The 46th annual Dana Point Festival of Whales celebration takes place Saturday and Sunday, March 4 & 5 and 11 & 12. This family fun event draws over 100,000 visitors from around the world to Dana Point each year during the height of whale watching season and celebrates the once-endangered California Gray Whale with a leviathan-size event. The Festival of Whales is a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Gray Whales as they migrate from Alaska to Mexico to give birth or mate and enjoy seaside activities and whale watching excursions.

The Festival of Whales Parade on March 4 at 10 a.m. will kick off the two-weekend celebration, embracing the festival’s theme of Magical Migration with floats, giant helium balloons and more. The route will run along Pacific Coast Highway, beginning at Selva Road and ending at Golden Lantern in Dana Point.

The Dana Point Festival of Whales began 46 years ago as an annual seaside event in the picturesque town of Dana Point. The community and visitors celebrate the migration of the California Gray Whale and other marine species with family fun ocean-themed events and activities with an emphasis on education and environmental responsibility. During this event, guests can enjoy whale watching excursions that will depart from the wharf every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the festival weekends, and showcase the abundance of marine life on Southern California’s coast. (Prices and trip durations vary).

Spend a day and plan on the BEST whale watching along with a few other family friendly activities during the Festival of Whales:

• Kick-off parade and Street Fair
• Sand sculpting
• Ocean Awareness Day
• Musical Entertainment
• Rubber Ducky Derby
• On-the-water concert
• Art and craft displays and shows
• BBQs
• Kids interpretive crafts
• Classic car exhibits
• Educational lectures/seminars at multiple venues
• Kids fishing clinic
• Historic walking tours
• Run/walk tours
• Sailing/rowing/kayak/SUP demos & clinics
• Boating Extravaganza and much more!

“Dana Point offers visitors a great opportunity to get up close and personal with these incredible creatures and also enjoy sightings of other sea life unique to the California coast,” said Donna Kalez, chairperson of the Festival of Whales. “Dana Point’s Festival is unique in that there are so many different events and activities for our visitors to enjoy. Whether it’s the opening parade down Coast Highway, Ocean Awareness Day and our grand finale concert on the water/BBQ/Spirits Garden at Baby Beach, or the Headlands Conservation Park and Interpretive Center, visitors get a real feel for our great destination and can even be transported free of charge on our Festival trolley that offers stops at each event venue. Visitors can actually ‘migrate’ just like the whales and this year we will once again offer them a water taxi to traverse the harbor. However, what our visitors really want to experience is the thrill of spotting a pod of gray whales, a mega pod of dolphins or other sea life, and Dana Point offers the very best location along the California coast.”

Wrap up a wonderful weekend of whale watching at the Whale of a Concert and BBQ on March 12 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. This free, outdoor concert at Baby Beach will feature three bands performing atop a floating stage.

Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, experts report that Dana Point’s 200-foot cliffs serve as a navigational landmark for migrating whales. Nearly 25 percent of the gray whale population follow the coastline during migration – which means many whales pass by Dana Point daily. This is a great location to possibly see a few of these beautiful creatures during the day from the Headlands Conservation Park that includes a public trail system that is over 3 miles long.

GIVEAWAY

Win A family four pack of  tickets Whale Watching with Dana Wharf

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Dana Point Festival of Whales giveaway ends February 28, 2017 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US Residents 18 and older only. Tickets will be mailed directly to the winner’s home (or mailing) address. Winner will be selected at random and be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Not liable for unclaimed prizes or fulfillment. Blog has represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. No purchase necessary to enter or win; however you must enter for a chance to win. Purchase does not increase chance of winning. Chances of winning depend on number of entries. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to this blog. I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner. Winners can only win once per month. Not liable for unclaimed prizes or fulfillment.

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