As masked whale lovers celebrated the return of the Sounders to the Puget Sound, a documentary filmmaker and YouTuber documented one of Langley’s most whimsical yearly traditions.

Dylan Thuras, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, joined the 22nd Welcome the Whales celebration this past weekend for a new episode of his show, “Small Town, Big Story,” which can be found on YouTube.

Atlas Obscura is a community of explorers that uses storytelling to promote travel to destinations with unusual traditions, histories and experiences. As Saturday’s parade featured legged whale puppets, anthropomorphic cetaceans on stilts, shrimp-riding squids, pirates and mermaids, Langley’s whale extravaganza seems to fit right in.

Saturday, Thuras joined the ensemble of puppeteers animating the big gray whale puppet, Patch, and had fun spraying the crowd through the whale’s blowhole, said Orca Network Program Manager Stephanie Raymond, who paraded in her Glinda-inspired sea witch costume.

Thuras could not be reached for comment before press time, and it’s unclear when the episode will come out.

Orca Network Founder Howard Garrett, who was interviewed Friday at his home, said he was pleased with the attention the Village by the Sea received.

Garrett, who waved his whale flippers as he paraded through downtown with his tail fin hat, could not give the exact number of people who showed up to the parade, but said the street was packed, with a rough estimate of 100 people parading and 200 enjoying the costumes and the brass band.

Some visitors and Orca Network staff members, Raymond said, arrived just in time for the parade despite ferry delays, though they missed the costume-making and other activities at the Langley United Methodist Church earlier that Saturday.

The festival’s other events, such as the trivia night that debuted at the festival Friday and was hosted at Thirsty Crab Brewery, as well as Saturday’s Critter Parade and waterside ceremony were also a success, according to Garrett and Raymond, who said the Atlas Obscura team stayed all weekend. Guests on Sunday’s boat tour were also able to spot some gray whales on the east side of Hat Island, Raymond said.

While Garrett said it’s unclear whether the Sounders have figured out they’re well loved among local humans, their annual ghost shrimp banquets in the Puget Sound are always welcomed with a bang by the people who admire them, including Raymond.

“It’s one of my favorite days every spring,” she said, “(Being) able to go there and just enjoy a bunch of people coming together to celebrate how lucky we are to be in a place where we can look out from the shoreline and see whales more often than a lot of other people can.”

These squids galloped through downtown Langley on shrimpback. (Photo by David Welton)

“Sea witch” Stephanie Raymond walks in front of Patch, the gray whale puppet brought to life by a group of puppeteers that included Filmmaker Dylan Thuras from Atlas Obscura. (Photo by David Welton)

Deborah Koff-Chapin brings some flowers to the water during the waterside ceremony Saturday. (Photo by David Welton)

Deborah Koff-Chapin sings and rings the gong. (Photo by David Welton)

This diver was among the roughly 100 people who participated in the parade. (Photo by David Welton)

Pirate Siobhan Wright plays the cymbals. (Photo by David Welton)

Howard Garret, co-founder of Orca Network, wore DIY whale fins and flippers. (Photo by David Welton)

Howard Garret, co-founder of Orca Network, wore DIY whale fins and flippers. (Photo by David Welton)