Outdoors notes: Welcome back the gray whales in Langley

By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

Now through May, grays constitute the majority of Puget Sound whale sightings. For a list and map of recent sightings, see the Web site www.orcanetwork.org/sightings/map.html. Whale sightings can also be called in to 866-ORCANET.

The Orca Network is sponsoring "Welcome the Whales Day" on April 17 at Langley on Whidbey Island. The festival will honor and celebrate the return of gray whales, and will include a parade of species with a 20-foot gray whale (made of silk) and other creatures, a costume-making workshop, kids activities, whale displays and presentations, including John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research. Join a gray-whale-watch tour from Everett. Details: www.orcanetwork.org/news/events.html

Downtown Sailing Series invites sailors to participate on Elliott Bay Thursday evenings from June 17 to Aug. 26 from the Elliott Bay Marina. Details: 206-285-4817 or www.elliottbaymarina.net

Pacific Northwest Fishing and Fly-Fishing Show is 10 a.m. April 17-18 at Portland Expo Center. The show will feature seminars by fly-fishing experts, noted authors, displays and the latest equipment. Speakers include Scott Haugen, Bill Herzog, Dave Hughes, Carmen Mcdonald, Skip Morris, Rob Russell, Jim Schollmeyer, John Shewey and Joe Warren. Details: 503-653-8108.

Stevens Pass Alpine Club is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and the Steve Madison Small Fry Ski Race April 11 at Stevens Pass Ski Area. Details: 206-632-1675 or www.spacracing.com

The Cascade Bicycle Club, Marymoor Velodrome Association and Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club are hosting a cycling open house 6:30-9:30 p.m. April 13 at Northwest Cycling Center, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 138, in Seattle. The public is welcome to learn about programs, rides, events, local cycling topics and volunteer opportunities. Details: 206-522-3222 or www.cascade.org

Seward Park is hosting a free history walk 10 a.m.-noon today from the Environmental Learning Center, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S. in Seattle. Join Paul Talbert from the Friends of Seward Park and Woody Wheeler from Audubon Washington to explore the old-growth forest and share historical facts and plans for the park's new Audubon center. Pre-registration required. Details: 206-684-4396.

View a close encounter of the marine kind at the "Undersea Adventure" today through Sunday at the Tacoma Dome Boat Show. The exhibit is designed to educate children about the marine ecosystem by taking them on a tour to discover sea life, learn about the marine environment and understand their place in the ocean's food chain. Admission to the boat show is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors weekdays only (62 and older), and $5 for juniors (ages 6-16). Children younger than 6 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Show hours: today, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; tomorrow-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Details: www.tacomadomeboatshow.com

Celebrate the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness at 7 p.m. April 14 at The Mountaineers club, 300 Third Ave. W. in Seattle. Rick McGuire, author of "55 Hikes Around Stevens Pass," will host a slide show. The Wild Sky Country, north of Highway 2 in the Skykomish River Valley, is roughly 106,000 acres of mountain peaks and alpine lakes, along with low-elevation old-growth forest and salmon streams. Details: 206-223-6303.

Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society's monthly dinner is 6 p.m. April 7 at Yankee Grill, 5300 24th Ave. N.W. in Ballard. The dinner program is titled "Centuries of Fish: Seattle's Dynamic High Seas Fishing Fleet." Cost is $20, RSVP. Details: 206-890-8502.
 
Washington Butterfly Association is hosting "Butterfly Gardening in the Puget Sound Region," 7 p.m. April 7 at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St., Seattle. Claire Hagen Dole is guest speaker. Details: 206-633-2313 or www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws

East Lake Washington Audubon Society is hosting a Lower Skagit River wildlife-viewing float trip starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday from La Conner. Car-pooling from Issaquah costs $5 per person, and the float trip is $50 with salmon lunch or $40 without lunch. Details: 866-298-6287 or 425-881-5422.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation-White River/Enumclaw Chapter banquet is Saturday at the King County Fairgrounds. Details: 253-887-9900.

The Lake Washington Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is hosting a turkey hunting and calling clinic 3 p.m. Saturday at Bellevue Fire Station No. 9, 12412 69th Way S.E. in Bellevue. Experts will cover use of equipment, scouting techniques, beginning and advanced calling, and turkey hunting safety. Details: lakewashnwtf.tripod.com

Northwest Fly Anglers offers a beginners fly-casting class starting April 6 at Green Lake. The eight-week class on Tuesdays will meet 6:30 p.m. to dusk. Cost is $35, and some rods will be available to those who don't own one. Details: 425-485-1410 or northwestflyanglers.org

The Sekiu Blackmouth Fishing Derby is Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $20 per angler. Details: 360-963-2311 or www.sekiu.com

Mark Yuasa can be reached at 206-464-8780; e-mail: myuasa@seattletimes.com; fax: 206-464-3255; address: P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company