One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Popular Whale Tail License Plates Have Raised $95 Million For Environmental Initiatives Since 1997
The popular Whale Tail plates. (Photo via the California Coast Facebook page)
Have you ever seen a license plate featuring the tail of a whale cresting from the ocean? If so, you may have noticed that it says "Protect Our Coast & Ocean" right underneath. The support for the coast isn't superficial: these license plates have raised $95 million for coastal and ocean cleanup since they were introduced in 1997.
The California Coastal Commission introduced the plates as a way to fund events outside of the Coastal Cleanup Day; the funds go towards the Commission's Adopt-A-Beach program, which allows groups to commit to cleaning a beach three times a year, as well as the Whale Tail Grants Program, which provides funding for local marine education. After covering the cost of license plate production, the Commission funnels all remaining funds into coastal and state environmental programs.
The Commission has sold 243,000 plates since 1997. A regular Whale Tail plate costs $50 over the regular registration fee, with a $40 annual renewal fee. For a vanity plate, it costs $103 over the registration fee and $83 per year after that. The plates formerly featured an image by Long Beach muralist Wyland, but the Coastal Commission chose a new design after Wyland requested 20% of the state's profit in exchange for using his artwork.
The Pasadena Star-News points out the plates aren't only popular with coastal citizens, as would be expected— drivers from the San Gabriel Valley, San Bernardino, and Riverside are some of the biggest fans of the plates (as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend notes, albeit exaggeratedly, West Covina in the SGV is "two hours from the beach, four in traffic.")
Heal the Bay hosts the Commission's annual Cleanup Day as well as a monthly cleanup program called "Nothin' but Sand." The program will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the October "Nothin' but Sand" event at the Ballona Creek Wetlands in Playa Del Rey. The event will happen on October 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Playa del Rey’s Toe’s Beach, Tower 41.
Visit the California Coastal Commission's website if you're interested in getting a Whale Tail plate.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
