By Debbie Holmer [email protected]It was 1976 … Price of a dozen eggs: 69 cents. Apple Computer was formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The first computer, reports say, sold for $666.66. Frontier Airlines hired the first female pilot captain (Emily How- ell Warner). The Ebola virus was named af- ter a nearby river Ebola where the first victim was identified in 1976. Writer Tom Wolfe declared the ‘70s the “Me Decade.” Sweden’s most profitable corpo- ration was the pop group ABBA. Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1976: $110,000. People were listening to Pe- ter Frampton’s “Frampton Comes Alive” album and reading “Trin- ity” by Leon Uris. On TV, they were watching “Happy Days.” One of the top movies for 1976: “A Star is Born” starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. I was living in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1976 and, yes, I read about the Mendocino Whale War. … And the first Mendocino Whale Festival was held in March 1976. Why Mendocino? In 1975 Greenpeace had en- countered a whaling fleet kill- ing sperm whales off Cape Men- docino and in an effort to inhibit the foreign ships’ hunting abili- ties, positioned themselves be- tween harpoons and a pod of whales, thinking the ship would not risk killing the activists. How- ever, the harpooner took the shot and the film footage made inter- national news. That’s when Byrd Baker and the Mendocino Whale War Association was formed in December 1975. The Mendocino Whale War was the brainchild of local art- ist/sculpture Byrd Baker. Not interested in counting whales, Byrd was interested in saving the whales from extinction. Baker was supported by local funds to attend a national symposium on whales in Indiana. It was an excit- ing trip across America for Byrd Baker, bringing the Mendocino Whale War into national focus. However, after traveling back east to the symposium, Baker was con- vinced that Mendocino folks were the only ones who could save the whales. There have been many excel- lent articles on the Mendocino Whale War through the years. Nicholas Wilson is a photog- rapher and documentarian of the Mendocino Whale War. He is also author and photographer of “Mendocino in the ‘70s,” which in- cludes over 180 photos document- ing life on the coast during that pivotal decade. A few are included in this article. In 1976 and 1977, Wilson was a documentary photographer aboard two ocean voyages against commercial whaling by Japan and HISTORY Remembering the Mendocino Whale War Festival March1976 NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED Organizers of the first Whale Festival in March 1976: Ellen Findlay, Bill Wilson, Sue Golden, Brendan, Heidi and Barry Cusick, Sally and Lee Welty. By Staff Mendocino’s Whale Festival will be held the first weekend of March, with events including whale-watching walks, art ex- hibits, sandcastle building con- test and whale-centric exhibits at the town’s two fine museums. On Saturday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy wine, chow- der and craft beer tasting while exploring Mendocino, where there are plenty of whales to view from the surrounding Headlands State Park. Taste some of Men- docino County’s finest varietals in shops and galleries through- out town. A complimentary shut- tle will be provided for your con- venience. Chowder Tasting Enjoy a variety of chowders from local restaurants on Satur- day, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the chowder runs out at Crown Hall, 45285 Ukiah St., Men- docino. Tickets for the chowder tasting are $10 and can be bought online at Brown Paper Tickets, at the Mendocino Coast Chamber of- fice at 217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg, and at Crown Hall. Beer Tasting Also at Crown Hall, sample craft brews from North Coast Brewing Company and a free 3-ounce pour of North Coast Brewing Company’s newest beer on Saturday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the beer runs out (which typically hap- pens, so get there early). Tickets are $5 and can be purchased on- line at Brown Paper Tickets, at the Chamber office in Fort Bragg, and at Crown Hall. Don’t forget your ID! Wine Tasting Over a dozen Mendocino County wineries come together to pour wine for tasters in Men- docino village on Saturday, March 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $35 pre-sale and can be bought on- line at Brown Paper Tickets or at the Chamber office, 217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg. You can also pur- chase tickets on March 2 for $40 at the Ford House Museum, 45035 Main St., Mendocino, where you will also be able to pick up your Mendo Whale wine glass/es. Re- member to bring your ID! Ford House/Mendocino Headlands State Park Built in 1854 for Jerome Ford, the acknowledged founder of Mendocino, the Ford House has FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH Mendocino’s festival was the first, and still going strong CONTRIBUTED The Ford House museum’s Whale Festival offerings are lively events for young and old. NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED The Phyllis Cormack, Whale War flagship. DEBBIE HOLMER — BEACON Organizers of the first Whale Festival in 1976, reunited in 2019: Ellen Findlay Herdegen, Heidi Cusick Dickerson, Barry Cusick, Sally and Lee Welty. 1976 » PAGE 6 EVENTS » PAGE 5 FORT BRAGG OFFICE 490 South Franklin Street P.O. Box 1269 Fort Bragg, CA 95437 707-964-4723 NMLS #472412 Photo by Maggie Coons-Abbott www.savingsbank.com MENDOCINO OFFICE 10500 Lansing Street P.O. Box 687 Mendocino, CA 95460 707-937-0545 As the local community bank, we offer a variety of deposit accounts and a comprehensive range of personal, commercial, agriculture, mortgage and construction loan options to meet the needs of families and businesses in Lake and Mendocino Counties. Investing in the Future made in FORT BRAGG shipped WORLDWIDE naturally CUSTOMIZED COMFORT Organic CottonOrganic WoolNatural Latex FloBeds 234 EAST REDWOOD AVE 707-964-3356 C1 ★ Mendocino Beacon, Thursday, February 28, 2019 Advocate-News, Thursday, March 14, 2019
It was 1976 …Price of a dozen eggs: 69 cents.Apple Computer was formed by
Steve Jobs and SteveWozniak. Thefirst computer, reports say, sold for$666.66.Frontier Airlines hired the first
female pilot captain (Emily How-ell Warner).The Ebola virus was named af-
ter a nearby river Ebola where thefirst victim was identified in 1976.Writer Tom Wolfe declared the
‘70s the “Me Decade.”Sweden’smost profitable corpo-
ration was the pop group ABBA.Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1976:
$110,000.People were listening to Pe-
ter Frampton’s “Frampton ComesAlive” album and reading “Trin-ity” by Leon Uris. On TV, theywere watching “Happy Days.” Oneof the top movies for 1976: “A Staris Born” starring Barbra Streisandand Kris Kristofferson.Iwas living inCharleston, South
Carolina, in 1976 and, yes, I readabout the Mendocino Whale War.… And the first Mendocino
Whale Festival was held in March1976.
WhyMendocino?In 1975 Greenpeace had en-
countered a whaling fleet kill-ing sperm whales off Cape Men-docino and in an effort to inhibitthe foreign ships’ hunting abili-ties, positioned themselves be-tween harpoons and a pod ofwhales, thinking the ship would
not risk killing the activists. How-ever, the harpooner took the shotand the film footage made inter-national news. That’s when ByrdBaker and the Mendocino WhaleWar Association was formed inDecember 1975.The Mendocino Whale War
was the brainchild of local art-ist/sculpture Byrd Baker. Not
interested in counting whales,Byrd was interested in savingthe whales from extinction. Bakerwas supported by local funds toattend a national symposium onwhales in Indiana. It was an excit-ing trip across America for ByrdBaker, bringing the MendocinoWhale War into national focus.However, after traveling back east
to the symposium, Baker was con-vinced thatMendocino folks werethe only ones who could save thewhales.There have been many excel-
lent articles on the MendocinoWhale War through the years.Nicholas Wilson is a photog-
rapher and documentarian ofthe Mendocino Whale War. He is
also author and photographer of“Mendocino in the ‘70s,” which in-cludes over 180 photos document-ing life on the coast during thatpivotal decade. A few are includedin this article.In 1976 and 1977, Wilson was
a documentary photographeraboard two ocean voyages againstcommercial whaling by Japan and
HISTORY
Remembering theMendocinoWhaleWarFestival March 1976
NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED
Organizers of the first Whale Festival in March 1976: Ellen Findlay, Bill Wilson, Sue Golden, Brendan, Heidiand Barry Cusick, Sally and Lee Welty.
By Staff
Mendocino’s Whale Festivalwill be held the first weekendof March, with events includingwhale-watching walks, art ex-hibits, sandcastle building con-test and whale-centric exhibitsat the town’s two fine museums.On Saturday, March 2 from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy wine, chow-der and craft beer tasting whileexploring Mendocino, wherethere are plenty of whales to viewfrom the surrounding HeadlandsState Park. Taste some of Men-docino County’s finest varietalsin shops and galleries through-out town. A complimentary shut-tle will be provided for your con-venience.
Chowder TastingEnjoy a variety of chowders
from local restaurants on Satur-
day, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.or until the chowder runs out atCrownHall, 45285Ukiah St.,Men-docino. Tickets for the chowdertasting are $10 and can be boughtonline at Brown Paper Tickets, atthe Mendocino Coast Chamber of-fice at 217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg,and at Crown Hall.
Beer TastingAlso at Crown Hall, sample
craft brews from North CoastBrewing Company and a free3-ounce pour of North CoastBrewing Company’s newest beeron Saturday, March 2 from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the beerruns out (which typically hap-pens, so get there early). Ticketsare $5 and can be purchased on-line at Brown Paper Tickets, atthe Chamber office in Fort Bragg,and at Crown Hall. Don’t forgetyour ID!
Wine Tasting
Over a dozen MendocinoCounty wineries come togetherto pour wine for tasters in Men-docino village on Saturday,March2 from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $35pre-sale and can be bought on-line at Brown Paper Tickets or atthe Chamber office, 217 S. MainSt., Fort Bragg. You can also pur-chase tickets on March 2 for $40at the FordHouseMuseum, 45035Main St., Mendocino, where youwill also be able to pick up yourMendo Whale wine glass/es. Re-member to bring your ID!
Ford House/MendocinoHeadlands State Park
Built in 1854 for Jerome Ford,the acknowledged founder ofMendocino, the Ford House has
FIRSTWEEKEND INMARCH
Mendocino’s festival was the first, and still going strong
CONTRIBUTED
The Ford House museum’s Whale Festival offerings are lively events foryoung and old.
NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED
The Phyllis Cormack, Whale Warflagship.
DEBBIE HOLMER — BEACON
Organizers of the first WhaleFestival in 1976, reunited in 2019:Ellen Findlay Herdegen, HeidiCusick Dickerson, Barry Cusick,Sally and Lee Welty.
1976»PAGE6
EVENTS»PAGE5
FORT BRAGG OFFICE490 South Franklin StreetP.O. Box 1269Fort Bragg, CA 95437707-964-4723
NMLS #472412
Photo by Maggie Coons-Abbott
www.savingsbank.com
MENDOCINO OFFICE10500 Lansing StreetP.O. Box 687Mendocino, CA 95460707-937-0545
As the local community bank, we offer
a variety of deposit accounts and a
comprehensive range of personal,
commercial, agriculture, mortgage
and construction loan options to meet
the needs of families and businesses
in Lake and Mendocino Counties.
Investing in the Future
made inFORT BRAGG
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Organic Cotton!OrganicWool!Natural LatexFloBeds ! 234 EAST REDWOOD AVE ! 707-964-3356
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Mendocino Beacon, Thursday, February 28, 2019Advocate-News, Thursday,March 14, 2019
By Staff
The 13th Annual Little RiverWhale Festival will be held March8 through 10. Celebrate with amix-and-match weekend of forestwalks, barn tours, kayaking, geo-caching, art exhibits, musical de-lights, Bloody Marys, sandcastle-building and, of course, whale-watching throughout the seasidetown of Little River.
Adventure PassportGuests can enter the Little River
Whale Festival Passport Contest.For each festival activity attendedguests will earn one sticker. Thecollection of three or more stick-ers will allow guests the chance towin lodging, food and adventureprizes at participating businessesthroughout Little River. Passportsare available at each festival orevent site.Proceeds from this event will
help save thehistoric SpringRanchbarns located inVanDammeStatePark. You can see these iconic land-marks on the ocean side of High-way 1 between Little River andMendocino. The Spring RanchBarns are the current project oftheMendocinoAreaParksAssocia-tion’sPark ImprovementFund. Infoat mendoparks.org. Thank you forhelping to save these historic trea-sures before it is too late!
Docent-ledWhaleWatchWalk
Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m.to noon, guests can partake in atwo-hour guided walk searchingfor pelagic cormorants, seasidedai-sies andwhales. Binoculars will beavailable. Furry friends on leashesare welcome, too. Suggested dona-tion $5 per person; open to public.Park on the west side of Highway1, opposite Gordon Lane. Look forthe blue flags. Heavy rain cancelsthis event. For more information,visit mendoparks.org.
SandcastleBuildingContestBring your bucket and spade (or
big yellowdigger!) to participate inthe Sandcastle Building Contest,which will held from 1 to 3 p.m.,Saturday, March 9, at Big RiverBeach inMendocino (entrance is onthe east side ofHighway 1, less thana quarter-mile south of the townofMendocino). Head to the river side
of the beach … and bring a picnic!
VanDammeVisitorCenterFriday, Saturday and Sunday,
March8, 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 3p.m., docentswill share the historyand environment of Van DammeStatePark inLittleRiver,which fea-tures coastal SpringRanch trails, alush Fern Canyon, a scenic ripar-ian trail system and a Pygmy For-est interpretive walk among min-iature mature trees. For more in-formation call 707-937-4015 or visitmendoparks.org.
GeocachingTry out geocaching on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, March 8, 9and 10. Geocaching is a high-techtreasure-hunting game playedthroughout the world by adven-ture seekers equipped with GPSdevices. There are a number ofgeocaches hidden throughout Lit-tle River. Locate the hidden con-tainers (geocaches) outdoors andthen share your experiences on-line.All Little River geocaches con-
tain Little River Whale Festi-val stickers to use as part of thisPassport Experience. Go to geo-caching.com and/or download
the geocaching app for iPhoneor Android. Use ZIP code 95456to see a map of Little River geo-caches and you’re on your way!Note: All legitimate geocachesare on public land. Please do nottrespass during your geocachingadventure.
Art Exhibit at theGallery at Glendeven
Friday, Saturday and Sunday,March 8, 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. tonoon and 3 to 7 p.m., Linda Ry-an’s, “Surfacing: An Artist’s Jour-ney” will be available for viewingand purchase. During this eventonly, thewinebar atGlendevenwillbe open to the public. Sample cu-rated small productionMendocinoCounty wines for purchase by theglass from 3 to 7 p.m.
Mendocino Eco ArtistsMarch 8, 9 and 10 from8 a.m. to
9 p.m., in the Main Dining Roomat the Little River Inn view an ex-hibit of work by the MendocinoEcoArtists featuringSpringRanchBarns. Sales of the artwork benefitthe Mendocino Area Parks Associ-ation. See the front desk for yourpassport contest sticker.
Kayak MendocinoSea Cave TourMake your reservations for a sea
cave kayak tour with Kayak Men-docino, which leaves from VanDamme State Beach at 11:30 a.m.and 2 p.m. each day of the LittleRiver festival. This is your oppor-tunity to get up close and personalwith the ocean as you follow yourprofessional guide through the in-lets and caves that provide homesto the harbour seals, sea stars, al-gae, and shore birds in this incred-ibly rich and diverse habitat.All tours are easily paddled by
beginners and require no priorexperience. All equipment is pro-vided; wetsuits as necessary.Please call for reservations: 707-813-7117.
Erin Brazill andFriends Concert
Of vintage swing popBrazillion-aires fame, check out Erin Brazilland Friends at an intimate acous-tic gig on Friday, March 8, at 7:30p.m. in the Abalone Room at theLittle River Inn. Tickets are avail-able at mendoparks.org/whale-fes-tival, or at the door.
Spring Ranch Barn Tour
On March 9 and 10, from 11a.m. to 3 p.m., tour the SpringRanch Barn, located at 8475 N.Highway 1 (east side of the high-way). This is an original 1840s haybarn from Ontario, Canada, thatwas saved from the wrecking ball.It was deconstructed by remov-ing the wooden pegs that held theold-growth beams together, thenshipped by rail car and re-assem-bled at Spring Ranch.The barn was then renovated
by the owners of Spring Ranchusing antique salvage fromaround the world. It features 15-foot ceilings with exposed beams,four large antique chandeliers,herringbone brick floors, originalbarn wood paneling and massivebarn doors that open to gardens.The barn is situated in a meadowsurrounded by massive eucalyp-tus trees and stone and antiqueiron fencing.A docent-led barn tour will be
held on Sunday, March 10 from10:30 a.m. to noon; suggested do-nation $5 per person. Park at theKent-Spring Ranch Estate on theeast side of the highway. Look forthe blue flags. Tour will be heldrain or shine.
Bloody Mary andBacon Competition
On Sunday, March 10, at highnoon at the Abalone Room at Lit-tle River Inn, be a judge at theinaugural Bloddy Mary competi-tion where both locals and pro-fessional bartenders will go headto head to claim the prize of BestBloodyMary and Best BaconwithBloody Marys. Winners will beannounced at 2 p.m. Judging tick-ets for five to six Bloody Marysare available at mendoparks.org/whale-festival or at the door. Twojudging tickets per person max(ID required). Sponsored by DeepEddy Vodka, this lively competi-tion is the perfect wrap-up to agreat weekend!For further information and
details regarding the Little RiverInn Whale Festival, visit men-dowhale.com/page/littleriver.Additional event details, LittleRiver discounts, and specials dur-ing the festival can also be foundby following the festival’s onlinemap at g.co/maps/yae5b.
SECONDWEEKEND INMARCH
LittleRiver featureswonders indoorsandout
By Staff
Fort Bragg’s Whale FestivalMarch 16 and 17 features wine,chowder and craft beer tasting atshops and inns, whale-watch fromthe new Coastal Trail and milesof beaches, the 35th Whale Runand Walk, a beer festival, whale-watching excursions from NoyoHarbor and much more.
Chowder and Beer TastingOn Saturday, March 16 from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the chow-der runs out, sample chowdersranging from traditional to notso traditional from some of thebest chefs on the coast and de-clare the winner. Tickets for thechowder tasting are $10.Craft brews from North Coast
Brewing Company will be servedfor $5 and include a free 3-ouncepour of their new North CoastSteller IPA. Proceeds from Stellarprovide support for marinemam-mal research and rescue.Both tastings will be held at the
Fort BraggMasonic Hall onMain
Street, a Cinders Production.Tickets can be bought online atBrown Paper Tickets, at theMen-docino Coast Chamber office at217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg, andat the venue.
Wine TastingSaturday, March 16, from 1 to
4 p.m., wineries from MendocinoCounty come together to pourwine for tasters at various loca-tions in downtown Fort Bragg.Tickets are $35 pre-sale and can
be bought online at Brown PaperTickets, and at the Chamber officeat 217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg. Youcan also purchase your ticket onMarch 16 for $40 at the MasonicHall where youwill also be able topick up your Mendo Whale wineglass/es and map of tasting loca-tions. Remember to bring your ID!
WhaleWalk and RunThe 35th Annual Whale Walk
and Run will be held Saturday,March 16, hosted by SoroptimistInternational of Fort Bragg. Theevent starts and ends at Noyo
Headlands Park at the south endof Fort Bragg’s Coastal Trail. TheKiddie Race begins at 8 a.m., the5K and 10K runs at 8:30 a.m., andthe 5K fun walk at 8:35 a.m. Seethe article in this section or visitsoroptimistfortbraggca.org/wha-lerun for registration details.
Additional Events
OnSaturday andSunday,March16 and 17, a spectacular opportu-nity for family fun awaits visitorsat the Point Cabrillo Light Stationfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Inaddition to a grandstand view of
the annual gray whale migration,visit special exhibits and tour thelantern room. See the article in thissection for more details.Fort Bragg Rotary Club is hold-
ing its 24th Annual Beer Festi-val on March 16 from 12 to 4 p.m.at the historic Eagles Hall, 210 N.Corry St. Tickets are $30. Comeand enjoy live music and deliciousBBQ.Noyo Center for Marine Sci-
ence will display their bluewhale skeleton on March 16 and17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Crow’sNest Interpretive Center on theSouth Coastal Trail. OnMarch 17at 10 a.m., a free whale walk willstart from the Noyo Headlandsparking lot. Enter fromWest Cy-press Street of Main Street andfollow the signs.MacKerricher State Park is
hosting special events Fridaythrough Sunday, beginning witha lecture March 15, 7 p.m. at theVeterans Memorial Building, 360N. Harrison St., in Fort Bragg.See the article in this section forinformation about other events.
THIRDWEEKENDOFMARCH
Fort Bragg festival wraps up 3-week celebration of whale migration
CONTRIBUTED
Whale watching from the Mendocino Headlands.
CONTRIBUTED
Little River Whale Festival passport events benefit State Parks’ historic Spring Ranch barns.
The Mendocino Coasthas long been known asa tourist destination, a ti-tle attained with the helpof the largest animalson earth — whales. Graywhales pass by our shoreswith increased frequencytwice a year on their waybetween Alaska and Baja,where they mate and birthbabies. Blue whales, hump-backs and orcas frequentNorthern California watersas well on their mysteriousdeep water circuits throughthe Eastern Pacific.Opportunities to spot a
whale or six are as easy aswalking out to the head-lands anywhere along thecoast. Guided tours aregiven atMacKerricher StatePark andMendocino Head-lands State Park during theWhale Festival. Docentsand volunteers at the parksoffer a wealth of knowledge
about the habits and historyof whales along the NorthCoast to anyone interestedin learning.
Wanda
Sam Sloane, a longtimevolunteer docent at MacK-erricher, likes to relate the
great migration throughthe story of “Wanda,” a graywhale making the 6,000-mile journey south for thefirst time as an adult.Like the tip of an iceberg,
the part of a whale’s lifeviewable by us on land rep-resents only a tiny portionof the magnificent beast’stravels. But what goes onbeneath the surface of thewater? Where are they go-ing and what are they do-ing?Grown gray whales are
about one of two thingsin Baja: making a baby orhaving a baby before theyreturn to feeding groundsnorth of Alaska.Sloane explains that
once Wanda became a ma-ture adult (between 5 and7 years old) she leaves theBering Sea, hugging thecoast the whole way untilshe reaches the Baja pen-insula in Northern Mexicosometime between Septem-
In December 2018, Ja-pan announced its inten-tions to leave the Interna-tional Whaling Commis-sion — the body taskedwith whale conservation— and resume commer-cial whaling this July.A statement put out by
the Japanese governmentsaid the commission wasnot committed enoughto supporting sustainablecommercial whaling. Leav-ing the IWC means Japa-nese whalers will be ableto freely hunt species cur-rently protected by thecommission, but officialssay they will only be do-ing so in their own waters.Japan joined the com-
mission in 1951. In 1986,commercial whaling wasbanned after some spe-cies of whales were huntednearly to extinction. Japancontinuedwhat they calledresearch whaling, whichthe International Whal-ing Commission permitsas an exception.The meat from research
whaling was still sold for
food, and critics said it wasmerely a cover for contin-ued commercial whaling.The Associated Press re-ports that Japan annuallyconsumes about 5,000 tonsof whale meat from its re-search hunts. In 2014, anInternational Court of Jus-tice ruling labeled the re-search not sufficiently fo-cused on science.According to the As-
sociated Press, under Ja-pan’s Northern Pacific re-search whaling programapproved by the Interna-tional Whaling Commis-sion from 2017 through2028, up to 134 sei whales(one of the fastest and larg-est species of whales) wereto be caught annually.However, Japan’s Chief
Cabinet Secretary Yoshi-hide Suga told the Brit-ish Broadcasting Com-pany that the recentwithdrawal from the com-mission means that com-mercial whaling wouldbe restricted to Japaneseterritorial waters and the200-mile economic zonealong the country’s coasts.Hunting would stop in the
WORLDNEWS
Japan resumescommercialwhaling in July
WIKIPEDIA — CONTRIBUTED
Three lagoons along the west coast of Baja California arethe destinations for southward-journeying gray whalesthat pass the shores of Mendocino County.
ByLynneCalder
The Point Cabrillo LightStation was established in1909 on a point of land ex-tending westward into theocean. This location wasselected by the U.S. Light-house Service so that thelight would be most visibleto shipping on the hazard-ous coast of Mendocino.This same attribute
makes Point Cabrillo apreeminent location fromwhich to watch the an-nual migration of the graywhales from the lagoons ofthe Baja Peninsula in Mex-ico to their summer feed-ing grounds in the ArcticOcean.
A spectacular opportu-nity for family fun awaitsvisitors during Whale Fes-tival on the first and thirdweekends of March at thelight station from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. each day. In addi-tion to a grandstand view ofthe annual gray whale mi-gration, you may visit the240-gallon saltwater aquar-ium and themarine scienceexhibit.On the weekends of
March 2-3 and March 16-17, please join Coast GuardAuxiliary Flotilla 87, thestation’s modern lightkeep-ers, and the volunteers for aunique opportunity to visitthe lantern room and thebeautifully restored oper-ational third order Fresnel
lens. These tours are offeredonly eight days each year,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Be sure to allow time for
the half-mile walk from theparking area on Point Ca-brillo Drive to the light-
house. The light station islocated betweenMendocinoand Caspar. Turn west ontoPoint Cabrillo Drive at theentrance to Russian GulchState Park or just south of
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WHALING»PAGE5
MIGRATION»PAGE9
CABRILLO»PAGE 10
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MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019
3C|WHALE FESTIVALS |
ByPeter O’Donohue
The gray whales are onthemove rightnowandmostof us who think a lot aboutthe ocean have these grace-ful leviathans much on ourminds. After all, what couldbe more appropriate as theMendocinoCoastWhaleFes-tival draws near?Still, aswe think about the
gray whales, it’s worth tak-ing a moment to think a bitabout the environment theyswim in and to consider howwe, as the bipedal creatureswho produce most of theworld’s polluting substancesand most of the industrialemissions that are changingearth’s climate, are impact-ing the oceans. After all, it’sfor our benefit, as well as thewhales’, thatwepreserve andprotect those oceans. It’s ourchildren and grandchildrenwho will inherit a sea thatcontinues to be a source ofmystery, bounty and endlessvariety. Or, theywill not. Thechoice is ours.
Oceans under siegeRight now, things aren’t
looking so good. Toxic efflu-ents, plastic waste and dere-lict fishing nets continue toimpact every ocean, wreak-ing havoc on sea life andbirds from the largest to thesmallest. Toxic substancesingested by the very smallwork their way up throughthe food chain and threatenus as well.Most scientists concur
that the gases emitted by in-dustrial society contributeto ocean acidification andglobal warming. The firstthreatens a wide variety ofmarine animal species, thesecond threatens to destroycoral reefs and drown coast-lines. Ocean warming — intandemwith an explosion inthepopulationof kelp-eatingpurple sea urchins — has al-most certainly contributed toone of our worst local prob-lems, our giant kelp forestdie-off.It’s a grim picture, but I’m
pleased to note that acrossthe country a range of en-tities large and small are
seeking to identify and un-derstand the many threatsto the ocean and to do whatthey can to inform the publicand guide necessary change.I’m also very glad that, at thelocal level, the Noyo Centerfor Marine Sciences is striv-ing to do its bit.
Help the KelpLooking at just a few of
the North Coast’s many ma-rine problems, namely bullkelp forest collapse and ma-rine mammal mortalities,the Noyo Center’s tiny paidstaff and stalwart cadre ofever-ready volunteers have
had an impact. While, sadly,we cannot yet claimprogressin turning these problemsaround,we can fairly say thatwe’ve contributed to a scien-tific understanding of theseproblems and that, of course,is an essential first step.In 2018, for instance, the
Noyo Center played a lead
role in collaboration withthe California Departmentof Fish and Wildlife, localdivers, citizen scientists andan array of other organiza-tions to support the “Helpthe Kelp” campaign. Ourprogramraised funds tohelppay out-of-work commercialdivers to clear overpopulated
purple urchins from desig-nated areas in Noyo, Cas-par and Albion bays to cre-ate “oases” where bull kelpmight have an opportunityto grow back, an effect thatremains to be monitored inthe spring, when this an-nual species normally startsto grow again.Partners at the Water-
men’s Alliance, a statewideorganization of sport div-ers, recruited from amongtheir members to clear ur-chins from shallow areaswhere commercial diverscan’t reach. And with everyload of urchins culled, teamsof Noyo Center citizen scien-tists counted, weighed andmeasured a portion andsubmitted the data to a De-partment of Fish and Wild-life scientific database. Thecombined efforts removedover 1,280,000 urchins. (Un-fortunately, many more re-main behind as purple ur-chins carpet our seashore.)These very impressive ef-
forts will continue whenweather and water condi-tions improve and morefunds become available.Looking forward, the NoyoCenter is examining, in tan-dem with UC Davis’s Bo-dega Marine Lab, diversand Urchinomics (a Norwe-gian aquaculture company),the potential for harvestingthese empty purple urchinsand fattening them up in anaquaculture system, thus cre-atingapotentialmarket itemfor sale here and abroad.The purple urchins, too,
are starving, having con-sumed most of the availablekelp. But they are much bet-ter able to survive lean timesthan are abalone or red ur-chins. If successful, this ap-proach could benefit thema-rine environment while cre-ating a valuable fishery forlocal divers. Stay tuned.
Marine mammalmortalities
In another area of re-search, examining marinemammal mortalities, theNoyo Center had a busyyear. The Noyo Center’s
STATUSREPORT
Ayearofprogress for theNoyoCenter
Contributed
As it has for the past sev-eral years, the Noyo Centerfor Marine Science has pre-pared a range of activities inconnection with this year’sWhale Festival, includingseveral in its exciting newdowntown location at 338N. Main St. in Fort Bragg.Take advantage of this newopportunity to learn aboutwhales and many otherocean issues, including thecatastrophic die-off of ourlocal kelp forest, the threatof oceanpollution, andmuchmore.There is a wide range of
offerings for kids and adultsso be sure to mark your cal-endars and attend one or all.Please note that all eventsare free but your donationsare very much appreciated.The Noyo Center is a com-munity-focusedorganizationand your contributions helpfurther the science that ben-efits us all. Please also checknoyocenter.org for updatesor more information on anyof the events below.Here are some events not
to miss:
Wet, Windy &Wild!Art show by the Men-
docino Eco Artists, bene-
fitting the Noyo Center forMarine Science. At the Car-mody Gallery, 324 N. Frank-lin St., Fort Bragg, Feb. 28—March 31, (12-5 p.m., Thurs-day through Sunday). Also,opening reception Friday,March 1, 5-8 p.m.The Mendocino Eco Art-
ists are a diverse group ofextraordinarily talented lo-cal artists whose mission isto utilize their skills to cre-ate an appreciation for anddeeper understanding ofnature, particularly in itsNorth Coastmanifestations.Through their art, the grouphas graciously supportedthe Noyo Center for severalyears. While the main showwill be at the Carmody Gal-lery, someworks will also beon display at the Noyo Cen-ter.
Sixth Annual MarineScience & Art Fair
Noyo Center, 338 N.MainSt, Friday, March 1, 5-8 p.m.,Saturday, March 2, 11-4 p.m.Taking the theme, “En-
gaging the Public in Ma-rine Science,” Noyo Cen-ter educators have invitedfirst through eighth gradersfrom area schools to sub-mit interactive projects ad-dressing such subjects as
the kelp forest, upwelling,marine mammals and ma-rineplastics. Submittedproj-ectswill be displayed duringFort Bragg’s Whale Festivalweekend (March 16-17) at theNoyo Center and a few willbe selected to be displayedfor a month.Music and refreshments
will be offered at the Fri-day, March 1, 5-8 p.m. open-ing (part of Fort Bragg’sFirst Friday activities); the11 a.m.-4 p.m. activities onMarch 2 will focus on kidsand families and feature facepainting, a cake walk, and
hands-on art activities ledby Janet Self of Flockworks.Come for the learning, stayfor the fun!
ScienceWith SueNoyo Center, 338 N.Main
St, Saturday, March 9, 12-2p.m.As part of her regular
”Second Saturdays WithSue” offerings, Noyo Cen-ter education coordinatorSue “Magoo” Coulter will beon hand with partners fromFlockworks to leadkids of allages in a roundof fun ocean-related educational activi-
ties. The fun starts at noon.Children ages 5 and youngermust be accompanied by anadult; older childrenmay bedropped off and picked up at1:30 p.m.
Speechscapes andWhale-igraphy
A discussion with How-ard Pines, Noyo Center 338N. Main St., Tuesday, March12, 6-7:30 p.m.As part of the Noyo Cen-
ter’s “Spotlight On Science”lecture series, speech sci-entist and author HowardPines will describe an excit-ing discovery about the com-plexity of humpback whalevocalizations. Applying cut-ting-edge analytical tech-niques to the study of whalesongs, Pines found strikingsimilarities in the architec-ture of human speech andhumpback vocalizations:stunning evidence for thebasis of a potentially com-plex language!
Visit Our BlueWhaleSouth Coastal Trail,
March 11-15, 3-5 p.m.; Satur-day and SundayMarch 16-17,10 a.m.-5 p.m.Noyo Center staff and vol-
unteers will be on hand totell you the amazing saga of
the 73-foot blue whale thatdied after being struck by aship off Fort Bragg in 2009and whose bones were re-covered by our incrediblecommunity. The bones,now in the custody of theNoyo Center, will be laidout near the Crow’s NestInterpretive Center on theSouth Coastal Trail (enterfrom Main Street via theCypress Street entranceto the parking lot and fol-low the signs). This skel-eton of the world’s larg-est mammal will astonishkids and adults alike. Vis-itors wishing to arrange apersonalized group tour offive or more should e-mailSue Coulter at [email protected].
Wine TastingNoyo Center, 338 N.Main
St., Saturday, March 16, 1-4p.m.Stop by the new down-
town facility, view the ex-hibits, and taste some winefromMaple CreekWinery aspart of a wine tasting eventthroughout downtown FortBragg. Wine tasting tick-ets are $35 pre-sale and canbe bought at Brown PaperTickets or at the MendocinoCoast Chamber office. Pick
FROMSCIENCETOSKELETONS
Noyo Center for Marine Science events span Whale Festival
STAFF
The Noyo Center’s blue whale skeleton is a fascination foryoung and old alike.
CONTRIBUTED
Noyo Center engineer Cran Squire guides dome construction.
CONTRIBUTED
Noyo Center engineer Crans Squire and volunteer MikeGrady prepare dome components.
CONTRIBUTED
Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Farrell (left) introducesvisitors to the Downtown Center.
PROGRESS»PAGE6
NOYO»PAGE9
For all your building needs
835 Stewart St. Fort Bragg707-964-4086
Open 7 days of the week
| WHALE FESTIVALS |4 C MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019
CONTRIBUTED
A view from the course of the 2019Whale Run.
ByLynneCalder
Fort Bragg’s Whale Runand Walk has a brand newcourse in this its 35th year,starting on the NoyoHead-lands Coastal Trail, withocean views over the en-tire course for both run-ners and walkers.Starting on the south
end of the Coastal Trail(Cypress Street entrance offMain Street), runners passSoldier Point to the CoastalTrail where the 5Kers willturn-around. The 10K run-ners dash by Glass Beach tocross the beautiful PuddingCreek Trestle to the 10Kturn-around. Fun walkerstrek south crossing NoyoBridge to walk the PomoBluffs Park trail overlook-ing majestic Noyo Bay.The event will be held
on Saturday, March 16. Thehalf-mile kiddie race startsat 8 a.m., the 5K and 10Kruns at 8:30 a.m., and the5K fun walk at 8:35 a.m.Neither wind nor rain or
blasts of cold have stayedparticipants from racing intheWhale Run andWalk. Itstarted in 1984with 25 par-ticipants and a handful ofsponsors and raised $100.In 2018 there were 795 par-ticipants, 55 sponsors and$25,000 was raised.Yes, we’ve come a long
way!
SoroptimistWhale Run and Walk
proceeds have always beenreturned to the communitythrough high school schol-arships and awards to fe-male heads of households
to further their educa-tion. Soroptimist Interna-tional of Fort Bragg sup-ports Project Sanctuaryand many other nonprofitorganizations on the Men-docino Coast.Thirty-five years ago,
as a small fund-raiser, BigBrothers and Big Sistersstaged a race in the middleof Fort Bragg, down Frank-lin Street. Registration forthe race was held at the Lu-theran Church Hall in FortBragg.By 1993, by then solely
sponsored by the SIFB So-roptimists, the race movedto the Haul Road with afew small booths of localbusinesses hawking theirwares in the parking lot.In honor of the millen-
nium, the race in 2000 wastimed, offering actual re-sults and medals beauti-fully designed and createdbyMelissa Berman.Melissahas created all the medalsfor the Whale Run eventsto this day.
Point CabrilloThe Haul Road deterio-
ration due to storm surgesin 2004-2005 brought theWalk and Run to the PointCabrillo Light Station, agorgeous but challengingand not easily found venue.The initial run/walk uphillto reach the main coursefrom the parking areapleased few racers. But itwas a magnificent day (inJune that year) and partici-pants were treated to jump-ing dolphins and spoutingwhales under a sweet bluesky once they got to thelight station.
Location change wasin the air after the secondyear at Point Cabrillo. Thatyear the event was held inMarch, when racers, afterfighting with the wind run-ning up hill to reach themain course, were soakedand buffeted by blisteringrains and gale winds. Or-ganizers lost most of theirtents to gusts, which alsoleveled tables at the regis-tration area near the lightstation.
Onto the mill siteIn 2006, the Run and
Walk came back to FortBragg, with registrationat College of the Red-woods. Racers traveled byTodd Point, crossing theNoyo Bridge and windingthrough the Noyo IndianCommunity to the newly-vacated Georgia-Pacificmill site, the first time thecommunity was allowed toview those choice parts ofthe coastline.In 2008, the Whale Run
was moved back to March,but the Haul Road west ofLake Cleone had begunto crumble. That year thewaves were so high therewere fears racers might getswept out to sea. To meetthat challenge, the startwas moved to the SkunkTrain parking lot.In 2012 the whale tail
and head beautifully cre-ated by Edith Goble at thestart/finish line were re-placed by electronic coun-ters from Capital RoadRaceManagement.Mailed-in paper registrations werereplaced by online registra-tion.
Able leadersIn 2013, Joyce Gilbert-
son moved out of the areaafter a masterful 10-yearrun. Linda Dutcher ablytook over the reins. Thisyear, Joanne Frazer, ownerof Fort Bragg Travel, willhead the Whale Run.The yearly Whale Run
has become a favorite forlocals and people from farand wide to have family re-unions and catch a glimpseof the migrating graywhales. One year, 11 stateswere represented and evena few racers from othercountries came to play inFort Bragg and run in therace.Winners’ baskets are
made up of donationsfrom generous local busi-nesses and many of thecoast’s photographers havegraciously volunteeredtheir ample talent overthe years including: KeithWyner, Lynn Prunty, JerryMurphy, Lynne Weiner-man Calder, KC Robinson,Roy Kornmeyer and RonBloomquist.Steve Weingarten and
Vicky Watts from KOZThave been among the an-nouncers before Rick Rob-inson from Sacramentotook on the task of an-nouncing the racers’ timesand entertaining thecrowds at the finish line.
For registration andinformation aboutthis year’s race, visitsoroptimistfortbraggca.org or Google Whale Runto see the event website.Have a whale of a goodtime.
MARCH 16
By Visit Mendocino
Head out of Noyo Har-bor for your chance to meeta whale! This is the perfecttime of year to cruise outto sea on a whale-watch-ing trip … climb aboardwith the crew, and if youfancy, add bait to your fish-ing line or crab pots, andtrawl the waters for dinner.During the Mendocino
Coast Whale Festivals,take a trip to Noyo Harborand sign up for an oceanadventure!
All AboardAdventures
Join Captain Tim on theSea Hawk for whale-watch-ing trips and crab-catchingadventures! Full crabbingtrip is $80, lasts four to fivehours and includes tackle.Catch up to 10 crabs perperson. Ride-along avail-able at whale-watchingprice of $35. Call 707-964-1881.
Telstar ChartersEnjoy your own delicious
Dungeness crab when youjoin Captain Randy Thorn-ton for a crab-fishing ad-venture or whale-watchingtrip. Board the Telstar andsail out of Noyo Harbor fora three- to four-hour trip.Keep what you catch; up to10 crabs per person. $90/person. Two-hour whale-watching trips are $40/person. Call 707-964-8770.
Hooked On MendoWant to experience the
coast from the water andcatch your next meal too?Hooked on Mendo Char-ters offers fishing alongthe coastline on eitherthe Samurai (six-personprivate charter boat) orthe Viking, which holds18 people. Call to reserveyour spot today! Call 707-357-1875.
Anchor Charter BoatsAnchors Charter Boats
offers a comfortable rideaboard the Trek II with itslarge capacity and friendlycrew. Two-hour trips leavedaily; just $40 per person.Call 707-964-4550.
ONTHEWATER
Getting up close andpersonal with a whale
CONTRIBUTED
The most exciting whale watching is done at sea.
Whale Run andWalk hascome a longway in 35 years
exhibits highlighting thearea’s natural and cul-tural history, including ascale model of Mendocinoas it was in 1890. For addi-tional information, visit theFord House online at men-doparks.org, on Facebook,or call the Ford House Vis-itor Center at 707-937-5397.The park will hold the
following events at theFord House Visitor Centerand Museum, 45035 MainSt., Mendocino, open 11a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Whale TalesThroughMarch, view an
exhibit at the Ford HouseVisitors Center featuringbones from a gray whale,information regarding thegray whale migration, andan interactive exhibit thatlets you quiz yourself onwhale facts. Knowledgeabledocents will be on hand atthe Ford House through-out theWhale Festival withtips on when and where towatch for whales, and toanswer questions regardinggray whale natural history.
Whale walksDocent-led whale watch
walks are scheduled dur-ing the Mendocino WhaleFestival at 11:30 a.m. and 2p.m. on Saturday, March 2.A limited number of binoc-ulars and spotting scopesare available. Meet at theFord House.
be providing free coffeetasting. Try some Thanks-giving Coffee at the FordHouse during the Men-docinoWhale Festival, Sat-urday only, March 2, 12 to 4p.m. The visitor center willbe open at 9:30 a.m.
Sandcastle BuildingContest
Head for the beach onSaturday, March 2, for asandcastle building con-test from 1 to 3 p.m. on theriver side of Big River BeachState Park. Prizes for bestkid/family and best adultsand structures. Entranceis free, please bring yourown equipment. Limited
number of spaces; regis-ter day of or call the LittleRiver Inn at 707-937-5942.Rain cancels. During thecontest, learn more whalelore by visiting the Men-doParks and State Parksbooth.
Boat Tours fromNoyoBook a whale-watching
boat tour to encounter thewhales up close. Boats leavefrom Noyo Harbor in FortBragg. Call the Chamber forreferrals at 707-961-6300.
Point Cabrillo LightStation
A spectacular opportu-nity for family fun awaitsvisitors during the Men-docino and Fort Bragg fes-tivals at the Point CabrilloLight Station, located on
Point Cabrillo Drive, offHighway 1 between Men-docino and Caspar. In addi-tion to a grandstand view ofthe annual gray whale mi-gration, you can visit the240-gallon saltwater aquar-ium and their marine sci-ence exhibit.Lighthouse Lantern
Room and Fresnel Lenstours are offered on Satur-day and Sunday,March 2-3,16-17, from 10 a.m. until 4p.m. Be sure to allow timefor the half-mile walk tothe lighthouse. Tickets are$5 per person; the fee sup-ports the lighthouse main-tenance fund. The toursare a treat for the wholefamily but please note thatchildrenmust be at least 42inches tall to participate.These tours are only offeredeight days each year.
EventsFROMPAGE 1
northeast Pacific Ocean,Antarctic waters and thesouthern hemisphere, hesaid. The Associated Pressreports that Japan currentlyhunts about 600 whales an-nually in the Antarctic andNorthern Pacific.Japanese government
officials have argued thatcatching, selling and eat-ing whale is part of theirculture. In a rebuttal to aNew York Times editorialtitled, “Japan: stop slaugh-tering whales,” the presssecretary of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of Ja-pan said it is unfair to sin-gle out Japan.
“Whaling has been apart of Japanese culturefor centuries, just as it hasbeen in Norway, Icelandand Denmark, and amongindigenous peoples in theUnited States and Canada,who continue to engage init,” said Press SecretaryTakeshi Osuga on Jan. 11.“ is out of step with the
international community,let alone the protectionneeded to safeguard thefuture of our oceans andthese majestic creatures,”said Executive Directorof Greenpeace Japan SamAnnesley in a statement is-sued in January. “The gov-ernment of Japan must ur-gently act to conserve ma-rine ecosystems ratherthan resume commercialwhaling.”
WhalingFROMPAGE3
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5C|WHALE FESTIVALS |
By Staff
Mendoc ino ’s Ke l -ley House Museum hasmuch information in itsarchives on the WhaleWars and related activ-ities, along with cata-loged documents and pho-tographs covering Men-docino from its founding.MWWA Secretary Ellen
Findlay Herdegen turnedover the group’s archivesto the museum in 2005and they are available forpublic viewing. The mu-seum is open to the pub-lic, archives by appoint-ment. Kelley House Mu-seum is open Friday toMonday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.For more information,call 707-937-5791.
KELLEYHOUSEMUSEUM
Mendocino’s romancewith whales is a partof its long history
ByBarry Cusick
We moved into the littleyellow house north of whatis now called Odd FellowsHall at the corner of Ukiahand Kasten — then it wasGallery Fair — about a yearbefore we became formallyinvolved in the MendocinoWhale Wars with our neigh-bor to the east, Byrd Baker.We would walk or ride by
his old red house, officiallyknown as the Rego House.It was awreck, but habitablefor someone likeByrd. To theeast, in theGreenHouse,wasWindfall Boutique, ownedby the beautiful Nancy Bu-chanan. Byrd was always acomplete gentleman whenNancy was about.Passing the house was al-
ways a cultural adventurefor a young couple from theBay Area. There were lots ofimpressive artistic folks, likeJ.D. Mayhew and Ken Mi-chelson, (who hung out un-til he won the Duck Stampaward, then had too muchmoney to be seen in such aplace). Out front was a pileof chips, chainsaw dust,tools, beer and wine bottlesand raw material: the largepieces of driftwood poachedfrom the beaches.Byrd’s presence felt big-
ger than his physical frame.He had the face of a Welsh-man, like mashed potatoes,always wore a blue fisher-man’s cap and fancied a peacoat on formal occasions.Byrd Baker was a carverof God’s Whales. Inside hishouse was a scrapwood barmade out of wood found onthe beach and about. Behindthat bar was an official-look-ing seal, with a whale in thecenter and “TheOfficial Sealof the Great State of Baleen”around the perimeter. The
seal was very good — it’s inthe Kelley House archivesnow — J.D.’s work, drawndirectly on the 100-year-old wallpaper. Further backwas the kitchen, and livingand dining areas. The stairsto the second floor were be-hind thebar. I neverwentup-stairs.A major feature of the
front of Byrd’s studio/homewashisLandRover—theoldkind that had rounded cor-ners on square flat fenders,unlike anything on the roadtoday.Overall it looked like itwas built in someone’s shopwith hardware from Men-dosa’s: external door hingesbolted on the outside, like ashed. Printed on the sidewas“Stop the slaughter, boycottJapanese products” in red.The most distinguishing
feature was the smell on theinside. This was the result of
Byrd’s love of all creatures.Even mice. Several yearsearlier they moved into hisRover. Theywere very happyand dry and had a proud,loving owner in Byrd, whomade sure they had scrapsfrom his lunches and water.I never saw them; only smeltthem. I think one branch ofthe family lived in theheater.Whenwewouldgoonpoach-ing expeditions the smellgot worse and worse untilI begged Byrd to turn it off.It was difficult, even in
1976, to make a living carv-ing God’s Whales. Frankly,sales were slow until theWhale War and Byrd be-came its (loud) spokesper-son. He had charismatic el-oquence, was never shorton something to say, andwas a perfect representativefor Mendocino in the grow-ing anti-whaling movement.
“SaveGod’sWhales.” Besidessaving the whales, Byrd hadto make a living any way hecould.I observed one day as
they were filming on Lan-sing Street, just east ofwhere he had his studio onUkiah Street. Byrd wouldmark his wood, set every-thing ready and, the mo-ment he heard the direc-tor say “silence, lights, cam-era, action,” would start hischainsaw. That was an easy$20 from the film company,to put off carving his whaleuntil after the shot. Itwas offto the Seagull Cellar Bar forByrd to wait out the shoot-ing. They were often filming“Murder, She Wrote” some-where within earshot, sothis helped Byrd make endsmeet.One year we had Thanks-
giving dinner in the backroom of Homer’s Market onMain Street, later The Deli,owned by Jim and BrendaCoupe.Byrdproudly broughtthe wine, a gallon bottle ofCarloRossi’s best, andplacedit in the middle of the table.We were too new to the
town and Heidi, Sally, Su-san and Ellen, with us guyshelping in the background,were too busy raisingmoneyfor the war and putting onthe big whale war event, (at-tended by our CongressmanLeo Ryan and every poli-tician who wanted a votefrom the coast), to get to goon the adventureswithByrd,J.D., Nicholas, and others onthe Phyllis Cormack. But wegot to listen to the storiesfrom our friends, made big-ger than life by Byrd and agood cause.Be sure and rub thewhale
next to the walkway to theMacCallum House and payhomage to Byrd and his ef-forts to save the whales.
RECOLLECTIONS
The quiet side ofByrdBaker
marine mammal strand-ing coordinator, SarahGrimes, working in affili-ation with the CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, istasked with visiting, iden-tifying and sampling deadsea mammals or other un-usual strandings on ourshores.This work is crucial to
establishing a scientific un-derstanding of the threatsto marine mammals, as-sessinghuman interactions,and determining whetherpopulations are rising orfalling. 2018 was a busyyear for Sarah, who wascalled out to examine some50 dead marine mammalsas well as several salmonsharks and an olive ridleyturtle. No one knows howmany animals were scav-enged or washed out to seawithout examination.While the causes of death
of all the animals are notyet known, leptospirosisand urogenital cancers areknown to kill significantnumbers of California sealions, possibly due in partto environmental contam-inants. There remain toomany unanswered ques-tions about sea mammalmortalities and this impor-tant work continues.Sarah is also part of the
Noyo Center’s educationaloutreach, together with ed-ucation coordinator SueCoulter, and the two haveintroduced thousands ofarea children to the won-ders ofmarine science. Bothare also volunteers for TheMarine Mammal Center inSausalito and are trainedto rescue sick and injuredmarine mammals. The lo-cal rescue team, which in-cludes several other NoyoCenter volunteers, respondsto live stranded marinemammals, which are sentto the center for rehabilita-tion and eventual release.
DowntownScience CenterAnd there’s a lot more
going on in our newDowntown Science Centerin the heart of Fort Bragg,home to our beautiful 26-foot killer whale skeleton.Realizing that educationis our best way of under-standing and counteringmarine threats, the NoyoCenter has developed anend-to-end immersive un-derwater program to in-crease public awarenessof these important con-servation issues.Because most locals
or visitors will never en-ter the cold, rough wa-ters of Northern Cali-fornia, we have createda virtual way to experi-ence the undersea envi-ronment and see sciencein action. With the useof cutting-edge technolo-gies, including an under-water drone and a 3D/360degree camera, we will beable to monitor our off-shore environment andshare what we see withvisitors via our newlyconstructed virtual real-ity theater in the shape ofa geodesic dome.Conceived and designed
by Crans Squire, our ma-rine technology engineer,this amazing structure —built largely of locally do-nated materials with all-volunteer labor — will en-able visitors to experiencewhat it’s like to swim withwhales or float through akelp forest without get-ting wet! With the dome,we will be able to con-vey in a uniquely power-ful way both the beauty ofthe ocean and the dangersthat threaten it. It has tobe seen to be believed.2018 was a good year;
just wait to see what wedo in 2019. Come checkus out at 338 N. Main St.,downtown Fort Bragg.
Peter O’Donohue is NoyoCenter’s board president.
ProgressFROMPAGE4
NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED
Byrd Baker with one of his whale sculptures, still inplace in front of the MacCallum House in Mendocino.
the Soviet Union. In 1976 hesailed with the MendocinoWhale War aboard the Ca-nadian vessel Phyllis Cor-mack, along with Baker,artist J.D. Mayhew and oth-ers. In 1977 he sailed withGreenpeace Foundationaboard the ship Ohana Kaion a voyage out of Hono-lulu that confronted a largeRussian whaling fleet in theNorth Pacific. He has con-tinued to work for environ-mental and social justice inthe following decades, as awriter as well as photogra-pher. Formore information,visit nwilsonphoto.com.
An educationalfestival … notWhalestock
The Mendocino WhaleWar Association decided onholdingawhale festival inor-der to spread the word. Peo-plewere invited fromaroundthe country to comehere andwatch thewhales as theymi-grated north.Local John Bear was the
association’s first presidentand Jules Siegel, magazinewriter,wrote the story,whichbegan a genuine communityeffort.However, according to
Nicholas Wilson, it was“Byrd Baker who had theknack for getting media at-tention. Byrd was one of thefounding trustees. He wasa charismatic fellow who
could spin a good yarn, andhe looked the part of an old-time sea captain. My photo-graph of the 87-foot PhyllisCormack in Mendocino Bayappearedon the frontpageofthe June 24, 1976 Fort BraggAdvocate-News. With thehelp of media-savvy locals,it wasn’t long before the na-tional media also picked upthe story.”“An educational festi-
val, not a Whalestock” wasthe goal of the MendocinoWhale War festival for theweekend of March 19-21,1976. The whale festival fea-tured talks, displays, filmsand whale-watching fromthe headlands.According to the associa-
tion’s secretary, Ellen Find-lay (Herdegen), the groupfirst proposed the festival toinform coast residents of theplight of the world’s whales,so that visitors could talk toalmost anyone on the streetand learn about the move-ment.Massive publicity in the
metropolitan news mediaworried some local residents,who feared larger crowdsthan the small town couldaccommodate. So, the festi-val committee worked longandhardduring thatweek toarrange additional parking,prepared a list of accommo-dations (both public and pri-vate), and consulted with lo-cal lawenforcement officials.Exhibits and lectureswere
held at Crown Hall in Men-docino, while films were fea-tured at the Mendocino ArtCenter. Awide variety of pre-sentations were planned, in-
cluding speakers and dis-plays fromCalifornia Green-peace, the Jojoba project,General Whale from Oak-land, theAmericanCetaceanSociety from Los Angeles,Project Jonah from Bolinas,and the Fund for Animalsfrom San Francisco.Local Mendocino Whale
Festival participants in-cluded Baker, Jules Sie-gel and Win Shoemaker. Achildren’s art show by Men-docino Coast students andslides of migrating whaleswere among the special ex-hibits. Artist J.D. Mayhewwas one of the principal fig-ures in the GreatWhaleWarof 1976.
In their own words,43 years later …
I had a wonderful meet-ing with some of the co-founders of the first Men-docinoWhale War Festival:Ellen Findlay Herdegen,Heidi Cusick Dickerson,Barry Cusick, Sally and LeeWelty. I chatted with BillWilson via email.It was 1976, Mendocino’s
First Whale Festival. As co-founders, can you shareyour most memorable mo-ment or moments from thisevent?Sally Welty: When whal-
ing was legal in inter-national waters and thewhales were becoming anendangered species, a groupof us dedicated to saving thewhales got together to fig-ure out how we could raiseawareness about the prob-lem.Heidi Cusick Dickerson:
We ended up calling it theMendocino Whale War be-cause Byrd Baker, a woodcarver and legendary char-acter in Mendocino, hadjoined a boat of protesters… it was just when Green-peace was getting startedand Byrd’s boat joined oneof theirs to get involvedwithsearching for Russian whal-ers off our coast. Byrd wasthis charismatic, energeticguy who needed detail-ori-ented people like us to puton an event. His partnerson the boat included the ac-claimed artist J.D. Mayhew,
1976FROMPAGE 1
1976»PAGE7
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| WHALE FESTIVALS |6 C MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019
photographer and docu-mentarian Nicholas Wil-son, and renegade restau-rateur John Griffith.Sally Welty: Collectively,
we launched the officialMendocino Whale War. Weplanned an entire weekenddedicated to introducingthe wonders of the whalesand what a loss it would beto the world if they were tobecome extinct. I think themostmemorable aspectwashow involved everyone be-came: the schools did les-sons, artists donated piecesfor an auction, residents vol-unteered their time, and thetownseemed to rally aroundthe importance of saving thewhales. It truly was a groupeffort.Ellen FindlayHerdegen: I
remember sitting around atour “boardmeetings” (Iwasthe secretary), drinkingOrcaPunch (itwas a “killer”), andbrainstormingcrazy ideas toget media attention on theplight of thewhales… tryingto find a Russian-speakingMendocino Rose to broad-cast offshore to lure Rus-sian whalers to leave theirships, creating contents fora defector kit to post out onthe headlands that wouldinclude blue jeans amongother necessities, planningactivities for a Whale Festi-val to educate and celebrate“God’s Whales,” as Byrd al-ways called them.One unforgettable mo-
ment: It was an afternoonduring the Whale Festivaland there was a commotionoutside. Everyone was gath-ered in front of Crown Hallwith their binoculars (a sta-ple in every local’s car) andsquealing in delight as wesaw glorious puffs of whalebreaths spouting. We allwere certain itwas theirwayof thanking us for our help.How do you feel about
the legacy that you startedin 1976? Has it been as youhoped it would be?Sally: From the stand-
point ofmakingadifference,when our little communityof Mendocino is united, it isvery powerful. Our colorfulspokesperson, Byrd Baker,was a press magnet. So, ourlittle Whale War, as it waslabeled then, made the pa-pers and brought awarenessof the plight of the whale. Ithink we contributed in oursmall way in facilitating theinternationalmoratoriumtostop killing whales.Ellen:Well, the best news
is in those days I think thegray whale population wasaround 2,000 individu-als. Now the numbers aregreater than 26,000! I feellike we had a part in that.Personally, being involvedwith the Mendocino WhaleWar is my little touch withhistory. Kind of an immor-tality of sorts. I mean, whenyou Google my name thatgreat photo of NicholasWil-son’s of our group still popsup, 43 years later!I feel like we really did
have apart in savingwhales.And educating and inspir-ing countless people on thebeauty and the struggle ofthe whales.In the summer of 1976, I
was in London with my sis-ter for a teacher travel courseon British Children’s Litera-ture. While there I made anappointment to meet thefolks involvedwith the Inter-national Whaling Commis-sion. I took them a packet ofarticles andphotos from theMendocinoWhaleWar, andexplained our mission.That was the beauty of it
all — everyone had some-thing to contribute.And thatis the lasting lesson learnedfor me whatever your pas-sion — do your part. No ef-fort is too small.What was your favorite
part of the 1976 MendocinoWhale Festival? What wasyour least favorite?Sally: The favorite part
was seeing the enthusiasmof the community and thevisitors who came up forthe weekend, and their de-sire to learn about and savethe whales.Heidi: The hardest part
was keeping it going. Byrdgot a bus that J.D. May-hew painted and traveledaround the country withthe message about savingthe whales. Today, I wishthereweremore educationalcomponents to the currentWhaleFestival. For example,the Kelley House has all theminutes of ourmeetings andbinders of clips andmemen-toes thanks to Ellen FindlayHerdegen.Ellen: I’m a saver (includ-
ing Save The Whales). Assecretary I kept themeetingnotes, articles, etc. So nowthe binders arewith theKel-ley House. My favorite partof the festival was the edu-cational exhibits, learningmore interesting facts about
whales.Mycontributionwasa life-size 25-foot babywhalemural thatmy kindergartenclass created—barnacles in-cluded. I taught at RedwoodElementary in Fort Bragg.What were some of the
events that you held thatyear? Was it well-attended?Doyoubelieve the impact onthe community was a posi-tive one?Sally: The weekend was
mostly educational. We hadvarious venues where thereweremovies, lectures, relics,etc., about whales. We hada live auction with artworkdonated by local artists,mainly of whales. The pro-ceeds went to organizationsdedicated to saving whales.It was all about whales andsaving them, and the com-munity was all in. We werea united front.Ellen: Mendocino-Fort
Bragg Coast residents allshare the beauty andbountyof the ocean and the gran-deur of some of Earth’slargest animals right in ourbackyard. The annual mi-gration of the gray whalesparade past our homes ev-ery year during their 2,000-mile round trip fromAlaskato the warm waters of Mex-ico to have their babies. Itunites us all, so I would saythat is a very positive thing!Do you still participate in
currentWhale Festival cele-brations?Sally: Not so much. It has
become more of a socialevent, which we feel has thegreatest appeal to a youngergroup than us. We think itis great that it has contin-ued all these years, and isso popular. It still brings anawareness to those who at-
tend because thewhalesmi-grate at this time and seemto feel a connection to ourlittle coastal town on thepeninsula. My hope is thatthe crowds attending thecurrent whale festivals willbe reminded just how ex-traordinary and what a giftthe whales are to everyoneon the planet and will con-tinuewith our quest to keepthem protected.Heidi: Nothing is more
exciting than standing onthe headlands searching forthe puffy sprays markingwhere a whale is. When yousee their tail you squeal andsometimes, if you are in theright place at the right time,you will witness a whalebreaching. Truly breathtak-ing. We had a small part insaving the whales.Ellen: Not regularly. I
have been to a few Men-docinoWhale Festivals overthe years but I now live fourhours away. I have no doubtif I still lived in the area Iwould be involved.
More informationFor current informa-
tion about whales, visitthe Noyo Center forMarineScience Marine Mammalslink at noyocenter.org/ma-rine-mammals.Also visit the Whale and
Dolphin Conservation atus.whales.org.Visit the Kelley House
Museum at kelleyhouse-museum.org.Although the whale fes-
tivals are different now, itall started with these folkswho were dedicated tosharing this message.“Sometimes the whales
talk to me. Maybe I’ve fi-nally gotten to a point inmy life where I’m able tostand still and listen.”— Byrd Baker
The coast has its ownfleet of mermaids helpingto encourage beach clean-ups by practicing what theypreach. The group gathersabout once a month at lo-cal beaches to do cleanupsand invites the public tojoin. The events are usu-ally followed with a mer-maid show, in the water,fancy tails and all.On Jan. 20 the Men-
docino Mermaids, a localnonprofit group, removedalmost 100 pounds of gar-bage from Noyo Beach, un-derneath the bridge. Theyheld another cleanup lastFeb. 16 at Glass Beach.
AwarenessThe group, in an attempt
to further their efforts, re-cently put together a photoshoot where the mermaidsperformed as deceasedmarine mammals tangledin fishing nets full of gar-bage.“The message? That over
100,000 marine mammals
die each year worldwidefrom plastic entanglement,ingestion or strangula-tion,” said group founderDavina Liberty. “Andthese are only the onesfound and recorded. It’sestimated there are thou-sands more.”
To join the mermaids intheir mission to keep localbeaches as clean as pos-sible, find them on Face-book for event times andupdates. To donate to thegroup, call 707-964-2295for details.
ACTIVISMWITHATWIST
“Themessage?That over100,000marinemammalsdie each yearworldwidefromplasticentanglement,ingestion orstrangulation.”— Davina Liberty
CRAIG VADEN
Professional mermaid Davina Liberty models during aphoto shoot meant to bring awareness to the effectshuman pollution has on marine mammals.
Mermaidsspreadingbeachawareness
NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED
An auction held in Crown Hall in Mendocino during the 1976Whale Festival.
NICHOLAS WILSON — CONTRIBUTED
Mendocino Whale War volunteers show exhibits in CrownHall during the 1st Annual Mendocino Whale Festival inMarch 1976.
CONTRIBUTED
An article from the LosAngeles Herald Examiner onMendocino’s Whale Wars.
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have been exhibiting to-gether for nine years, rais-ing funds for local environ-mental groups. Next year istheir 10th anniversary!A group of artists who
work together to promoteconservation and restora-tion of the local environ-ment, they are professionalpainters, sculptors and pho-tographers who live, workand draw their creative in-spiration from this beautifulplace. Theywork as partnerswith local environmentalgroups and use their art tohelp increase public aware-ness of our region’s chal-lenges and to raise fundsthrough sale of their artworkto help their conservationpartners achieve their goals.Maeve Croghan, Men-
docino Eco Artist leader,said, “We are dedicated todoing what we can to bringattention to preserving, andhopefully helping to saveour environment throughour art. For every art salefrom our shows, a percent-age is given to the partnergroup we are supporting inthat particular show. Public-ity for our shows also bringsattention to the environmen-tal groupweare supporting.”MEA members partici-
pating in the show at theCarmody Gallery are: Ju-riaan Blok, Karen Bow-ers, Mary-Ellen Campbell,Maeve Croghan, EleanorHarvey, John Hewitt, Ju-lie Higgins, Debra Lennox,Suzi Long, Jim Moorehead,Deborah Nord, Janis Por-
ter, Bob Rhoades and PatScott. Other MEA mem-bers who are not showing atthis exhibit are Keith Mid-dlesworth, Paul Reiber andCynthia Crocker Scott.The show at Carmody
Gallery is in support of TheNoyo Center for MarineScience. The show will ex-tend to the newMain Streetbuilding of the Noyo Centerfor Marine Science. One canview art in theNoyoCenter’sMain Street space, aswell astheir fantastic whale skele-ton and other exhibits, thensee their entire show at theCarmody Gallery on Frank-lin Street (or vice versa).MEA’s environmental
partner organizations are:Mendocino Area Parks As-sociation, Mendocino LandTrust, Noyo Center for Ma-rine Science, Salmon Resto-ration Association and Red-wood Forest Foundation,Inc..
‘Like-inspireddreamers’
To bring awareness andcelebrate theMendocinoEcoArtists’ upcoming 10th anni-versary, artist John Hewittwrote the following:“Some of us live in Men-
docino because we wereborn here. Some of us camehere on our way somewhereelse and were overcome bythe real and the wild of na-ture here and stayed on.“Some of us from both of
these groups were moved ina deeply spiritual way, caus-ing us to spend many dayswalking on the beaches andbyways. The scene broughtsome rapture, some excite-ment of discovery, and somewere smitten by a need totell others how they feel
about this place of primevalrhythms flowing on sandyshores over eons of time.“A few years back art-
ist Maeve Croghan gath-ered up a collection of theselike-inspired dreamers whowere all painting paintingsand taking photographs andeven carving sculptures, andjoined them together in thecause of celebrating andpro-tecting our greatest trea-sure, our magnificent land-scape.“Her vision is to touch the
hearts of all Mendocino res-idents and visitors alike bystaging local artist shows fora benefit to raise funds for lo-cal projects that protect andenhance ourworld here. Youcan see and bemoved by theimages provided for you bythese fewartistswhowish toshare the love and help pro-mote and protect our won-ders.“Come and spend a little
time at our show and shareour feelings for the Men-docino Coast. We hope youwill make a purchase tohelp us support the causeswe have chosen, but even ifnotmaking apurchase comeby anyway and visit with us.Let’s be friends. Share yourfavorite places with us. Sug-gest new charities that wemay help with. But aboveall, enjoy.”
TimCarmodyTim Carmody is gra-
ciously allowing MendocinoEco Artists to use his gal-lery for their Noyo Centerfor Marine Science benefitshow. Tim initially began hisartistic career as a photog-rapher, specializing in blackandwhiteprintmaking in the‘60s. Further exploration ledto his first painting. In the1980sand ‘90s,hemoved intosculpture and video. Movinghere from Laguna, he op-erates a studio and gallerywhere he shows his paint-ings, photographs, printsand wooden sculptures. Toseemore of his work, stop byCarmody Arts on FranklinStreet or visit his website attimcarmody.com.
Noyo Center forMarine Science
The Noyo Center forMarine Science is a thriv-ing nonprofit organization
Inside the currentMendocino Eco Artists exhibit
CONTRIBUTED
By Karen Bowers.
CONTRIBUTED
Dragonfly Salmonfry by Debra Lennox.
CONTRIBUTED
By Julie Higgins.
CONTRIBUTED
Blue Heron Oriental by JimMoorehead.
CONTRIBUTED
Curious Australian Pelican by Jim Moorehead.
The Mendocino Eco Artists’ current exhibit, “Wet,Windy & Wild,” runs through March 31 at Tim Car-mody Arts Gallery, 324 N. Franklin St. in Fort Bragg.The opening celebration on Friday, March 1, from 5 to8 p.m., supports the Noyo Center for Marine Science.
438 Franklin Street, Fort BraggOne Block East of Main, Behind Rite-Aid
Dine Inor Take Out5 to 9 Nightly
| WHALE FESTIVALS |8 C MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019
providing exciting educa-tional programs for youthand the public and hands-on opportunities to do theunexpected, like help reart-iculate a giant 73-foot-longblue whale skeleton and asea lion. The center has pro-vided summer science campsfor all ages the past two sum-mers. Marine science educa-tionwill remain the primaryfocus, but its charter includesthe support of education inall-natural coastal resourcesareas.But the Noyo Center has
a large vision and a three-pronged approach — sup-porting an innovative re-search program, creatingan integrated educationprogram, and building aworld-class facility for re-search, education and tour-ism. The future Noyo cam-pus, on the former Georgia-Pacific lumber mill site, will
be a dynamic environmentthat showcases sustainabil-ity while supporting activ-ities that engage the com-munity, the visitor and thescientist in order to inspireconnection, communicationand creativity.For more information on
Noyo Center for Marine Sci-ence, visit their website atnoyocenter.org.Mendocino Eco Artists
plan upcoming shows thissummer and fall. From Junethrough August their workwill be at the Stanford Innin Mendocino supportingthe Mendocino Land Trust.On July 6, EcoArtistswill bepart of Fort Bragg’s AnnualWorld’s Largest SalmonBBQsupporting the Salmon Res-torationAssociation. In Sep-tember and October at theFord House, the group willbe supporting MendocinoArea Parks & Recreation.
For more information onthe Mendocino Eco Artists,visit their website atmendocinoecoartists.org.
ArtFROMPAGE8
CONTRIBUTED
Sculpture by Patricia Scott.
ber and November.The gray whales’ south-
ern home centers on La-guna del Ojo Liebre, La-guna San Ignacio and Ba-hiaMagdalena, three inletson the southern half of theBaja Peninsula. The larg-est, Laguna del Ojo Lie-bre, a shallow (12 to 39feet deep), 14-square-milewarm-water, protectedrealm — also home to theworld’s biggest commer-cial saltworks — is whereyoung whales like Wandaare heading when theyleave Alaska.Themost current, though
unofficial, information viathe website Baja Nomad, isthat in mid-January a sur-vey by the Commission forNatural Protected Areas inMexico counted 74 whalesin Laguna Ojo de Liebre,21 mother-calf pairs and 32solitary whales, with morewhales arriving.But the Laguna is still
at least another monthaway when, around Janu-ary, Wanda passes by FortBragg heading south. Thetrip typically takes aboutthree months for the aver-age whale.During the trip south,
Wanda travels in a pod offour to six other femalewhales. She eats very little,if at all. By the time she getsback toAlaska, shewill havelost 10 to 15 tons of her bodyweight (an adult gray whalecan weigh around 33 tons).When she does feed, shescrapes along the oceanfloor, turning on her rightside a bit and scooping upa bunch of sand, planktonand crustaceans.Once in Baja, Wanda
has a couple of sum-mer months to breed —only about a tenth of the20,000 migrating whalesactually do mate and givebirth. Then the whales de-part in separate groups forthe chilly but nutrient-richAlaskan feeding grounds.Male whales leave Bajafirst, as soon as they finishbreeding. Next, the preg-nant whales head back,followed by new motherswith calves.Wanda, now pregnant,
probably starts her returntrip in late March or early
April. By the end of spring,she’ll have passed by theMendocino Coast, well onher way to Alaska to feedfor the following year. About11 months after becomingpregnant, Wanda will re-turn to Baja to give birth toher calf, which will weigh1,600 to 1,700 pounds andmeasure between 12 and 15feet when born.Whale calves can’t swim
immediately, so Wandaswims under the calf andhelps buoy it up. Some-times, if there is any diffi-culty, other female whalesgather around the motherand help her and the calfto the surface until the calflearns how to breathe andswim. It’s a fairly quickprocess — the babies learnwithin hours.On the return tripWanda
keeps her calf on her rightside, between her and theshore, for protection fromorcas and great white
sharks — both found alongthe Mendocino Coast andmost of the graywhales’mi-gratory route.The calf nurses for about
eight months, drinkingaround 80 gallons of milkevery day. A typical femalehas a calf every two yearsuntil she’s between 40 and60 years old. Females havean average lifespan of 70years in the wild.
Other speciesMigrating gray whales
are the species seen mostoften off the Northern Cali-fornia coast, but orcas, bluewhales, humpback whalesand others are also spottedpretty regularly.Orcas are not considered
predictable migrants likebaleen whales, but they dotravel extensively. One timewhen orca movements canbe somewhat predictable iswhen the gray whale moth-ers andcalves aremigrating.
Recently, satellite track-ing devices have docu-mented movements of or-cas from British Columbiaswimming almost non-stopto Central California andthen returning. In 2013, theK-pod group of resident or-cas did this twice in a cou-ple of weeks, passing by theMendocinoCoast four times.Humpbackwhales,which
are typically larger thangraywhales and travel alonerather than in pods, spendthe winter months off theMexican coast to breed andgive birth, migrating northto polar waters to feed dur-ing the summer months.They are most common offthe North Coast from Aprilthrough November.Humpbacks group when
they feed, circling largeschools of krill near the sur-face and surrounding themwith an impenetrable forcefield of bubbles. The groupthen swims to the surfaceand scoops in the food withtheir giant mouths.
How to spot themAccording to veteran
whale-watchers, the bestway to spot whales fromland is to look without bin-oculars for the spouts of wa-ter coming from their blow-holes. Once spotted, lookthrough binoculars to possi-bly catch a glimpse of a backor tail. Whales tend to swimbetween a quarter-mile anda half-mile from the coaston their way to Baja. Duringtheir return trip in Marchthey often comemuch closer,sometimes within 100 yardsof land.
MigrationFROMPAGE3
GRAY WHALE CENSUS AND BEHAVIOR PROJECT - CONTRIBUTED
Migrating whale numbers in 2018-19, compared to lastyear and a ten-year average.
up your tasting glasses atthe Masonic Lodge, 428 N.Main St. in Fort Bragg.
WhaleWalksWith Sue
Sunday, March 17 andSunday, March 24, SouthCoastal Trail, 10 a.m. — 12
p.m. (weather permitting).The gray whales are on
the move and Noyo Centereducation coordinator SueCoulter will be on hand toguide you along the head-lands in search of whales,seals and birds, with ac-companying discussion oftheir habits and biology.Participants will meet
in the South Coastal Trailparking lot and walk out tothe Crow’s Nest. Dress forwet and windy weather.
NoyoFROMPAGE4
(707) 961-0580
Boatyard Shopping CenterCorner of Hwy 1 & 20 • Fort Bragg
Beer • Wine • Calzone • Appetizers23-Item Salad Bar • Pasta
Gluten-Free DoughFresh, Hand-Crafted Soups Daily
OPEN EVERY DAY!
WEDELIVER!M-F 4-8Sat/SunALL DAY
Point Arena Lighthouse is part of the“Whale Trail” project and a premier placefor spotting these amazing creatures.
The historic Point Arena Lighthouse welcomes visitors fromall over the world to climb the 145 steps to the top of the tallestlighthouse on the Pacific coast, tour the Museum, shop in the GiftStore and even spend the night right here!
Visit the Lighthouse and enjoy hiking theadjacent Point Arena-Stornetta public lands.
Wind & Whale CelebrationSat, Apr 13 | 10am-3pm
Point Arena LighthouseOnsite LodgingMarch & April Lodging Special! Get15% off any stay during March orApril using the promo code:
Our six historic cottages featurefireplaces, WiFi, DishTV and the bestocean views anywhere. Most have fullkitchens and pet friendly units areavailable. Enjoy unlimited Lighthousetours during your stay! Call theLodging Desk at 877.725.4448 x1 orvisit our website for details.
Point Arena LighthouseMuseum & Tower ToursMuseum only: $5
Tower tour (Museum included):$8 Adult | $1 Children 5-11Under 5 FREE
Come visit us for spectacular whalewatching right off the coast duringthe gray whale migration! Don’tmiss the Point Arena Lighthouse’sannual Wind & Whale Celebrationin April, and if you are coming tothe Mendocino coast for the MarchWhale Festivals, be sure to add astopattheLighthousetoyourtrip!
WHALEGOODTIME
Open Daily 10am-3:30pm | 45500 Lighthouse Rd., Point Arena, CA 95468
300 North Main Street • Fort Bragg, CA 95437964-2318
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Coast HardwareA Whale of a
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Small kitchen items, counter top appliances,housewares, canning supplies, irons & ironingboards, vacuums, & more
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Two homes on 40 private acres. Main house with flexible floor plan has 2 bedrooms plus asleeping loft in the upstairs great room. Amazing woodwork provides architectural interest.Large workshop/storage area features roll up door. Extensive south facing decks. The cabinhas 1 bedroom upstairs with downstairs kitchen, living area and full bath. Sunny deck.Separate propane and electrical services. Private from main house. Outbuildings include shedsand large chicken coop. Sunny, fenced garden with drip system, greenhouse and young fruittrees. 5,000 gal water storage fed by productive well! Awe-inspiring countryside all around.$989,000. MLS 25898.
Assisting Mendocino Coast buyers andsellers since 2006
Southern Resident killerwhales, a species of orcanative to the Pacific North-west, frequentwaters off thecoast of Oregon, Washing-ton and Vancouver Island,British Columbia, but arespotted as far south as thecoast of Central California.Anewbaby recently arrivedwithin their very small pop-ulation and researchershope it will survive to helpreplenish the endangeredpopulation.Southern residents con-
sist of three pods — J Pod(23 members), K Pod (18members) and L Pod (35members). Researcherstrack themclosely and iden-tify each orca with a namethat reflects their pod.They’re identifiable by
the noises they make andhow they converse witheach other, according to theNational Oceanic and At-mospheric Administration.NOAAreports the SouthernResident orca population is75, a 30-year low.
Depleted numbersKIRO Radio, out of Seat-
tle, reported that last yearwas a rough one for the al-ready small group withthe loss of J50 Scarlet, L92Crewser and the calf thatdidn’t live long enough tobe named but was carriedfor 17 days by his grievingmother, J35 Talequah.In response to the low
numbers, Washington Gov.Jay Inslee established atask force in March 2018that recommended, amongother things, a halt towhale-watching tours un-til the end of 2022 and dou-
bled buffer zones betweenwhales and watchers. Thetask force highlighted dis-turbances from noise andboats as a major contribu-tor to food source depletion,hunting interruption andmore perils for the smallgroup.“We know that we’ve
changed our environment,our ecosystem, over the lasthalf century and ahalf, dra-matically, across the stateof Washington,” Inslee toldthe Peninsula Daily News,a Washington publication.“We will need to do manythings to give the orcas ashot at survival.”Some tour companyoper-
ators argue that their pres-ence actually helps orca re-covery. Tour boat ownerand Port Townsend Com-missioner Peter Hanke toldKIRO that tour operatorsare vital parts of public ed-ucation and “patrolling” forthe orcas. According tohim,tour operators often shieldthe group fromharmbyno-tifying commercial vesselsand pleasure crafts of theirwhereabouts.“We’re talking to each
other andwe’re really awarethroughall the resourceswehave of where whales areat,” he told the station.
New babyAccording toHighCoun-
try News, in early Januarywhale watchers and biolo-gists celebrated the birth ofaneworca calf. If it survivespast its first year, it will bethe first to do so in the lastthree years.Little is known thus far
about the new arrival, butresearchers hope it is a fe-male to help replenish theorca population.
NEWCALFAHOPEFULSIGN
By Staff
The 2018 Fort BraggWhale Festival is a “mustattend” event the week-end of March 15, 16 and 17.Events at and admission toMacKerricher State Parkare free and all ages arewelcome. Events are listedbelow. For additional infor-mation or questions, con-tact 707-961-0471 or visitmendoparks.org.Located three miles
north of Fort Bragg onHighway 1, MacKerricherState Park is an ideal loca-tion for watching the graywhale migration. The parkhas a wheelchair accessibleboardwalk allowing accessto the headlands of LagunaPoint with stunning viewsof the coastline. Day use isfree.
Talking whalesOn Friday, March 15, at
7 p.m., a talk on the whalesof the Pacific Ocean will beheld in the Veterans Me-morial Building located at360 N. Harrison St., acrossfrom the Fort Bragg Li-brary. Join State Parks do-cents for an exciting lec-ture plus refreshments,interactive activities anda raffle to take place at thetime of the lecture. Eventto take place rain or shine.
Whale Walk atMacKerricherState Park
Saturday, March 16, be-ginning at 11 a.m., docentsand State Parks’ staff leadinformative guided whalewalks. The program willstart at the Visitor Centerand whale skeleton, 24100MacKerricher Park Rd.,three miles north of FortBragg off Highway 1, for adiscussion before drivingto Laguna Point for whale-watching. Binoculars areavailable. Events to takeplace rain or shine. Dressappropriately.
Games, art, music,hot dogs
Also on Saturday, March16, from 1 to 4 p.m. enjoyfamily-oriented arts andcrafts, games and educa-tional activities at MacKer-richer. Learn all about thewhales of the Pacific. Playgames, make art, listento music and enjoy a freehot dog lunch (donations
accepted) at the MacK-erricher campfire center,rain or shine. Dress appro-priately.
Help paint thewhale skeleton
On Sunday, March 17,from 1 to 3 p.m., help pre-serve MacKerricher StatePark’s gray whale skeleton.Every year a fresh coat ofpaint is applied to the fa-mous gray whale skeletonto help protect it from theelements. Bring a paintbrush and wear your paint-ing clothes. Note — rain orheavy fog will cancel.
Ocean and forest trails at MacKerricher State Park make it a prime spot for explorationduring the Whale Festivals.
CONTRIBUTED
The gray whale skeleton at MacKerricher State Park gets a new coat of paint (weatherpermitting) every year during Fort Bragg’s Whale Festival.
the Caspar Bridge.Tickets are $5 per per-
son; the fee supports thelighthouse maintenancefund. The tours are a treatfor the whole family butplease note that childrenmust be at least 42 inchestall to participate.The First Assistant
Lightkeeper’s House isalso open throughout theWhale Festival weekends.
This periodmuseum showshow lightkeepers and theirfamilies lived in the 1930s.Point Cabrillo Light-
keepers Association vol-unteer docents will high-light light station historyand local culture with vis-itor presentations at thelighthouse and other lo-cations in the State His-toric Park. Weather per-mitting, docents will alsolead walks to nearby FrolicCove and relate the storyof the clipper brig Frolic,which wrecked off the covein July 1850 while boundfrom China to San Fran-cisco with a valuable cargoof Chinese merchandise forthe Gold Rush miners and
their families.Feel free to call 707-937-
6123 with any questionsabout the lens tours duringthe Fort Bragg and Men-docino Whale Festivals!
CabrilloFROMPAGE3
RON LEVALLEY — CONTRIBUTED
The Point Cabrillo LightStation is one of the premierspots on the MendocinoCoast for whale watching.
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32096 N. Harbor Drive • Fort Bragg, CA, 95437
• Casual, affordable dining and “pubbing” on the water’s edge.• A large and rustic deck, a cozy, intimate pub.• A picturesque harbor where boats come and go.• House made food, craft beers, local wines.• Scheduled local musical events.
707.962.0100
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It’s a whale of a tale...25 years of serving ourcommunity! From 7 employees and 2,000 patients,Mendocino Coast Clinics has grown to 110 employeesand 10,000 patients. We are proud to be your medicalhome and offer a full range of services:Primary & Preventive Medical Care Dental CareBehavioral Health Care OB/GYNPediatrics Blue Door @MCCComplementary Services, such as chiropractic andacupunctureWalk-In Clinic Thursdays 8:30-10:30 am and Fridays 1:00-4:00 pmAnd more!Call us at (707) 964-1251 to make an appointment. If it’safter hours, our on call provider will return your call.Thank you for the last 25 years. We are looking forwardto the next 25!
| WHALE FESTIVALS |10 C MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019
