Celebrating the 44th Annual Festival of Whales in Dana Point
For the first two weekends in March, residents celebrate the annual migration of the grey whale with a variety of fun events for all ages.
Large balloons including this grey whale entertained crowds as the parade made its way down the historic Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point.
A friendly octopus greeted kids while flying high in the sky.
The sea turtle reminded of all of the wildlife in our oceans.
And residents didn’t need to go on a boat to see this killer whale as dozens of people controlled the largest balloon in the parade.
As the only human balloon, this pirate reminded crowds of the real people that sailed across the oceans.
Shark! But this one had to be kept down as winds made the balloon difficult to control.
There were also various high school marching bands and as well as Dana Point’s 5th Marine Regiment, who came all the way down from San Clemente to march for the whales.
Marines carried the colors as crowds saluted with miniature American Flags.
High school marching bands played various sea tunes and drum cadences down the highway.
Drill teams danced and Tall Flags twirled to the music.
There was also a street fair that further kept crowds entertained with a variety of different booths.
Ocean Institute reminded crowds of the various discoveries and creatures in the ocean.
local farmers brought their latest harvest to sale at the farmers market.
And pet day care groups like camp bow wow offered special offers to pet owners to encourage them to use their services.
Down by Dana Point Wharf, local artists had their latest creations on display for the Art Show and sale.
Artists of all types from photography to color pencil as well as paints brought out their latest creations of the sea.
These painting are on sale at Wharf until March 15.
Crowds marveled at the beauty that the artist captured.
And as the sun set at Lantern Park and crowds took in the beauty of the coast, the festival concluded its first day with a fitting movie overlooking the ocean.
The park overlooked the entire harbor area of Dana point.
Residents spread out blankets in the park as the sunset over the ocean.
The Disney Classic, The Little Mermaid entertained crowds as they enjoyed free popcorn and refreshments while watching the movie.
