Dana Point invites visitors to dive into its annual Festival of Whales
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The California gray whale migration season is upon us, which means it is time for the Festival of Whales too. Now in its 54th year, the Dana Point Festival of Whales on March 7 through 9 celebrates the whales and other marine life off the coast of Dana Point, which is known as the dolphin and whale-watching capital of the world.
“The Festival of Whales is always the first weekend in March, and it is a celebration of the migration of California gray whales as they migrate past Dana Point,” said Donna Kalez, chair of the Festival of Whales Foundation and owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.
Kalez’s father, Don Hansen, founded the business, and he is credited with being the first in Orange County to host whale watching, using his original fleet in San Clemente to take local students on tours to see dolphins and whales.
Hansen launched the festival in 1971, the same year he became Dana Point Harbor’s first tenant. He passed away in 2022 at age 87 and is honored in the harbor with a special plaque commemorating his legacy.
“When my father opened his business in January of 1971, he immediately got the local people in the harbor together because he wanted to bring awareness to the California gray whales that he had been seeing while he was off the San Clemente pier,” said Kalez.
The California gray whale migration is one the largest the sea mammals make twice a year, south in winter and north in spring. Beginning in December to mid-February the whales migrate from the Arctic and travel to Baja California. They then turn around and travel up along the West coast until early May.
“Dad was pretty amazing because he called it the Festival of Whales, and although we celebrate the gray whale, we also see tons of fin whales and humpback whales, so it is like a whale party,” Kalez said.
The festival started as a small community event focused mainly on whale watching, but it has since grown to include activities onshore.
“It is the best of what Dana Point has to offer on the land and the sea,” Kalez said.
The festival makes its first splash of the weekend on March 7 with the Welcoming of the Whales Ceremony at the Ocean Institute from 5 to 8 p.m. A tradition was added to the event three years ago, and Kalez said it is a moving piece of the festival.
“It is a very powerful evening, we have the Acjachemen Nation come out and do a ceremony and then we have a paddle out, and it has become a very cherished event for us,” said Kalez.
On March 8, the fun continues with the Cardboard Classic & Dinghy Dash at Westwind Sailing & Baby Beach from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cardboard boat-building contest and race is a free public event that challenges innovative young ship builders to make it across the harbor with nothing but a paddle and their cardboard ships, with proceeds benefiting the Dana Point Aquatic Foundation.
Visitors can grab a bowl of chowder at the Clam Chowder Cook-Off from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with local restaurants competing for the title of Best Chowder, the People’s Choice Award and Best Booth Decoration. A $15 ticket buys a taste of all chowders with proceeds benefiting Fish for Life, which funds fishing trips for special needs children.
On March 9, a Little Pirates Treasure Hunt at Baby Beach invites kids to buy a shovel for $10, dress like a pirate and start digging for treasure at 11 a.m. At the same time, the Ocean Institute will host the Stand Up to Trash Beach Cleanup and Lunch & Learn with a presentation by UC Irvine Professor Jessica Pratt and her Global Sustainability Capstone students.
While the Festival of Whales Parade will pause this year, a three-day Festival of Whales Carnival will take place at the nearby Lantern Bay Park overlooking the harbor.
“For the first time, the city of Dana Point has added a carnival,” said Kalez. “We are super excited because we have never had a carnival at the Festival of Whales. We are going to have a Ferris wheel and lots of fun games and rides.”
The carnival will open on March 7 from 6 to 10 p.m., March 8 from 3 to 10 p.m. and March 9 from 3 to 9 p.m. with carnival rides, games, food, music and a beer garden.
Additionally, there will be live music, classic car shows, art in the park and a modern makers market throughout the weekend. Visitors can also attend the Dana Point Historical Society Walking Tour or book whale-watching tours and more boat excursions through Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, Ocean Institute Whale and Marine Life Tours and, of course, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.
For a full schedule of events, visit festivalofwhales.com.
Putting the festival together each year is a collaborative effort of the community with help from Dana Point Harbor Partners, the city of Dana Point and the Ocean Institute, among others.
“This festival highlights the beauty of marine life, the value of environmental stewardship and the vibrant culture of Dana Point with a weekend full of unforgettable experiences,” Dana Point Harbor Partners partner Bryon Ward said in statement. “We are thrilled to continue to support the Festival of Whales Foundation and to invite visitors to join us for this cherished annual tradition, celebrating the majestic migration of whales in the premier whale-watching destination, Dana Point Harbor.”
Kalez, who has served as festival chair for 25 years, said the annual event wouldn’t be possible without the collective cooperation of the community.
“The minute the festival is over, we are already thinking about what we are going to do next year. Jan. 1 is when we start working 24/7 to put it together, but we work on it year round,” said Kalez. “Dana Point is one of the best places in the world to have an event because they are all in. The city leaders are all in, the mayor — they all put everything towards the festival.”
She is also proud to be able to continue her father’s tradition of celebrating California whales and their environment.
“My dad’s legacy is just to bring awareness to what we have in our backyard that many don’t know,” said Kalez.
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