Keegan Farley, a voyage manager from Teekay Houston, spent the day volunteering at the Bay Day Festival on Saturday, May 23rd. The event, put on every year by The Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”), brings together many exhibits and activities to celebrate all that Galveston Bay has to offer. Teekay is connected to Galveston Bay through the Port of Houston and the many port calls that are made in the area by Teekay vessels each year. It’s always great to see Teekay staff taking initiative in supporting local communities and organizations like The Galveston Bay Foundation. Currently, the non-profit organization aims to enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity.
This year, attendees got to touch local wildlife, view live-animal demonstrations, enjoy live music, create crafts, and partake in a scavenger hunt. The festival was a great success and drew over 5,000 attendees. Festival-goers were also even invited to board the BaySmart Express, a 111-foot educational vessel meant to experience the bay up-close.
If you haven’t heard of Galveston Bay, we’ll give you a rundown. It’s the 7th largest estuary in the United States, it’s located in Texas and at a size of 600 square miles, encompasses the largest port in the United States by tonnage, the Port of Houston. Galveston Bay is unique because it’s composed of both sea and fresh water and therefore provides nursery grounds for a wide variety of marine life. The area also supports a substantial fishing industry, and it’s not uncommon for locals to spot Bottlenose Dolphins in the deeper parts of the bay. When it comes to history, Galveston Bay was the home of Texas’s earliest settlers, its largest city, and even a major port during the oil boom of the 20th century.
Here are a few photos of Keegan’s fun-filled day at the Kemah Boardwalk: