Welcome the Whales Fest in Langley

The annual Welcome the Whales Festival returns to Langley April 16-17 as South Whidbey celebrates the return of gray whales to Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound. The two-day event, sponsored by the Langley Chamber of Commerce and Orca Network, features an array of activities for children and adults alike in downtown Langley. Saturday, April 16, begins with hands-on educational displays, costume making and kid’s activities at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at Third and Anthes Street, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

April 8, 2016 7:12 pm
A gray whale propels itself downward to feed on shrimp in Saratoga Passage. The whales will be viewable during the Welcome the Whales Festival
A gray whale propels itself downward to feed on shrimp in Saratoga Passage. The whales will be viewable during the Welcome the Whales Festival

The annual Welcome the Whales Festival returns to Langley April 16-17 as South Whidbey celebrates the return of gray whales to Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound.

The two-day event, sponsored by the Langley Chamber of Commerce and Orca Network, features an array of activities for children and adults alike in downtown Langley. Saturday, April 16, begins with hands-on educational displays, costume making and kid’s activities at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at Third and Anthes Street, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

At 1:30 p.m., the Whale and Critter Parade takes place in downtown Langley, ending at the Waterfront “Whale Bell” Park. Music, whale watching, beach celebrations and a blessing for the whales will take place at Whale Bell Park at the parade’s end. There will be extra binoculars available throughout the day for those who didn’t bring their own.

Additionally, the Langley Whale Center will open its doors from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. for festival-goers to enjoy special activities and displays about gray whales. Saturday also features an educational presentation from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. by John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research Collective, the Pacific Northwest’s leading researchers of marine mammals. The presentation, which takes place at the Langley Methodist Church, will show Calambokidis’ new research on the whales’ behavior, which is studied by attaching a video camera to their backs.