For the 15th consecutive year, Whalefest Monterey helps boost our local economy while shining a spotlight upon our thriving whale watch and ocean conservation communities — all with the stunning backdrop of our incredible Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. From April 12-13, the annual festival will be held at Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Custom House Plaza in Monterey, becoming the epicenter for marine enthusiasts, families and tourists to celebrate the sanctuary’s vibrant marine life, rich maritime history, and abundance of recreation opportunities. According to Mary Alice Fettis, long-time co-chair of the Whalefest planning team, “our committee works hard to fulfill our goals, which are to educate everyone of all ages, to inspire them, to encourage them to explore and especially to empower them with knowledge.”

Whalefest brings together Monterey Bay’s world-renowned network of marine science institutions and organizations to share cutting-edge research and conservation efforts. The showcase of a science symposium and more than 40 marine exhibitors aims to educate visitors on how to protect our special ocean places.

The free event will also feature kids’ activities, local history walks, marine vessel tours, musical performances, calamari cooking demonstrations and more.

“For the 15th anniversary, we’ve added landscape painters, who will be providing demonstrations on how to create marine artwork,” says Fettis. Organizers expect a crowd of 15,000 in attendance, including local residents and many visitors from outside of Monterey. Past visitor surveys revealed that about 70% spend two or more days exploring the area, investing in hotels, restaurants and tour operators. “When people come to the wharf for these events, they enjoy themselves and it resonates as a fun place they want to revisit and bring their families,” says Kevin Phillips, owner of Abalonetti Bar and Grill, located on Old Fisherman’s Wharf. As a signature annual festival, Whalefest is not only a celebration of whale migrations in the bay, it also educates the public about important conservation issues we care about, such as ocean pollution and whale entanglement, to empower action. Whalefest serves as a shining example of how a community can unite to help protect essential sanctuary resources and promote the vitality of coastal businesses. “Monterey has a real connection to a healthy ocean, due to our long history as a fishing community, so there is an investment to conserve it. Especially with young people, that is important for the future,” says Phillips.

Monterey Bay is the heart of recreation and tourism in the sanctuary — offering whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, sailing, and more. In 2023, Monterey County saw a strong rebound in tourism dollars, with visitors spending $3 billion. That same year, travel spending in Santa Cruz County was $1.4 billion.

A key indicator of economic growth is reflected in the creation of jobs that support the livelihoods of individuals. In California, the recreation and tourism sector employs 67% of the state’s marine-related workforce, intertwined with a dependence on healthy ocean ecosystems. National marine sanctuaries across the country safeguard marine life and habitats, protect our cultural heritage, and support research that provides significant value to local economies. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is committed to strengthening sanctuary resilience to ocean stressors through habitat restoration, species protection, research and education. To conserve the whale species that visit our sanctuary to feed, we protect the feeding grounds and implement innovative voluntary slow speed zones to reduce mortality from large ship strikes. In working with industry and our partners, we are dedicated to ensuring long-term ecological health that supports sustainable economic growth for our community that depends on it. Visit www.whalefest.org for more information on Whalefest Monterey, including schedules for music, activities and the Symposium.

Superintendent Lisa Wooninck and her staff at NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary conduct research, education and resource protection in one of most biodiverse marine protected areas in the world. Learn about new and exciting stories by the sanctuary within these articles. Wooninck can be reached at lisa.wooninck@noaa.gov. To learn more about the sanctuary, visit montereybay.noaa.gov.