In winter we welcome whales migrating to the south coast and June sees a month-long Winter Whale Festival.

This year’s events, activities and workshops have been inspired by Kondoli, the whale from Ngarrindjeri Dreaming, under the direction of Mark Koolmatrie and Stacey Richardson.

They celebrate Victor Harbor’s coast, culture, science, and creativity with more than 25 events featuring art, film, live music, cultural experiences, tours and science talks. 

A feature of the festival is always the Welcoming of the Whales and Smoking Ceremony, a free event to mark the whale season official opening.

It will be held on Saturday 7 June at 9am at the Foreshore Amphitheatre in Victor Harbor’s Soldiers Memorial Gardens. 

The whole festival is family-friendly, with some activities specifically tailored for children, including junior whale spotting training, art workshops at the Victor Harbor library and marine education sessions at the Whale Centre.

Rounding out the festival will be free whale-inspired lantern workshops for all ages, held over a week and culminating in the Kondoli Lantern Parade.

Find the full program of Winter Whale Festival events on the website.