Go ahead – have a whale of a time

Have they no mercy?

Regular readers of this column may remember that I have yet – despite Herculean attempts – to see one single, solitary, cotton-picking whale.

And now, just to twist the knife a little deeper, they have their people sending me multiple news releases about upcoming meet-and-greets.

I pass this information along to you simply as a public service. I promise nothing.

First off, the cetaceans claim 22,000 of them will convene along the west coast of Vancouver Island in “a spectacle unlike any other in the animal kingdom.”

Yep. That’s what they said. Please don’t ask me how they communicate with their public relations representation. Clearly, I’m no expert.

Nevertheless, the migration of the Pacific gray whales offers the coastal villages of Ucluelet and Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve the opportunity to host one of North America’s largest whale celebrations, from Saturday through March 19.

Abby Fortune, co-chair of the 20th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, optimistically says, “If you love whales, the west coast of Vancouver Island is the place to be in March.”

Boy, have they got her buffaloed.

The whales aren’t really required for a lot of the fun, though – including the opening day appearance of Tla-o-qui-aht storyteller and carver Joe Martin, who will relate traditional whaling tales in English and the Nuu-Chah-Nulth tongue.

There’s also a Chowder Chowdown, an inlet paddle with First Nations guides in dugout canoes; a screening of the excellent New Zealand film “Whale Rider”; the Vancouver Aquarium’s Aqua Van; a martini contest; nature walks; cultural workshops; music, a parade and lots of activities for children.

Local artists will display their work and offer live demonstrations, as well. The festival wraps up with a salmon barbecue.

There’s still more listed at www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com. You can also call (250) 726-7798.

If you don’t get your fill of disappointment in Canada, try again at Spring Whale Watch Week in Newport, Ore.

From March 25 to April 1, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department sends volunteers to several spots in the area to offer whale-watching tips and information. They’re on duty from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can catch up with them at Don Davis City Kiosk, Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Cape Foulweather and Devil’s Punchbowl (Otter Rock) State Natural Area.

Or, if you prefer the view from the water, Newport’s charter boat operators will be more than happy to sign you up for a tour.

Visit www.discovernewport.com or call (541) 765-3407 to learn more.

Ray gung-ho

Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame somehow slipped their monthly “Spring Critic’s Choice Best of Sci-Fi Film Series” past me.

It started in February with a screening of the great “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” Today, they’re showing “The Time Machine.”

But you can still get in on the rest of the spring picks including “Videodrome” on April 2, “Strange Days” on May 7 and “Sleeper” on May 21.

And on April 4, they’ll have Hall of Famer Ray Harryhausen in the house, presenting a montage of his work.

The influential special-effects master received an honorary Academy Award in 1991 in recognition of his work on such films as “It Came From Beneath the Sea,” “Jason and the Argonauts,” “Golden Voyage of Sinbad” and “Clash of the Titans.”

Harryhausen will speak about his work with stop-motion animation and answer your questions, no matter how geeky.

Find exhibit descriptions and other sci-fi information at www.sfhomeworld.org or (206) 724-3428.

Last busiest place

They like things big.

So organizers are quick to point out that the Montana Outdoor Recreation Exposition qualifies as the largest sport show in Montana and northern Wyoming.

Not all of Wyoming, mind you. But absolutely the northern part.

From March 17 to 19, Billings will be bulging with fishing boats, jet boats, water-ski boats, rafts and canoes. Looking for lures, rods, reels, creels? They’ve got ‘em.

The brain trust of the Walleye Pro Panel can give you some idea what to do with all your fishing gear, or you can stop by the casting pond to catch a demonstration.

Now don’t you worry – there’s more going on here than fishing. Other seminars will cover hunting, and you can pick up a gun, knife, game call, tent, camouflage and all the rest.

Realizing that outdoor recreation doesn’t always involve prey, organizers have scheduled a few animals you can meet but not eat: the Budweiser Clydesdales and the Mountain Mushers Sled Dog Team. Real live llamas will be on hand, too, and you can learn what to do with them at the trekking seminar.

You can also brave the rock climbing wall, catch the DVS Bikes Stunt Team, test the ski/snowboard deck, and plenty more.

Get a look at the rest at www.themoreshow.com or call (406) 657-1200.

Regional events

•Boise Flower and Garden Show, March 24-26, Boise. Browse more than 150 booths and displays or stop by for such seminars as “Tough-as-Nails Perennials” and “Plants with Four-Season Interest.” (www.gardenshowboise.com 888-888-7631)

•Northwest Women’s Show, March 24-26, Seattle. Celebrities like Nanny Stella from “Nanny 911” and the guy who plays Nash on “One Life to Live” will spice up the menu of seminars, demonstrations, fashion and food. (www.nwwomensshow.com 206-381-8000)

•Telemark Classic, March 25-26, Missoula. Day 1 features a GS course and Day 2’s “classic” course takes racers through gates, a 360-degree turn, an uphill skate and a four-meter jump. (www.visitmt.com 800-728-2695)