Crossword

While out whale watching, every so often, a whale will do what is called mugging a friendly maneuver where the whale comes very close to the boat, swims underneath so you almost don’t see it before it reemerges to the surface again— a playful, flirtatious gesture that is a real crowd pleaser.

activities will be the Festival of Whales “Magical Migration” Parade on Saturday, March 4, at 10 a.m., traveling from the island, over the bridge, and into the village of Dana Point Harbor. New to the festival this year, a concert on Saturday Night at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott will feature artists Sheena Easton and Taylor Dayne.

“We are proud that the Festival of Whales is in its 52nd year, and each year we continue to add more events and educational activities for the public,” said Donna Kalez, owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whales Watching and whose father, Don Hansen, started the festival 52 years ago. Kalez is also the chairwoman of the famous event.

The remainder of the weekend will be filled with events, including whale excursions, the Whales, Tales & Ales street fair, a thrilling Dinghy Dash, and the Di- amond Dig treasure hunt. The Concert on the Water will take place at noon on March 5 at Baby Beach, featuring three live bands performing atop a floating stage, BBQ specialties available for purchase, and a spirit garden for those 21 and older. Additional artists will perform in the Harbor Music Series at different locations within the Harbor. So, whether you’d like to stroll through classic vessels in the Classic Car and Boat Show, participate in a beach cleanup, vote on your favorite chowder in the Clam Chowder Cook-Off, or snap a photo in front of the life-sized whale tale sculpture ‘Fluke,’ that was crafted at last years festival, the Festival of Whales has entertainment and activities for all ages. Many of the events benefit local non-profits, including Fish for Life, the Dana Point 5th Marines, and the Rotary Club of Monarch Beach.

For the 52nd annual Festival of Whales, the Foundation Board selected Rancho Santa Margarita resident Suzanne Maynard as this year’s logo artist. The Festival of Whales Foundation previously held an annual logo design contest, accepting public submissions for that prior year’s logo. Before that, the foundation selected student designs for the logo.

The festival wasn’t always what it is today. It started as a five-day celebration in March, then transformed into a nineday festival in February before it eventually grew into the weekend celebration it is today.

Dana Point kicked off 2023 by witnessing the birth of a gray whale calf outside of Dana Point Harbor— a story still fluttering around the city. The incredibly rare event is an excellent representation of what the Festival of Whales is all about. Since Jan. 1, Dana Point has seen sightings of 113 gray whales, some of them being cow/calf pairs. All are welcome to celebrate whale migration season and enjoy the diverse marine life Dana Point Harbor offers year-round. For more information and to view the complete list of events, visit festivalofwhales. com and DanaPointHarbor.com.

49. Sang “Bad Moon Rising”

50. “Agreed!”

51. Every Jack has one

52. Sports organization

53. Poet Angelou

54. Marketing leader?

55. Hangup DOWN

1. Fisticuffs

2. Caravan inn

3. Cheat

4. Where everyone is slipshod

5. “Smoking or ---?”

6. Pasturage

7. “How --- Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life”

(Kaavya Viswanathan novel)

8. Give me the bad news

9. Sun Devils’ sch.

10. Diagnostic technique

11. 180° from N-N-W

44. Al ---, Palestinian organization

45. Victoria’s son

17. Nipper

19. “Beowulf,” e.g.

22. Vietnam’s --- Dinh Diem

24. A --- named Desire

25. Feature of many highperformance engines

26. Note

29. Moo goo gai pan pan

30. Chinese religious mountain

31. No seats

32. Store a document incorrectly

33. “To Live and Die ---”

35. On-screen second rater

37. Seat of Marion County, Fla.

38. White wine aperitif

40. Former Portuguese province on the south coast of China

41. Small woody perennial

43. Assistant to a senior officer

45. Teacher’s deg.

46. Narc’s org.

47. “No ---!”

48. “--- say!”

Crossword solution on page 17