Orca Network and the Langley Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the seventh annual Welcome the Whales Day in Langley, Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event honors and celebrates the spring arrival of resident gray whales to Whidbey Island with fun and educational activities, music, presentations and a “parade of species” featuring the handsome 20-foot gray whale, Gary. Begin now to design your critter costume for the parade or, if you don’t have time to make a costume, come early in the day to create your costume before the parade.

The day begins with hands-on educational displays, costume-making, and kids’ activities at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at Third and Anthes St., starting at 10 a.m. New this year is a whale-themed art show and sale at the Methodist Church.

Staging for the “critter parade” begins at 1 p.m. in the parking lot at Cascade and Sixth Street. The parade begins at 1:30 p.m., down the hill on Cascade and First streets, ending at the Langley Waterfront Park for music and celebration, a blessing by Windwalker Taibi, and hopefully viewing gray whales swimming nearby. The Whale Bell installed in Langley’s waterfront park will ring, and the new Whale Trail site will be dedicated.

After the parade, learn more about gray whales during presentations at the Methodist Church from 3 to 5 p.m.

Dr. Eric Anderson of Simon Fraser University will present his research on interactions between gray whales and sea ducks.

Orca Network will give an update on how the local gray whales are doing, and will share photos and stories from a recent trip to San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja, where the gray whales mate and have their calves.

More activities are being planned for Sunday, April 25 at the Bayview Earth Day celebration. For more information on Sunday’s Earth Day activities, visit www.visitlangely.com.

For more information on Whales Day, visit www.orcanetwork.org/news/events.html and www.whidbeycamanoislands.com, or contact Orca Network at 678-3451 or info@orcanetwork.org; or the Langley Chamber of Commerce at 360-221-6765.