Imagine a 15-metre giant gliding through the ocean, its mottled grey skin rough with barnacles—this is the grey whale. Every spring, over 14,500 grey whales swim along the Pacific Coast on their annual migration from Mexico's Baja Peninsula to the Arctic, covering 13,000 kilometres. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival marks this natural event with a week-long celebration in Tofino, Ucluelet and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Started in the 1980s, the festival was brought to life to raise awareness about marine conservation and to celebrate the coastal environment.