The 15th Annual Whalefest Monterey will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, 2025 on and around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza – Monterey State Historic Park
Exhibits
When: 10:00 – 5:00 Saturday and Sunday
Where: Custom House Plaza, Causeway and Fisherman’s Wharf
This year’s exhibitors include the following:
American Cetacean Society • California Coastal Commission • California Killer Whale Project • California Marine Sanctuary Foundation • California State Parks • Camp SEA Lab • Citizens’ Climate Lobby • CSUMB Ocean Predator Ecology Lab • Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve • Hi'Ilani O Ke Kei OCC • Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University • Marine Life Studies • MEarth• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) • Mission Science Workshop • Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club • Monterey SEA • Monterey Waterkeeper• Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML) • O’Neill Sea Odyssey• Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History • Paul Watson Foundation •Plankton Monitoring Network • Santa Catalina Middle School • Save Our Shores • Save the Whales • Sea Otter Savvy • Seafloor Science ROV • Sprout Up• Surfrider Foundation • United States Coast Guard Auxiliary • Ventana Wildlife Society
Maris Sidenstecker, Founder,
Save The Whales
California Coastal Commission
Peter Adame, Surfrider Foundation
Stephanie Marcos,
Marine Life Studies
Symposium
When: 11:00 - 4:15pm Saturday and Sunday
Where: Stanton Center Theater at Custom House Plaza
-
11:00 - 11:45 Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D., Co-founder, Happy Whale: "Surprising stories about our humpback whales: where do Monterey Bay whales go when they wander onward?"
11:45 - 12:30 Lisa Wooninck, Ph.D., Superintendent, MBNMS "The Value of National Marine Sanctuaries"
2:00 - 2:45 Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies: "Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses, and Prevention"
2:45 - 3:30 Sammy Andrzejaczek , Ph.D., Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University “The science of sharks: meeting the predator next door”
3:30 - 4:15 Aliya Khan, Graduate Student, Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz: “Wetlands as Nature Based Carbon Solution”
-
11:00 – 11:45 James Fahlbusch, Ph.D., Cascadia Research Collective, Hopkins Marine Station: "A day in the life of a whale biologist"
11:45 – 12:30 Joelle De Weerdt, Ph.D., UCSC/Association ELI-S Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB): “From Nicaragua to Monterey: understand humpback whales' migratory patterns and feeding behaviors”
2:00 – 2:45 Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D., MBNMS, Lindsey Peavey Reeves Ph.D, NOAA/NMS (co-author): "Listening to learn about and protect whales in national marine sanctuaries"
2:45 – 3:30 Jonathan Warrick, Ph.D., Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, USGS: “Our Ever-changing Shores”
3:30 – 4:15 Jane King Silberstein, Cabrillo College Associate faculty/CSUMB, Associate Faculty: "The unseen and unsung heroes of Monterey Bay: the beautiful, amazing microscopic plankton!"
2024 Talk: Natalie Barefoot, Earth Justice and Cetacean Law
“How Whales and Their Poop Fight Climate Change”
Music Schedule
When: 10:00 - 5:00 Saturday & Sunday
Where: At the head of Fisherman’s Wharf
-
10:00 - 11:00 Watsonville Community Band: An all-volunteer band, performs its 78th season of favorite tunes from theater, movies, classics, and marches.
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 Pacific Pop ‘n’ Jazz: A 15-piece community band, based in Hollister, that plays big band jazz as well as popular music.
1:00-2:00 Wave Tones, Robert Seals and Patti Maxine play positive melodic original Hawaiian and Monterey Bay themed music.
2:00-3:00 Hālau Hula Hi’ilani ‘O Ke Kai, family-focused outrigger canoe center and hula hālau based out of Monterey, founded in 1984.
3:00-4:00 Celtic Roads - Paulette Lynch on Hammered Dulcimer, Marj Ingram Viales on Mandolin & amp Guitar, Jackie Pierce on Fiddle.
4:00-5:00 I Cantori di Carmel: A cornerstone of the Monterey Peninsula’s musical community brings choral masterworks, and sea shanties at Whalefest under the artistic direction of Daniel Henriks
-
10:00-11:00 HOLYSEA Ocean Colored Indie Pop Music by local singer/songwriter Rachael Williams. 11:00 - 1:30 Monterey High School
· Tons of Jazz a Jazz Combo featuring Monterey High Vocalists and Instrumentalists performing from the 1960s and 1970s
· Chamber Ensemble -Select advanced instrumentalists from the Monterey High School Orchestra
· Monterey High School Jazz Band -performing a wide variety of jazz standards from several different genres
1:30-2:30 Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band showcases some of the most talented student musicians from Santa Cruz County and the Central Coast region.
2:30-3:15 Better Together, John and Shelley Jemison sing and play classic acoustic Americana and tight harmonies including a few sea shanties from the past.
3:15-4:15 Whalefest Monterey Orca-stra Pod with Nick Fettis & His”Orca-stra” Blends of invigorating original music and Whale Songs from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
4:00-5:00 Dave Holodiloff and Peter Mellinger dynamic musical repertoire includes
Research & Rescue Vessels
When: 10:00 - 5:00 Saturday & Sunday
Where: California Dock at Fisherman’s Wharf
-
2025 Updates Coming Soon
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
This boat will be doing their water demonstration at 12pm on Saturday, then will be tying to the California dock with other boats until 3pm. 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.
Sheila B
The Sheila B., operated by Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, is a versatile research vessel that has been actively involved in various scientific and educational projects. Built in 2001, this 30'x10' PackCat aluminum hull landing craft is specifically designed to operate in both shallow and open waters, ranging from Elkhorn Slough to the San Francisco Bay area. Its unique features, such as removable seating for visual surveys and a hydraulic actuated bow door, make it particularly suitable for a wide range of activities including bird and mammal surveys, and transferring gear and personnel easily.
The Sheila B. has been instrumental in supporting the marine research and education missions of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. It helps students, faculty, and staff conduct field research in diverse marine environments, contributing significantly to the advancement of marine science education and research at the institution.
Sheila B
Marine Life Studies: Current’Sea
Monterey Coast Guard
Monterey Fire