Festivities each spring are centred around the northern migration of the Grey whales, travelling from Mexico to the Arctic. Watch the whales silently gliding past from the beautiful shores of Vancouver Island.
The annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival marks the opening of the region’s renowned whale-watching season and the annual migration of more than 20,000 Pacific grey whales on their 13,000-kilometre journey from the waters of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to the Bering Sea.
The week-long festival features many educational and cultural presentations as well as performances, kids activities, family-oriented events and events for both locals and visitors alike.
Just a few of the great events on during Whale Fest.
Mar 15 Parade of Whales and Wonders, Tofino
Mar 17 Whale Spotting, Amphitrite Lighthouse, Ucluelet
Mar 18 Marine Mammal Research Day, Ucluelet
Mar 19 Trivia Night with Parks Canada, Ucluelet
Mar 20 Concert, Willie Thrasher and Linda Saddleback
Mar 20 Paint Night at Bear Bierhaus, Tofino
Mar 21 Beach Clean with Surfrider, Combers Beach
Mar 22 Baleen Bash closing party with Justin Martin
For the full listing of events and locations, check out the festival calendar.
The festival has two types of events: button events and ticketed events.
Button events Access to many festival events and activities is by-donation, through the purchase of festival buttons (drawn by local children) at $5 each. You can purchas your button at the first event you attend.
Ticketed events Additional ticketed events will be sold separately.
Go to the Pacific Rim Whale Festival Website for more info and to get your tickets.
Grab a preview of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival here.
Known for the abundance of grey, humpback and orca sightings year-round, the west coast of Vancouver Island is one of the world’s premier whale-watching destinations with more than a dozen operators based in Tofino and Ucluelet, conducting boat tours from March through October.
More than 30 years ago a group of concerned citizens wanted to create awareness about the island's pristine eco-system, the then-endangered grey whale population, and coastal traditions. They formed what is known now as the Pacific Rim Whale Festival Society.
Thankfully, the grey whales' numbers have increased; and the celebration continues. Festivities each spring are centred around the migration of these great ocean giants — from Mexico to the Arctic. You can see whales gliding past from the beautiful shores of Vancouver Island.
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