Whale Festivals

Story by Vivienne Mackie,
Photos by Vivienne Mackie and courtesy Mendicino Chamber of Commerce

Whale Festivals are held around the world. Here are some of the most famous ones. Who can resist a chance to see these great, (mostly) gentle creatures? If you’ve never witnessed these amazing animals, you have to do it at least once in your life. If, after seeing your first whale, you can tear yourself away from staring hopefully out to sea, the festivals offer other activities.

HERMANUS WHALE FESTIVAL, SOUTH AFRICA
23-26 September, 2005 (annual)

(Thanks to my friend, Fiona McClellan, who has a holiday house in Hermanus, and shared many of her ideas and memories about Hermanus and the whales).

The usually sleepy town of Hermanus on the Cape coast, South Africa, comes alive when the annual Hermanus Whale Festival is held.

The festival began in 1992 as a community project to create a tourism season focusing on the arrival of the Southern Right Whales to the Walker Bay coast. (Note, Hermanus is not far from Cape Town, and most tourists visit that famous city without even being aware that there are other beautiful towns further along the east coast).

Every year, around June, the whales begin to make their way from the Atlantic to the warmer Indian Ocean coastline, for the mating and calving season in August and September. Hermanus is renowned as one of the best shore-based whale watching locations in the world (boat watching is also offered). So, the whale festival has evolved into a world-famous attraction where thousands of people flock to be beguiled by the whales, the stars of the festival.

A tip: even though the whales come close, still take binoculars.

The atmosphere is wonderfully convivial and celebratory. Thousands of people, often with beer in hand, line the walls, sit on grass banks, walk the cliffs tops or along the old harbor, waiting for the whales. And the whales do come, leaping out of the ocean and crashing back down with power and grace. Quieter spots can be found a short way out of town, and a tip is to get up early when there are fewer people, the waters are generally calmer, and the whales come close to the shore. But, for everyone, seeing the whales is a special experience; viewing these creatures as they cavort and leap in the water within easy view is indescribable.

Fiona tells of one time she saw the whales: “We were up on a cliff, which goes down sharply to the sea, and we could HEAR them, because the cliff caught the sound. That was incredible---the noises they made, and there we were in the boiling sun on the rocks listening in”.

Fiona also says that she and most of the locals feel protective of the whales: “I just feel quite proprietorial and proud of them and like to know they are there and safe. It’s one of the rhythms of life here---are the whales back in Walker Bay?”

These days, there aren’t many things that can unite thousands of people from all walks of life, but when the whales decide to ‘perform’ and the crowd gasps and whoops in unison, these gentle giants are bringing the crowd together, at least for a short while.

Besides this obvious attraction, the residents of Hermanus have created a wealth of options for festival-goers, young or old. The Whale Crier has become an integral attraction of the festival. He keeps the visitors informed about the location of the whales as he does his rounds every day, and the sound of his kelp horn is part of the charm. Community guides will take you on guided whale-watching walks; guided fyn-bos walks (fyn-bos is a special type of flora, found only in this part of the world, the most famous example being the protea flower); and treks with Nature Conservationists. If you’re into an active holiday, there is the Whale Run half-marathon, the Wild Side Spring Surf Festival, the Arts Ramble, and a cycle race. You can try shark cage diving, and sailing boats for hire on the lagoon. There are more than 40 music/theater productions with the best from around the country, and the craft market is jam-packed with stalls selling African curios, clothing, drums, and hand-made jewellery. Art galleries display the works of local artists, the quality generally very high. For children there’s a Children’s Festival, and for the environmentally-aware there’s a Marine and Enviro Expo, which dwells on the important fact that the Whale Festival is built on the natural surroundings.

This festival is a perfect way for locals and tourists to celebrate the arrival of spring in South Africa, as the Southern Right whales arrive. Hermanus is in a beautiful part of the country and lots more is on offer, so take the opportunity to do some other sightseeing: Walk the cliff path and hike in Fernkloof Nature reserve. Visit the Harbor Museum, take a day trip into Cape Town, and go wine tasting in South Africa’s excellent wine lands.

Where to stay:

You need to book early, as it’s very popular.

There are many hotels, B&Bs and self-catering flats. Perhaps the premier hotel, with fantastic views, is the Marine Hotel (www.marine-hermanus.co.za ) or the Windsor Hotel (www.windsorhotel.co.za ). Also check www.hermanusaccom.co.za or www.hermanusrentals.co.za.

General Information

Hermanus Tourism Bureau, www.hermanus.co.za/info. This site also leads you to a site on Right Whales, which is very good.

You can also get information on whales and dolphins from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation at www.adcs.org.

General interest in whales is very high, as evidenced by the many books, for both adults and children, and web sites available to teachers and educators, such as
www.whaleworld.org/html/kit_activities.html (with free downloads) or
http://worldkids.net/critters/endangered/whales.htm.

HERVEY BAY FESTIVAL, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
6-13 August, 2005 (annual)

Here it’s Humpback whales that come and they hang out till October.

Other activities include the Blessing of the Fleet Carnival, a floral art display, Jazz concerts, a Teddy Bears picnic, fireworks over Urangan Harbor, and an illuminated parade.
Go to www.herveybayevents.com.au.

LANG CA ONG FESTIVAL, VIETNAM
September-October 2005, (various dates)

Held in Vung Tau (on the SE coast of Vietnam about 72 km SE of Ho Chi Minh) by coastal fisherman on the 16th-18th days of the 8th lunar month, as worship of whales was a creed of the Cham and other ethnic groups. Temples are decorated with flower garlands and hung with colorful lanterns at night. Cultural activities include hat boi (classical drama) and hat ba trao (traditional folk songs).

There’s also a whale fest in Nha Trang City, and other places in Vietnam.

Check www.traveltovietnam.com/Guide/nhatrang/Festivals/Default.asp and http://vietnam.sawadee.com/festcentral.htm.

CALIFORNIA, USA

California has a number of festivals in the spring, the better-known ones around Mendocino and Santa Barbara.

A. The Santa Barbara festival will be held March 25-26, 2006, to celebrate the Gray, Humpback and Blue whales. Many crafts and music events. Check http://santabarbara.com/events/whale_festival/ or www.sbwhalefestival.com.

B. Mendocino: Along this part of the coast are many festivals, notably at Fort Bragg, March 18-19, 2006. Check www.mendocinocoast.com/memberpages/chamber.html.

C. REDWOOD COAST WHALE AND JAZZ FESTIVAL, 3rd annual was held April 1-3, 2005. This is on the north edge of Sonoma county and the south edge of Mendocino county. Many activities, to celebrate mainly the Gray whale. Check
www.redwoodcoastchamber.com/WhaleJazzFest/whaleandjazz.htm.

VANCOUVER, CANADA

The PACIFIC RIM WHALE FESTIVAL (annual, March-April) on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Watch Gray, Humpback and Orca whales. The site also lists other places, islands and inlets in the area where whales are celebrated.
www.vancouverisland.com/whalewatch