16th Annual Whalefest Monterey
Event Date:Apr 11 - Apr 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location:
Save the date for the 16th Annual Whalefest Monterey to be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2026 from 10 am - 5 pm each day.
This free family friendly event will be held at and around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza - Monterey State Historic Park. It includes fun and educational activities for all ages, musicians, and dozens of marine-related interactive exhibits by numerous local and national organizations. In addition, there will be several research and rescue boats available for public tours.
Whalefest Monterey benefits many local and national marine organizations dedicated to explore, educate, inspire, and empower the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS).
The always fascinating Symposium with world-renowned marine experts is planned to be held on both Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2026, from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm in the theatre at the Monterey History & Art Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza. For more information go to https://whalefest.org/sympo
The interactive marine-themed exhibits on the Plaza will be back for both days and will have something interesting for all ages (see list below). An array of live music and engaging activities such as Gyotaku, Origami, Scrimshaw, and the “almost famous” Abalone Races provided by Monterey Abalone Company. There will also be history walks by Maritime Historian Tim Thomas, Plein Air painters and a cooking demo. Research and rescue vessels will be on site at the California Dock on both April 11 and 12, 2026 on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.
“Dee”, the life size inflatable humpback whale model one can walk inside, will be back. We also plan for the return of “Gracie”, a 30ft real whale skeleton waiting to be assembled by the attendees.
Whalefest Monterey will feature many educational and engaging displays from local, regional and national non-profits, including many of these who had interactive exhibits in prior years: American Cetacean Society • California Coastal Commission • California Marine Sanctuary Foundation • California Ocean Alliance • Camp SEA Lab • Citizens’ Climate Lobby • City of Monterey Library and Museums • CSUMB Ocean Predator Ecology Lab • Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve • Hi'Ilani O Ke Kei OCC • Marine Life Studies • MEarth• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) • Mission Science Workshop • Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club • Monterey SEA • Monterey Waterkeeper• Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML) • O’Neill Sea Odyssey• Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History • Paul Watson Foundation • Plankton Monitoring Network • Santa Catalina Middle School • Save Our Shores • Save the Whales • Sea Otter Savvy • Seafloor Science ROV • Sprout Up • Surfrider • United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Monterey • Ventana Wildlife Society
Note: Subject to change and new exhibitors are still being added! Updates are listed on the website, www.whalefest.org to
Check out presentations from past years on the Whalefest MontereyYouTube channel.
Whale watchers come from around the world to view hundreds of whales, orcas, otters, dolphins and pelicans who come to feast on a “krill and anchovy buffet” in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Throughout the year, Monterey offers sightings of 15 species of whales, 10 species of dolphins, 2 species of porpoise, 6 species of pinnipeds and 1 species of Fissiped (sea otter).
Whalefest Monterey is supported by many outstanding sponsors including the Arts Council for Monterey County, thanks to support from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, the City of Monterey, Fisherman’s Wharf Association, Monterey State Historic Park, the California and National Marine Sanctuaries Foundations, and numerous businesses.
As a free event, Whalefest relies on sponsorships and donations to bring this unique event to the public. Sponsorships are available for the 16th Annual Whalefest Monterey on April 11-12, 2026. Please contact Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis at [email protected]
About NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Serving as the trustee for 14 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System encompasses more than 600,000 square miles of protected marine and Great Lakes waters. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the system, which protects America's most iconic natural and cultural marine resources. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving recreation, tourism and commercial activities that drive coastal economies. Backed by one of the nation's strongest pieces of ocean conservation legislation, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, sanctuaries seek to preserve the extraordinary scenic beauty, biodiversity, historical connections and economic productivity of our most precious underwater parks.
For more information go to www.montereywharf.com or ww