The Gulf Coast Whale Festival promises environmental education and fun. Educational exhibits and activities tell the story of whales and other marine life in the gulf. A puppet parade led by Birds of a Feather showcases the ecology of the gulf. Live music will be performed by Pensacola singer-songwriters along with the premier performance of “Ode to the Rice’s Whale” written by Pensacola performer Bob Teague. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the Gulfside Pavilion at Pensacola Beach.

“Yes, we have whales along the Gulf Coast,” says Christian Wagley, Florida/Alabama Organizer at the nonprofit Healthy Gulf. “We’re excited to host the Gulf Coast Whale Festival to celebrate the whales and other natural riches of the Gulf of Mexico.” 

One of the organizations leading educational activities at the festival is the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station, where students are continuing their years of work around gulf marine life.

“My students are really excited to share our work on marine mammals, especially Rice’s whales,” says Charlene Mauro, director of the center. “We’ll have an inflatable whale to visit, and hands-on activities to make it fun and informative.”

The Whale Festival comes at an exciting time for whale lovers on the Gulf coast, as the Rice’s whale was identified as a new species of whale just four years ago. In addition, the recent journey of two endangered North Atlantic right whales along the Florida-Alabama coast has captured public attention.