Help our marine life by having a whale of a time

Members of the public are invited to attend a local festival to celebrate life in the seas and raise funds to support conservation initiatives.

WhaleFest 2011 will take place on Saturday, June 18 from 2pm until late at Durrumbul Hall, Mullumbimby, and will feature three music stages, market stalls, workshops, food stalls, bonfires, a chai tent, fire twirling, a chill out area, circus acts and movie screenings.

The festival, which is timed each year to mark the start of the humpback whale migration along the east coast of Australia, is being coordinated by Southern Cross University Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management student, Karl Goodsell, and is sponsored by the University’s Centre for Tourism, Leisure and Work and North Coast Print Solutions.

The festival will also be the venue for the official launch of a new environmental organisation, Positive Change for Marine Life, which has been founded by Karl, and aims to offer alternatives to unsustainable marine industries through ‘understanding, education and respect’.

All proceeds raised from the event will go towards Positive Change for Marine Life and the Southern Cross University Dolphin Ecology & Acoustics Project, to assist in the conservation of cetaceans and other marine life both on Australian shores and abroad. Ten per cent of all proceeds will also go towards animal relief efforts in the wake of the recent tsunami and earthquakes in Japan.

Karl said events like WhaleFest were important in protecting the future of our oceans.

“This year’s festival will showcase the rich cultural diversity of the northern NSW region as well as integrating science, conservation, education and art into one event in celebration of the whales returning to our seas on their annual migration,” said Karl.

“The festival is about celebrating whales in all their majesty, as well as looking at how we can preserve and protect them and other marine life, in both a local and global context.”

Shuttle buses will be available from Byron Bay and Mullumbimby town centres, as well as to and from Macas campground in Main Arm. Bands set to perform at the festival include: Darky Roots; Cheap Fakes; Deya Dova; Pacha Mama; The Mank; Floating Bridges; Loren and the Grow your Owns; Hayden Hack Infusion; The Mick McCombe Band; M. Jack Bee and friends; Simon Asquith; Garrett Kato; Ellen Everlove; The Mitch Wallace Quartet; DJ Al Royale and Daddy Loops.

Dr Liz Hawkins, research fellow and principal investigator of the Dolphin Ecology & Acoustics Project at Southern Cross University, is also assisting in the coordination of the event.

“At the moment overfishing and the variety of threats facing turtles, dolphins, tuna, sharks, whales and other marine species mean that our oceans are facing crisis point,” said Dr Hawkins.

“It’s important that we take action to protect and conserve marine life, and events like these are a fun way for people to learn about and celebrate marine animals and their environment while also making a positive contribution.”

WhaleFest 2011 will be held on Saturday 18th June at Durrumbul Hall, in Mullumbimby. Tickets are $20.

Audio files recorded as part of the research undertaken by the Dolphin Ecology & Acoustics Project at Southern Cross University are available on request.

Photo: WhaleFest is being held in Mullumbimby on Saturday, June 18 to raise money to support our marine life (high resolution image available on request).