Welcome the Whales

Each spring, our resident gray whales and orcas return to Puget Sound waters. Along their way from Mexico to Canada and Alaska, they stop to feed and frolic in Saratoga Passage, just off of Langley.

Come celebrate the return of our beloved whales with the Welcome the Whales festival in Langley on Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

These large yearly visitors arrive in March and stay through May, feeding on delicacies to be found in our waters, then continue their annual migration north as far as the Bering Sea.

Orca Network, David Weeks

A whale's fluke breaks through the surface of Saratoga Passage.

The festival begins with hands-on educational displays and costume making at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 10 a.m. The parade begins at 1:30 p.m., marching down the hill and ending at Langley Waterfront Park for music and celebration, and perhaps spotting gray whales frolicking and feeding nearby.

The parade of species is led by the 20-foot long “Gary the Gray Whale,” followed by an array of imaginative critters created by local children and adults. Parade participants can design their critter costumes at home, or come early on Saturday and make a costume at the church.

While the grays are in Saratoga Passage, observers can easily view them from the bluff. The gray whale ranges from slate gray to black with many white spots (usually patches of barnacles) and skin blotches (usually “whale lice” which are yellowish-white crustaceans). The gray whale does not have a dorsal fin but does have a low hump on its back and a series of small knobs or “knuckles” running down to the flukes.

Land-based whale watching spots in Langley:

• The sidewalk along Cascade Avenue, in front of the Saratoga Inn.
• The Langley marina boardwalk
• Boy and Dog Park
• Seawall Park and along the waterfront to the park at Anthes and the shoreline.

Whale Bell

A bell to announce sightings of whales will be installed in front of Music for the Eyes.

For information, visit www.orcanetwork.org.