Whalefest Monterey 2024
Full Schedule of Events (April 13 & 14)
Exhibits
When: 10:00 – 5:00 Saturday only
Where: Custom House Plaza, Causeway and Fisherman’s Wharf
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American Cetacean Society • Bamboo Reef Dive Center • Beaver Brigade SLO • California Coastal Commission • California Killer Whale Project • California State Parks • Camp SEA Lab • Citizens Climate Lobby Monterey Chapter • Community Builders for Monterey County • Dolphin Project • Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve • Girl Scouts CA Central Coast • Herican Rowing / World’s Toughest Row • Hi’ilani ‘O Ke Kai OCC • Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University • Marine Life Studies • Marine Mammal Center • Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) • Mission Science Workshop • Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) • Monterey Museum of Art • Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club • Monterey Public Library • Monterey Waterkeeper • Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History • Paul Watson Foundation • O’Neill Sea Odyssey • Santa Catalina Middle School • Save Our Shores • Save the Whales • Sea Otter Savvy • Seafloor Science ROV • Sprout Up (Monda Elementary School Santa Cruz) • Surfrider Foundation • U.S. Coast Guard Monterey • Ventana Wildlife Society • Western Flyer Foundation
Symposium
When: 10:00 - 5:00 Sunday only
Where: Stanton Center Theater
https://whalefest.org/symposium
Musicians
When: 10:00 - 5:00 Saturday & Sunday
Where: At head of Fisherman’s Wharf
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Saturday, April 13, 2024
10:00-12:00 HOLYSEA Rachael Williams & Company, Ocean Colored Indie Pop Music
12:00-12:30 Monterey High School Drum Line
12:30 - 1:00 Monterey High School Jazz Band
1:00 – 2:00 Thom Cuneo and "The WharfSide Stompers" Fantastic Dixieland Music
2:00 - 3:00 Hālau Hula Hi’ilani ‘O Ke Kai Hawaiian Hula Dancers
3:00 - 4:00 Kuumbwa Honor Jazz Band showcases some of the most talented high school student musicians from Santa Cruz county and Central Coast region.
4:00 - 6:00 Jonah & The Whalewatchers - Reggae
Sunday, April 14, 2024
10:00 - 11:00 Pacific Pop ‘n’ Jazz: A 15-piece community band, based in Hollister, that plays big band jazz as well as popular music.
11:00 – 12:00 Saxophonia: A saxophone quintet that plays a wide variety of music including swing, rock and classical pieces.
12:00 - 1:00 Celtic Roads - Paulette Lynch on Hammered Dulcimer, Pat Skinner on Mandolin & amp Guitar, Jackie Pierce on Fiddle
1:00 - 2:00 Wave Tones, Robert Seals and Patti Maxine play positive melodic original Hawaiian and Monterey Bay themed music.
3:00 - 5:00
Whalefest Monterey "Orca"stra Pod with Nick Fettis & His”Orca-stra”, Stu Heydon, Dave Holodiloff, Michael Martinez. Blends of whale songs, invigorating original music, sea chanties, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz
Research & Rescue Vessels
When: 10:00 - 5:00 Saturday & Sunday
Where: California Dock at Fisherman’s Wharf
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Marine Life Studies Current’Sea – 43 feet (all day Saturday & Sunday)
Western Flyer (all day Sunday)
Monterey Fireboat Pearl – 36 feet (1pm-3pm Sunday)
Current'Sea
Marine Life Studies' 40-foot research vessel (R/V) Current'Sea is used for conducting research on whales and dolphins along the California coast and responding to entangled whales. It also serves as a platform for Whale Entanglement Team (WET)® members to train and gain experience. R/V Current'Sea is described as a "whale disentanglement ambulance", the only one of its kind on the West Coast, that responds to entangled whale emergencies. The vessel is equipped with specialized gear needed for a complete disentanglement response. Additionally, there is an inflatable boat specifically designed for whale disentanglement on a custom davit system that can be deployed from the back of the vessel.
The Pearl
The Monterey Fire Department works hand in hand with the US Coast Guard and State Parks to protect the waterways. This includes 90,000 sq. feet of commercial buildings on the city's two wharves and nearly 600 boats in the harbor. The 34-foot aluminum fire boat, The Pearl, has an enclosed cabin and a combined pump and engine.
Western Flyer
The historic Western Flyer is a 77-foot wooden sardine purse seiner. In 1940, writer John Steinbeck and biologist Ed Ricketts chartered the fishing vessel the Western Flyer for a six-week exploration of Mexico's Gulf of California, which they chronicled in the groundbreaking works Sea of Cortez (1941) and Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951). Now fully restored as a floating classroom and marine science lab, the once lost and neglected Flyer continues Steinbeck and Ricketts’s legacy of blending research, philosophy, and science.
For a free tour of the boat, please sign up here in a specific time slot (required)!
Activities
Wharf History Walks with Historian Tim Thomas
When: 11:00 & 12:30 Saturday & Sunday
Where: Meet at Harbor House
“World Famous” Abalone Races
When: 11:30 & 1:30 Saturday & Sunday
Where: In front of Rockfish Harbor Grill
Arts & Crafts: Gyotaku, Whale Origami, Scrimshaw
When: 12:00 - 3:00 Saturday & Sunday
Where: In front of Abalonetti
Calamari Cooking Demonstration with Award-Winning Chef Tene Shake
When: 2:30 Saturday & Sunday
Where: In front of Kokomo’s
Marine Mammal Center Release
When: 10:00 Sunday only
Where: Monterey Beach by Adventures by the Sea
Beach & Street Clean-Up
When: 11:00 - 1:00 Sunday only
Where: Meet at Marine Life Studies Booth
Bonus: Whale Watching
Whale watchers come from around the world to view hundreds of whales, orcas, dolphins and pelicans who come to feast on a “krill and anchovy buffet” in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Throughout the year, this Whale Watching Capital of the World offers sightings of 15 species of whales, 10 species of dolphins, 2 species of porpoise, 6 species of pinnipeds and 1 species of Fissiped (sea otter). Whale watching trips are available (for a fee), weather permitting, from four whale watching organizations on the Wharf.
2024 Schedule Updates
New this year: The Symposium with marine research and environment conscious experts will move to the Stanton Center only on Sunday, April 14th.
We welcome Dan Haifley from the Board of Directors for the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation and former Director of the Sea Odyssey of Santa Cruz as our MC for the Symposium.
Interactive marine-themed exhibits will be available only on Saturday, April 13th. Live music and activities like Gyotaku, Scrimshaw, and the “almost famous” Abalone Races will be featured on both April 13th and 14th on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.
According to Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis, Director of Whalefest Monterey,
“We are excited to provide attendees with the opportunity to delve into all the exhibits on Saturday and subsequently engage in the Symposium on Sunday this year!…
This ensures that participants can experience the full spectrum of the event, all while enjoying the exceptional live music by local musicians and participating in special activities on both days.”
Whalefest Monterey isn’t just an event; it’s an immersive experience for families. Dive into a sea of knowledge with educational activities catering to all ages.
Enjoy the fun array of live music and dance. Explore marine-related interactive exhibits presented by both local and national organizations.
Take an up-close look at research and rescue boats, open for public tours, creating an engaging atmosphere for all attendees for both days. Learn cutting-edge information from a variety of marine experts.
Check out prior Symposium presentations on the Whalefest YouTube channel.