More than 500 gathered at the Golden State Theater in Monterey tonight for the opening ceremony of BLUE. The mix of attendees was reflected also on stage. Festival co-founder Debbie Kinder started the evening by praising Monterey for not only its warm welcome but also its long-time commitment to the ocean. She was followed by a slew of stars in the marine community, including Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Executive Director Julie Packard and Congressional Representative Sam Farr. Farr credited the ocean community for bringing marine issues into the light: “We are no longer to be discovered. We are now in the mainstream.”
However he also pointed out that even with a new ocean policy in place, the work really begins on the local level to implement needed changes.
But perhaps who really stole the show was the young nephew of a filmmaker whose film stars the young boy being interviewed about why whales should not be hunted. After the showing of the short, he came out on stage dressed in his white suit, red tie and of course the coordinating red cap as a nod to marine legend Jacques Cousteau. Why should we not hunt them? “They are special,” he said. “They are giants.”
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