"WELCOME THE WHALES" FESTIVAL IN LANGLEY THIS WEEKEND (video included)

Gray whale spyhops in front of a group of admirers on Sandy Pt, Langley, Whidbey Island WA on April 13th. Photo by Jill Hein, Orca Network.

Every spring, a thrilling event occurs in the waters surrounding Whidbey and Camano Islands, in Washington State. People eagerly wait and watch for sightings of resident Gray whales as they return for their annual feeding visit to Saratoga Passage, between the two islands, and to Possession Sound. I've been in touch with Howard Garrett and Susan Berta, co-founders of Orca Network, and I'm excited to share some photos of whales they provided, along with news of an event coming up this next weekend.

 

Gray whale off Ft. Casey State Park, with two young admirerers - Howard Garrett, Orca Network



Orca Network, uses the motto “Connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest.” That is exactly what they hope to do on Saturday, April 20, at the tenth annual Welcome the Whales Festival and Parade in Langley, WA. Sponsored by Orca Network, Homeplace Special Care, and the Langley Chamber of Commerce, this event features a packed schedule of fun and family-friendly activities as well as outstanding educational opportunities for everyone. A Whale Watch cruise aboard the Mystic Sea, planned for Sunday, April 21, is already SOLD OUT.

Gray whale "Patch"'s Fluke - by Jill Hein, Orca Network

Beginning at 11 a.m., children can participate through hands-on displays, making costumes, and more, at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall (3^rd and Anthes St.) followed by a “Critter Parade” at 1:30. The parade ends at the Langley Waterfront Park, where Windwalker Taibi will offer a blessing for the whales and all can enjoy music and celebration.

 

Gary the Gray whale in the Whale Parade, Orca Network

The afternoon also brings two hours of educational presentations at the same church, between 3 p.m and 5 p.m. Orca Network will offer a program that includes, in addition to an update on North Puget Sound Gray whales, a slide show of whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja, CA, the Gray whales’ southernmost migratory destination and the place where they mate and give birth. Here is some video of whale watchers in the lagoon.



Then Dr. Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer with NOAA/Fisheries Office of Science & Technology, will give a fascinating presentation called “Gray Whales as Sentinels of Climate Change.” For 35 years, she has researched the ecology, bioacoustics and natural history of whales and dolphins.

Aerial shot of Gray whale in Saratoga Passage - Veronica von Allworden, Sky and Sea Photography



These resident whales celebrated at the Welcome the Whales event number only about a dozen. But they are part of the larger number of whales migrating up and down the West Coast each year. Dr. Moore will be speaking about that larger population and how they have been impacted by climate change in the North Pacific and Arctic Seas.

Don’t miss the opportunity to Welcome the Whales as they come home to the Pacific Northwest. If we humans quit caring, that opportunity could one day be gone.  

For more information, contact Orca Network at 1-866-672-2638 or info@orcanetwork.org. Learn how you can travel to Baja with Orca Network in 2014 here.

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ORCA NETWORK PRESENTS "WAYS OF WHALES" WORKSHOP

Excited humans crowd the railings of a Washington State ferry to point and shout to each other about what they see in the water. Dark, smooth, wet, and glistening, the rounded shapes of orcas, sometimes called killer whales, curve up from the water’s surface, their blade-like dorsal fins erect as they forge ahead. 

photo by Howard Garrett

 These elegant creatures, if they chose to do so, could leap in graceful arcs and twist their white undersides toward the sun, let out their haunting high-pitched cries, or dive below. But at the moment, they travel, showing just enough of themselves to mark their passage through the Salish Sea, the combined waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. In this delicate ecosystem— increasingly endangered by the effects of human activity—they forage for salmon and communicate with each other in distinct dialects we cannot understand.

If your curiosity about orcas goes beyond snapping a digital photo, you might want to connect with like-minded people at an exciting workshop happening this coming weekend. “Ways of Whales,” will be presented on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 by Orca Network, a 502 (c) (3) non-profit that, according to their mission statement, is”… dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitat.” Fortunately, a growing number of people do care. This popular workshop, now in its tenth year, is the perfect place to begin or expand your knowledge of our region’s whales.

Photo by Howard Garrett

Howard Garrett and Susan Berta co-founded Orca Network and devote themselves to this cause. Garrett, the board chairman, is also the photographer who provided the beautiful images in this post. When I contacted them to learn more, he and Berta eagerly shared photos and information for the benefit of readers of Good Life Northwest and hope many of you will attend.

“The ‘Ways of WhalesWorkshop’ is intended to offer a chance for people interested in whales, from any vantage point, to hear directly from whale researchers and experts about their findings and experiences,” Garrett said. “It’s a chance to ask questions and hear personal insights from a variety of areas of expertise, and it’s a chance to meet lots of other people who share our interest and passion to learn more about whales, especially the orcas that live among us.”

And they do live right among us. I've even seen orcas while dining at Anthony's restaurant at Point Defiance in Tacoma.

Orcas swim in Elliot Bay, close to downtown Seattle    photo by Howard Garrett

Here are the details:

WAYS OF WHALES WORKSHOP

Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center
501 So. Main, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA 98239

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

$30/person ($25 for students and seniors) $10 Lunch (optional)

For more information and to register, following this link:

Ways of Whales Workshop

Workshop topics for 2013 include:

• Dr. Peter Ross - Toxins and other threats to Southern Resident orcas
• Film maker John Gussman - Elwha River dam removal& restoratio
• Steve Mashuda, Earthjustice Attorney - Petition to de-list So. Residents
• Presentation on Emma Foster‘s Paper - Menopause in Killer Whales
• Researcher Mark Malleson - Transient Orcas and Humpback Whales
• Environmental education displays

Garrett added, “Much of what we do as Orca Network depends on active reporting by people all over the Salish Sea, and this gathering is a way to connect and give back to them.

See my previous blog post, "Video of Orcas Swimming in Puget Sound"

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