Pacific Rim Whale Festival: Celebrating the Grey Whale

Imagine travelling 8,000 kilometres for your next meal. You cover 128 kilometres a day on a continuous journey, with no sleep. Along the way, you face numerous life-threatening dangers.

Welcome to the intriguing world of the Pacific Grey Whale.

Every spring, over 20,000 Grey Whales make a round-trip journey between their mating and calving lagoons on the Mexican Baja Peninsula and their Thousands of Grey Whales pass by the west coast of
Vancouver Island (Marilyn McEwen/
Aperture Overtures Photography)summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas near the Arctic—the longest migration of any mammal.

Their journey is fraught with peril. Hungry Orcas lay in wait to ambush Grey Whale calves in the narrow canyon at the mouth of Monterrey Bay, California. Noise, pollution and possible collisions await along the shipping route around San Diego, California. The cacophony generated by boat traffic, industry and military sonar experiments can drown out the whales’ songs, causing confusion and interference with their communication and navigation.

Some whales get lost. On January 25 of this year, a Grey Whale was spotted in B.C.’s Fraser River. Fortunately, the wayward whale eventually found its way back to the ocean. Other whales drop out entirely. Between 200 and 300 whales coming from the Baja lagoons spend the season in a myriad of inland waterways around Washington’s Puget Sound.

Ucluelet dancers at Wickaninnish CentreFood along the way is scarce and some whales perish. During its four-month feeding frenzy in Arctic waters, a Grey Whale consumes about 77 tons of food. It will begin its return journey to Baja weighing about 30 tons and lose about one-third of that weight by the time it arrives.

On the epic journey northward, the whales pass by the shores of the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. For over 20 years, the Pacific Rim Whale Festival has celebrated the Grey Whale’s migration, educating people young and old about the life cycle and wonder of this fascinating, mystical creature.

The 21st Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival takes place March 17-25, offering over 90 activities and attractions in various locations throughout Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Many events are free of charge and range from children’s fairs to culinary competitions, First Nations culture to hands-on coastal wildlife education.

Breathtaking view of the peninsula encompassing Ucluelet, Tofino and
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Adrian Dorst)

A “tail” to remember

“The story of the Grey Whale is a conservation success story,” says Bill McIntyre, biologist, professional nature interpreter and former Chief Naturalist of Pacific Rim National Park.

“The Grey Whale population was greatly reduced through whaling in the late 1800s to early 1900s, throughout the North Pacific,” McIntyre explains. “This despite the fact that their species was not even a prime target for whalers because it didn’t yield a lot of baleen, blubber or sperm. Called ‘devil fish’ because of their aggressive behaviour around harpooning boats, Grey Whales were the last species to be taken. They were real fighters and would ram the boats.”

The Grey Whale population fell from upwards of 28,000 to a few thousand. Whaling ended in the early 1900s due to failing economic returns; whales were becoming scarce, requiring whalers to travel further out to sea to capture them. The Baja lagoons became protected territory and whale populations rose again, particularly the Grey Whale. It took close to 75 years for the population to reach between 4,000 and 5,000. Most recent estimates put the Grey Whale population at around 22,000, well above the at-risk level.

Participants in the District
Tug O’ Whale compete for the
coveted Bone of Contention
(Marilyn McEwen/
Aperture Overtures Photography)By the 1970s, as awareness and education increased around the life cycles of whales, whale watching became a popular tourism event. In the 1980s, McIntyre and a number of other Vancouver Island community members formed the Grey Whale Festival Society and organized the first Pacific Rim Whale Festival in 1986.

The 21st Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival has something for everyone. Highlights include:

The 11th Annual Wickaninnish Gala and Silent Auction Fundraiser is a stellar, pre-festival kick-off event on March 15 at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, featuring fine cuisine and West Coast treasures.

Opening Ceremonies take place on March 17 at 1 p.m. at the Wickaninnish Centre in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The Ucluelet First Nation (Nuu-chah-nulth) and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation perform a welcome dance and song. The Grey Whale played an important role in the life of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. They held the whale in great reverence and engaged in considerable ceremony and personal discipline before and after the hunt. A captured whale was divided up according to tradition, and the blubber was rendered into oil, an important food of the Nuu-chah-nulth. Through storytelling and dances the rich culture of the Nuu-chah-nulth is shared with visitors to Pacific Rim National Park during this special time of year.

Following the opening will be the annual District Tug O’ Whale, where participants compete for the coveted Bone of Contention.

Chowder Chowdown is a popular event where local restaurants compete with secret seafood chowder recipes. For a small donation, community members can sample all the chowders and vote on their favourite. This year’s chowder tasting happens on March 18 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Seaplane Base Recreation Hall (160 Seaplane Base Road) in Ucluelet.

Artist and storyteller Roy Henry
Vickers (Marilyn McEwen/
Aperture Overtures Photography)Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers, known for distinctive work that fuses traditional First Nations themes with contemporary European realism, presents two exclusive prints, including a Grey Whale-themed print. He is also an accomplished storyteller and will share personal stories of coastal life and inspirations at Storytelling with Roy Henry Vickers at the Eagle Aerie Gallery (350 Campbell Street, Tofino) on March 18, 19 and 21.

Bill McIntyre, founder of Long Beach Nature Tours, hosts the annual Whale Watching From the Shore at Amphitrite Point in Ucluelet. This year’s event happens on March 18 at 1 p.m. Visitors may catch a glimpse not only of Grey Whales but a growing population of Humpback Whales, too.

On March 21 starting at 6 p.m. at the Tofino Community Hall (351 Arnet Road, Tofino) the 2nd Annual Martini Migration: Dress to Impress sees local businesses compete for the best Whale Festival Martini. Guests can sample martinis and enjoy live music, and the best-dressed wins a prize.

The Barnacle Bash features appetizers, wine and entertainment by international musician Valdy on March 22 at Tauca Lea, 6:30 p.m. (1971 Harbour St., Boat Basin, Ucluelet).