - Rescue of a Minke Whale in Monterey Harbor: An Example of Interagency Cooperation: Panel includes representatives from the Whale Entanglement Team, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Monterey Harbor Patrol, United States Coast Guard, Monterey Fire Department and Monterey Police Department. Date: Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 4:15 pm
 • Many more scientists and documentaries too numerous to mention here.   

Click here to view full program details of speakers and documentaries.
Free admission to all events excluding whale watching, sailing and fishing.  

Stop by Marine Life Studies booth and learn with our fun, interactive hands-on activities. See what is like to disentangle a whale, how to be a marine researcher identifying individual humpbacks and orcas with matching game, touch and touch and feel baleen from a blue whale, see the black eyes of krill, and much more.

Mock Whale Disentanglement Demonstration​

How do you free a 40-ton whale? Mock demonstration of how trained professionals
of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET) free a whale from life-threatening entanglements.  
Try your hand at disentangling a whale.

Mock Whale Disentanglement demonstration on Saturday, January 23rd and Sunday, January 24th. Meet members of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET).

Whalefest Community Beach and Bike Path Cleanup

Marine Life Studies Take It To the Streets™ is partnering with Save our Shores and Surfrider for the Whalefest community cleanup. Come join the fun and make a difference!

Stop trash from entering the ocean! Stop by our booth to learn more about Take It To the Streets™ and Marine Life Studies. Stop by Save Our Shores to learn about their programs.

The sea turtles, whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary thank you for participation in this program.

Meet at 11 am Sunday, January 24th next to the Whale Entanglement Team demonstration booth on Plaza near Museum of Monterey next to the parking lot during Whalefest for cleanup. Look for the sign that says "Meet Here."

Monterey Bay is the Whale Watching Captial of the World™ so be sure to go whale watching this weekend as trips will be running during Whalefest. Weather permitting, whale watching tours, fishing, sailing and glass bottom boats (for a fee) will be operating from the Wharf.

• Chris' Whale Watching
• Randy's Whale Watching 
• Monterey Bay Whale Watch 
• Princess Monterey Whale Watching 

Read more about Peggy Stap, Director of Marine Life Studies and the MLS programs and history at Off 68's article "Stap falls hard for whales".

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Sponsors:

Whalefest Monterey’s valued sponsors include: Monterey Old Fisherman's Wharf Association, California State Parks, Marine Life Studies, KSBW 8 -NBC & Central Coast ABC, Monterey History and Art Association, MAOS, Monterey Signs, The Wecker Group, Pepsi, and Monterey Waves