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3rd Annual Thank You Whales Celebration

2014 Official Sea Stars Speakers Program

Buy tickets to the Thank You Whales Celebration Sea Stars Speaker Program here.
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Just added to the 2014 Thank You Whales silent auction treasure chest!

Whale watching for two with Sub Sea Tours embarking from- where else? The Embarcadero at Morro Bay! Lots of Humpbacks orcas and Blue Whales out there, and an occasional Gray! Pygmy Sperm Whales, Mola Mola, and Morro Bay's own endemic Morro Bay Harbor Porpoise, found nowhere else on the planet! See you in Avila Beach, August 16th-

Joey Racano, Director
Ocean Outfall Group
Founder, Thank You Whales

Thanks Kevin and the rest of our sea faring friends at Sub Sea Tours, and Thank You Whales!

Thank You Whales Sponsors...

Thank You Whales has more new sponsors! Please visit these businesses in and around our community- they love whales!

*Avila Beach Paddlesports - 3915 Avila Beach Drive 805 704-6902 www.avilabeachpaddlesports.com

*ASA Amazing Surf Adventures -  Van Curaza, President 805 544-SURF www.amazingsurfadventures.org

*Avila La Fonda Hotel - 101 San Miguel Street 805 595-1700  www.avilalafondahotel.com

*Los Osos Pet Hospital, 2239A Bayview Heights Drive 805 528-4111 www.lososospethospital.com

*Avila Hot Springs - 250 Avila Beach Drive 805 595-2359 www.avilahotsprings.com

*Ventana Grill - 2575 Price Street, Pismo Beach 805 773-0000 www.ventanagrill.com

*Marisol Restaurant at the Cliffs Resort - 2557 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach Toll Free: 800 826-7827  Local: 805 773-5000 www.cliffsresort.com

*Central Coast Aquarium - 50 San Juam Street, Avila Beach 805 595-7280 www.centralcoastaquarium.com

*Farmers Kites and Surreys - 845 Embarcadero Street, Morro Bay 805 772-2906

*Dolphinshirt Co. 757 Buckley Road San Luis Obispo 805 541-2566 www.dolphinshirt.com

NOTE: These great businesses and regional artists have donated awesome prizes for our silent auction- be sure to get your bid in!

Artists include: Jacque Egger - Sally Lamas  -  Sara Jarboe  - Barbara Greenwood  - Sharon Moran  - Joanie Gray-Constable

Bidding is already live online at the Thank You Whales event page!
Official Program for August 16th:

Ocean Outfall Group presents:
Thank You Whales Celebration
3rd Annual


August 16, 2014Avila Beach Community Center
191 San Miguel Street
Avila Beach, CA 93424

Ocean Outfall Group presents:
Thank You Whales Celebration
3rd Annual
August 16th, 2014
Avila Beach Community Center
191 San Miguel St. Avila Beach, CA
                  
9:30 am-11: 30 am        Free outdoor CHILDRENS’ ART and HUMPBACK WHALE FAIRE
Templeton Elementary School  2nd Grade Thank You Whales Art Contest display.
    Art/ Crafts/ Games/Prizes/ Mermaid and Hawaiian Shirt Contest.
                ************************************************
 
Sea Stars  Speakers Program including Lunch  $27. per person
10:30 am-11:00 am        Meet and Greet with Hostess/Greeter Betty Winholtz

11:00 am-11:15 am     Ocean Outfall Group (OOG)  Welcoming Remarks

11:15 am-11:30 am     Comment by Marcia Hanscomb, introduction
           
11:30 am-12:00 pm     Howard Steven Pines, reads from his new book, ‘The Whale Song Translation’

12:00 pm-1:00 pm       Lunch by Phil’s Catering, featuring Vegan Wraps, Turkey Wraps,
                                Selection of salads, fruits and beverages.

1:00 pm-1:20 pm         Mothers for Peace- 41 years of making waves

1:20 pm-1:45 pm    Kurt Lieber of Ocean Defenders Alliance    

1:45 pm-2:00 pm    Lyndia Leonard, (Whale and Dolphin Watch) –Current Issues   
   
2:00 pm -2:15 pm   Afternoon Break Music and refreshments          

2:15 pm-3:00 pm    Featured Presentation on US Navy sonar by Zachary Smith, NRDC (and congratulations to Zach, Michael Jazny and NRDC for their victory over Navy HSTT Sonar!)

3:00 pm-3:45 pm    Keynote Address by Susan Hartland, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, U.S.

3:45 pm- 4:00 pm   Winners announced for silent auction - Closing Remarks

Evening Ceremony  (Olde Port Beach around a fire ring) Music provided by special guests 'PANGA'

Sunset to 8:30 pm   (Free): Brother Michael J. Phillips, Benedictine Monk, ‘Flower Ceremony'








                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       


        


                


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Dedicated to activists the world over- victory for the whales!

Message received from Phil Kline, Senior Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace, USA: “What an unstoppable force captured in a photo, GP, SS, Joey - Congrats on a huge victory! Our oceans and everyone who loves them thank you all and so do I.”


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CA Coastal Commission Denies PG&E Seismic Testing Permit Great Whale Conservancy Applauds California Coastal Commission Decision!

By Gershon Cohen

On November 15th, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to deny a permit to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to conduct seismic testing off the coast of California near the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre nuclear power facilities.

Both facilities were approaching relicensing deadlines, and a recently passed California law requires more analysis of the fault lines located near the remaining plant, both having been built in seismically active areas in the 1970 -1980’s.  While several options exist for conducting the sea-floor mapping analysis, PG&E proposed dragging an array of 18 air canons below the surface and emitting blasts of 250dB every 20 seconds for 42 days. 

The company’s proposal acknowledged there would be hundreds of “takes” of marine mammals during the testing procedure, which would be used to map the fault lines a few miles off-shore from the nuclear facilities.  “Takes,” as described by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, are anything from an annoyance that alters the behavior of the animal to more serious impacts and even death.  Given the size and repetitive nature of the blasts, there was a significant chance that many whales and other marine mammals would have been killed from ruptured eardrums.  They would almost certainly have been driven from the area, which at minimum would have forced them to leave critical feeding areas as winter approaches.  It was also acknowledged by the company that there could be a serious impact on local fish stocks.

A coalition of local citizens who love and respect these magnificent animals, along with fisherman, tourism companies, and civic leaders led by an ad hoc steering group formed by Joey Racano of Avila Beach, (see the Facebook page “stop the diablo canyon seismic testing”) held numerous meetings and actions to get people to write letters and testify in person as the issue was debated by State agencies.  GWC offered to help, and in October we went to Avila Beach with Mz Blue (see photo) to help Joey and his group educate and motivate the public to get involved. 


On November 15th, the California Coastal Commission met to review the application.  With hundreds of people in the room and thousands of letters in hand, the Commission voted unanimously to deny the permit!  It was a remarkable victory over the biggest energy utility corporation in California.

Our sincere thanks to Joey Racano and his team in California and everyone else who participated in this wonderful effort.  Stay tuned to our website www.greatwhaleconservancy.org and Facebook page (greatwhaleconservancy) for updates on this issue, and many other matters of importance regarding the protection of great whales and other marine mammals around the world.

Gershon Cohen PhD
Co-Director, GWC