Gulf Coast Whale Fest Returns
Five years ago, a whale was beached on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where it took its last breaths. Originally thought to be a whale species documented since the 1960s, researchers were shocked to find it was a member of an entirely unknown species.
Dubbed the Rice’s whale, its death became even more tragic upon the discovery that its species is incredibly endangered, with less than a hundred of its kind currently surviving in the waters of the Gulf. But this whale’s death—and the research it spurred—would go on to ignite a push to spread awareness and visibility for its species and other at-risk marine mammals of the Gulf in a wave of dedication still felt to this day.
This year marks the third annual Gulf Coast Whale Festival, an event carried by the mission to spread awareness and appreciation of this remarkable whale and other endangered marine mammals. What started as a deep concern for these vulnerable creatures has blossomed into a celebration of the marine life we share a coast with and a time to recognize both their beauty and our responsibility to protect them.
Attendees of this event can expect a vibrant lineup of activities, including the Birds of a Feather puppet parade, live performances by Pensacola artists—most notably Bob Teague’s Ode to the Rice Whale, which debuted at last year’s Whale Fest—and interactive educational exhibits, including a full scale model of the Rice’s whale.
The educational elements of Whale Fest highlight the true cornerstone and mission of the event: to educate the public on the plight of the Rice’s whale and call on Gulf Coast residents to be part of making a difference. In addition to being considered incredibly endangered due simply to low population, Rice’s whales are also at constant risk from human activity in the Gulf, facing such dangers as getting entangled in fishing gear, ingesting marine debris and suffering from the impact of industrial activities like oil drilling and ship traffic.
“Before [the Rice’s whale beaching], almost nobody around here had even heard of whales in the Gulf,” Whale Fest organizer and one of the region’s most dedicated Rice’s whale researchers, Christian Wagley said. “They tend to live farther offshore, and we don’t see them very often.”
Over the decades, acts like the Endangered Species Act have have helped save other Gulf animals such as brown pelicans and bald eagles from endangered status, but with Rice’s whales only being discovered as an endangered species five short years ago, there’s a lot of work to catch up on in fighting for their protection.
“We have dolphin culture here, a manatee culture and a sea turtle culture, because those are animals we can see,” Wagley said. “But we don’t have that yet with the whale. So, the Whale Festival is a way to help us build that whale culture.”
This event also provides vital opportunities for students at the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station to present new research and educate the public on the impact they may not realize they’re having on the survival of this whale species. Past festivals have even gone beyond simple education to include hands-on, immediately impactful activities such as beach clean-ups and the opportunity for children to take a pledge to protect the ocean.
This year, guests will even see the inclusion of a presentation given the night before the festival by recently retired whale biologist, Laura Engleby. Engleby served as Marine Mammal Branch Chief of the Southeast Region at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and she is currently Chair of the Rice’s Whale Collaborative Network. Engleby will be making the trip all the way from Tampa to share her knowledge from nearly 40 years in the field of marine mammal science.
“I’m definitely experiencing more awareness of whales around the community now,” Wagley said. “I run into people all the time that have heard about the Rice’s whale now because of the festival.”
In addition to the Rice’s whale, there’s a whole ecosystem of life in the Gulf to appreciate and be aware of. Conservation legislation can only do so much for marine life, especially when actively opposed by an administration that prioritizes things like oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, which Wagley attests is the main negative impact on the whales. With even more drilling being proposed in the eastern Gulf, the issue is moving closer than ever to Florida, and posing a bigger threat than ever to the already dwindling Rice’s whale population. While it can feel hopeless to try to protect them in the face of widespread damage on an industrial scale, there are steps the average citizen can take to do their part in making a difference.
“It’s important for people to engage on that issue and tell their elected officials that they don’t want that,” Wagley said. “The bigger, longer term [solution] is clean, renewable energy: solar and wind. For our area, it’s mostly solar.”
Every year, Whale Fest expands and evolves, adding new events to further engage the public and make a bigger impact. In addition to the special presentation by Engleby, this year’s Whale Fest features a longboard competition dedicated to the Rice’s whale. The event is organized by local surfers who wanted to spread the message of Whale Fest after experiencing it for themselves in previous years.
What was initially the passion of only a few people to protect this beautiful creature is spreading throughout the area, providing a tremendous amount of hope to those who feared the Rice’s whale in its obscurity would fade into a silent extinction. The more people get involved in this cause, the more likely it is to succeed.
“I can’t do this by myself,” Wagley said. “I want as many people as possible to take it and run with it and be creative and do as much as they can.”
At the end of the day, this event is a chance to celebrate an amazing creature, but the celebrations would be shallow without a genuine effort to protect the Rice’s Whale and its fellow marine mammals. Whether animal activism, marine wildlife or simply expanding your knowledge on the natural world interest you, the Gulf Coast Whale Fest has something for everyone.
Gulf Coast Whale Fest will be held March 7 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Gulfside Pavilion at 20 Casino Beach Boardwalk on Pensacola Beach. This is a family friendly event and there’s no cost to attend. Engleby’s presentation will take place the night before, March 6 at 6 pm at Waterboyz surf shop on 9th Avenue. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase at both events.
For more information on Gulf Coast Whale Fest or the Rice’s whale, visit healthygulf.org.