 Pirates, Parrots and Tall Ships!
Inside the Ocean Institute
This year the Ocean Institute will host a variety of new, thrilling and unique experiences to celebrate the 2008 Toshiba Tall Ships Festival.
Meet Captain Marcus and his feathered crew of parrots as you delight in one of the fun and enchanting parrot shows offered throughout the day.Play pirate games and witness the trial of Anne Bonney and Mary Reed as you help decide if they should walk the plank. Discover how woodcarvers whittle pieces of natural timber into beautiful art and view spectacular and intricate ship models. Listen to tales of the mysterious deep as you explore underwater archaeology, the mysteries of the titanic and the majesty of the Queen Mary. Additionally, visitors can get up-close and personal to some of the ocean’s most amazing sea creatures, including sea stars, jellyfish, sharks, rays and octopus. These are just some of the fun & exciting activities that will be a part of this year’s spectacular event inside the Ocean Institute. Join us both Saturday and Sunday, 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. See Event Schedule for individual activity & presentation times.
Admission price includes all Ocean Institute shows, activities AND tall ship tours! www.ParrotShows.com
Pirates or Privateers??
Many landlubbers might be easily confused as to the difference between a “Pirate” and a “Privateer”. . . Below is a simple description of the two to ensure that all brave souls who venture to the 2006 Festival are clear on who’s is who, and whom to watch out for!!
Pirates
A pirate is one who commits “piracy” by engaging in robbery, pillaging, or plundering at sea (or sometimes on shore). A pirate is someone who attacked and captured ships from any nation he so chose -- not having been commissioned by a sovereign nation. Pirates lived by their own rules. If a pirate wwere caught by any country, the punishment was usually death.
Privateers
A Privateer would hold what is called a “Letter of Marque.” This was an official government document that stated that the individual could legally hunt and capture any ships of that country’s enemy. Privateers had immunity for the country that commissioned them, but were considered prisoners of war if caught by other countries. Privateers were sometimes known as “gentlemen pirates.”
The Pirate of San Juan Bay (Dana Point)
Dana Point had only one real pirate encounter but it was a devastating event in history for the local San Juan Mission and Rancho Capistrano cattle ranch.
On December 14, 1818, a pirate fleet led by Hippolyte de Bouchard, anchored in the waters just off Dana Point (San Juan Bay). That same night Bouchard led his crew to the San Juan Mission in search of rumored gold. The pirate band attacked the mission, ransacking and pillaging for hours only to find no treasure. Bouchard then led his pirate band just north to Rancho Capistrano assuming that the gold must be hidden somewhere on the ranch grounds. Once again finding no booty, the angered Bouchard led a devastating & murderous assault on the Ranch. This tragedy led to the end of the working ranch until the middle 1800s.
San Juan was one of many pirate attacks led by Bouchard on the California Coast including Monterey and Santa Barbara.
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