For whale enthusiasts, there’s one must-attend event in Northern California every year: Whalefest Monterey, taking place over two days with more fun stuff than you can shake a barnacle-covered flipper at.
The 15th annual Whalefest on Monterey’s historic waterfront on the weekend of April 12-13 has something for serious marine buffs, other things for foodies and then plain goofy events like the Racing of the Live Abalones. A weekend symposium gathers world-renowned scientists to discuss whale migration, the problems of entanglement, shark behavior and plankton. There’s a calamari cooking demonstration – squid being a favorite whale food source – and wharf walks where people get the chance to spot otters and dolphins.
Then there’s live music, interactive marine exhibits, sea-themed crafts like scrimshaw and gyotaku — the traditional Japanese method of “printing fish” — and the opportunity to tour research and rescue vessels. Also this year is a 30-foot, real whale skeleton attendees can assemble, and a life-sized inflatable humpback whale model you can walk inside. Now that’s a whale of a good time.
Details: Festival runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on April 12-13 at the Custom House Plaza and Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey; free admission, whalefest.org