National Whale Day Celebrations
Nambucca Heads Whale Day Festival- Guuruja Ngayan- 1st June 2013
Festival Hands
Gumma Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), Dolphin Research Australia (DRA) both not-for-profit associations, in conjunction with The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are holding the Annual National Whale Day – Guuruja Ngayan Nambucca Festival on National Whale day, 1st June 2013, at the Captain Cook look-out, Nambucca Heads. The day will start at 6am with a beach ceremony to welcome the migrating whales back to Gumbaynggirr Country. At the Captain Cook lookout between 8am – 12pm. Marine Mammal Expert and Dolphin Research Australia founder, Dr. Liz Hawkins, will be giving free whale watching guided information talks on the different whale species you might see, tips for spotting them and what to note when whale watching such as body type, length and swimming characteristics. They will also explain how to identify different whale and dolphin behaviours and what they mean such as breaching, spy hopping and tail and pectoral slapping. We will also have market stalls, plenty of kids and adult marine themed craft activities and dreamtime story telling by the Baga Baga people of Gumbaynggirr Country. The Nambucca Youthie healthy food truck will also be there to provide refreshments.
In the evening Dolphin Research Australia will be launching their mid-north coast travelling film tour of the film ‘The Whale’ from 6pm – 8.30pm.
Come along to the festival and learn more about local Gumbaynggirr culture, whale and dolphin ecology and how you can participate in helping to gather important information about these wonderful creatures.
Whale Festival 2013 Program
6.00am Sunrise Ceremony to welcome the return of the whales
8.00am Market & Food stalls open
8.45am Guided whale watching talk
10.00am Guided whale watching talk
10.30am Journey with Dolphin Children’s Activity I
11.30am Guided whale watching talk
11.45am Journey with Dolphin Children’s Activity II
12.30pm Guided whale watching talk
6.00pm-8.30pm Special film showing of the internationally acclaimed ‘The Whale’ (G)
All day activities – color your own t-shirt, recycled bottle whales, sand art, whale toys, education, painting and add to the whale sculpture