Please note: The events listed below are from the 2010 Festival, and remain posted as an example of the kind of program that can be anticipated. Please check back often for updates on our exciting line-up for 2011 as it all comes together...
Pacific Rim Whale Festival Events: March 10, 2010
This icon signifies a Button Event.
Show your 2010 Pacific Rim Whale Festival button for free admission to the events marked with this icon. Buttons are available for $2 each at most events, and can also be bought at local Visitor Info Centres or at most whale watching companies. Visit our buttons page for more information!
Blessing of The Boats
Wednesday, March 10 2010: 9:30 am
First St Government Dock, Tofino
Sail-past parade procession to bless the 2010 season’s whale watching boats & community fleet with Reverend Joan Scandrett. The ceremony will feature a guest blessing, with demonstration and participation from the Canadian Coastguard, RCMP and the Tonquin Foundation, and varied local vessel fleet to kick off another safe season on the water. Everyone welcome! Organized annually by the Tonquin Foundation.
Marine Mammal Research Day – Naturalist Tour By Boat!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 10 am - 1 pm
Depart from Subtidal Adventures, Ucluelet
(12 spaces), $79 / To reserve 250-726-7336
Join local naturalist and marine mammal researcher Wendy Szaniszlo for a fun-filled research trip in Barkley Sound. We will be travelling by zodiac with Brian Congdon, a former Park Warden of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve who has been conducting local tours for over 30 years. Brian is very knowledgeable about the natural and cultural history of Barkley Sound and has supported Wendy with her sea lion research and whale surveys for over 10 years. Together they will introduce you to local marine mammals and involve you in identifying individual whales, discovering what they eat, and investigating sea lion movements. We’ll enjoy the beauty of Barkley Sound and watch for seals, eagles and sea birds along the way. Thanks to Subtidal Adventures and Wendy Szaniszlo.
ArtSplash! Pacific Rim Arts Society’s Annual Spring Art Show
Daily: 10 am - 6 pm
Harbour Lounge - Weigh West Marine Resort, Tofino
The Pacific Rim Arts Society’s annual community art show is back! Local artists working in mediums from painting to fibre works, photography to clay and wood to silver are set to exhibit their wares. Come and view original artworks and purchase a favorite piece to take with you. Thanks to the Pacific Rim Arts Society.
Jamie’s Whaling Station’s Westcoast Passport To Adventure Contest
Daily
Passports available at any Info Centre or
either Jamie’s Whaling Station & Adventure Centre
On your own time all throughout Whale Festival, visit participating locations to answer quirky & educational interpretive questions and collect PRWFS Stamps to enter the draw for GREAT prizes. Complete your Answer Sheet and enter the draw to win a grand prize at Closing Day Celebrations! Thank you Jamie’s for organizing this annual educational & interactive Festival activity!
Media Lounge: Interactive Multi-media Gallery & Coastal Sensory Experience
Sundays - Thursdays, 10 am - 6 pm
The Shore/Ocean Outfitters, Tofino
Time to press the rewind, pause, or play buttons @ the Media Lounge. Listen to the whales, watch Canadiana short-films, indulge your senses in the works of world-class artists, or just put up your feet and catch a breath from the festival fury. Maybe you want to be more active and shoot your own movie, sound or photo and upload it to the festival’s Youtube and Flickr websites accessible here? But don’t forget... the Feature Presentation “LIVE” is on Thurs Night (7-10:30pm), where you can experience the behind-the-scene adventures of photographer, Matt Maran, be part of Randy Celebrini’s live painting, and listen to Esther Celebrini ’s live jazz performance. Official Whale Festival Merchandise available here too!
Ucluelet Aquarium: Up Close & Personal!
Daily 10 am - 6 pm
Ucluelet Mini Aquarium
Waterfront Promenade, Ucluelet
$5 adults / $3 kids (4-16 yrs) / $FREE under 4 yrs
Get your hands wet in the touch tanks with hungry seastars, sideways sand dollars, bright sea anemones, cool crabs, incredible fish and more! Guest interpreters and special activities! Visit with the undersea critters of Clayoquot Sound & Barkley Sound (including a giant pacific octopus!), which are exhibited - and then later released - back into the wild; all from our own backyard! Curiosity welcome & questions encouraged, for ages 1-101! Open daily 10am-6pm from now on for the season!
Marine Documentary Film Screenings
Daily: 10:15 am & 2 pm
Remote Passages Marine Excursions - at the boathouse, Tofino
Marine-based, educational and documentary films suitable for all ages. Daily screenings schedule at www.remotepassages.com Thank you Remote Passages for years of dedicated support.
Storytelling with artist Roy Henry Vickers
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 11 am
Eagle Aerie Gallery, Tofino
Renowned First Nation artist Roy Henry Vickers intimately shares personal stories of coastal life and inspirations, in his own longhouse gallery. He will be releasing Limited Edition prints and Roy will be available for signing following the storytelling. Everyone welcome! Thanks to Eagle Aerie Gallery for years of Whale Festival support.
Meares Island Big Tree Trail: Guided Hikes
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 11 am or 2 pm
Depart (by boat) from Ocean Outfitters, Tofino
(10 spaces/trip) $49 adults / $20.10 kids special Whale Festival rates!
To reserve 250-725-2866
with naturalist Devorah Reeves
Choose from 2 departure times! The legendary trail begins as a boardwalk leading you past many features of special interest to the Hanging Garden Tree, which has a circumference of 18.3 meters and a height of 42.7 meters! The boardwalk is 620 meters in length and takes approximately 1.5 hours return to enjoy.
National Marine Conservation Areas on the Pacific Coast
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 11 am
Green Point Campground Theatre, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
with Parks Canada staff Megumi Johns
Join Parks Canada staff member Megumi Johns to learn about National Marine Conservation Areas of Canada - what they are and what they hope to achieve - and about two exciting Pacific coast initiatives already underway in Gwaii Haanas (Queen Charlotte Islands) and the southern Strait of Georgia (southern Gulf Islands). This presentation will also include a sneak peak of the beauty of Gwaii Haanas in a short video.
The Comeback of the Humpback
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 1 pm
Green Point Campground Theatre
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
with Caitlin Birdsall of the Vancouver Aquarium
Come discover the exciting comeback of the humpback with Caitlin Birdsall, research assistant with the BC Cetacean Sightings Network at the Vancouver Aquarium. Humpback whale populations were significantly reduced by commercial whaling throughout the 20th century, but their numbers have been steadily increasing since. This multi-media presentation will allow audiences to listen to their songs, be awed by their acrobatics and discover how British Columbia’s residents and visitors can help research and protect humpback whales. The BC Cetacean Sightings Network collects sightings of all cetaceans, including humpbacks, from coastal citizen and mariners throughout the province- learn how to get involved at this presentation or by visiting www.wildwhales.org
Whale’s Eye View: Interactive SCUBA Diving Introduction
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 1 pm
with Ocean Planet Adventures - Limited capacity for gear!
West Coast Motel - in the pool, Ucluelet
The diving here in Barkley & Clayoquot Sounds is world class! Let dive master Andy show you the introductory ropes of SCUBA diving with full gear provided, and a safe indoor pool environment to immerse yourself into the underwater world - from a whale’s eye view! Bring your underwater cameras if you like and be prepared for about 3 hours total. Suitable for most ages.
Tools, Techniques & Tricks to Improve Your Environmental Education Program: A Professional Development Workshop for Marine & Aquatic Educators
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 2 - 5 pm
Open to the public!
Clayoquot Field Station, Tofino
with Sue Staniforth & NAME.
Must pre-register: contact eriko.arai@vanaqua.org or 604-659-3492
Evaluation information is an important tool for program funding and decision-making, organizational learning, accountability and program management and improvement. This workshop will examine tools and strategies for developing evaluation programs that work for us as educators in both formal and non-formal settings. We will also explore several recent resources that support educational program evaluation, and apply them to participant programs.
Killer Whales: Recent Research on a Coastal Icon
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 3 pm
Green Point Campground Theatre,
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
with Meghan McKillop of the Vancouver Aquarium
Come discover the fascinating killer whale! Once misunderstood and unpopular along the coast of British Columbia, the killer whale is now one of the best studied and most revered marine mammals in Canada. The Vancouver Aquarium continues to build on its 40 years of killer whale research by studying wild population in British Columbia and Alaska. This presentation will focus on the recent projects undertaken by Aquarium scientists and students, as well as the Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program, which helps fund these studies.
Martini Migration: Feathers, Fur & Fins
Fundraising Event - featuring musical guests Current Swell
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 7 pm doors, 7:30 pm - midnight
Tofino Community Hall, Tofino
Advance tickets only: $45
7:30pm / Martini Contest & Voting & 10pm - 12 am / Afterparty Live Show!
Free Shuttle Transportation!
Departing Ucluelet from Officials Sports Bar (at Helen St & Main St) at 6:15pm sharp. Returning to Ucluelet at around midnight.
Shuttle bus for Tofino & area residents will be available from 11pm onward at the end of the night.
These shuttles are free - please use 'em! Generously sponsored by Ucluelet Liquor Store, Majestic Ocean Kayaking, and Tofino Bus.
5th Annual Skyy Vodka & Hendrick’s Gin Cocktail Competition. Music by Tofitian, and live performance special guests Current Swell. Local mixologists will compete for the coveted title of the best Whale Festival Martini & decorated booth. Come shake, stir and vote for your version of the best coastal martini, and the most festivalized costumes in attendance! Dress for the theme - Feather’s Fur & Fins! Live show with Current Swell that pairs a mighty horn section with deep roots in blues, reggae, and rock! Sponsored in cooperation with Weigh West Marine Resort, PMA Canada, and all the participating bars and restaurants! Partial proceeds to 5 local research projects – sponsored in part by Method Marine Supply and Eagle Marine. Advance Tickets Only: available at Mermaid Tales Bookshop, Tofino Sea Kayaking, Groovy Movie and Wild Heather Books or Image West Gallery & Gifts.
Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes
Slideshow & Stories on a year alone in the Patagonia wilderness
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 8 pm
with author Bob Kull
Clayoquot Community Theatre, Tofino
Admission at the door: $5 adults
In 2001 the author began an intense vision quest in deep wilderness solitude on the remote Pacific coast of southern Chile. Through masterful storytelling, beautiful photographic images, humor, and fierce honesty, Bob shares his journey of wilderness survival and spiritual transformation. But this is more than a travelogue. Bob’s words and images not only portray his own experience; they evoke in others a shift of consciousness into the spacious stillness of deep wilderness solitude.
