GOINGS ON : Getting in the Swim With Whales, Dolphins : Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s presentation will include Cousteau film, video of humpback rescue.

Whales and dolphins will share the spotlight Friday in a three-part presentationat the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

First, Jean-Michel Cousteau will present his new film “The Secret Societies of Dolphins and Whales,” in which he visits with dolphins in the Bahamas, finds pilot whale skeletons inside a cave in Fiji, and tracks humpbacks from Hawaii to Alaska.

After the film, photographer Bob Talbot will take the audience behind the scenes of the popular motion picture “Free Willy,” the story of the release of a captive killer whale. That will be followed by a video showing the real-life rescue of a humpback whale stuck in sand at Santa Barbara’s El Capitan State Beach.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow. General admission is $18. Call 682-4711 for reservations. The museum is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road.

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More Natural History: The Museum of Natural History is getting a jump on the Dec. 21 winter solstice, with a multimedia program Saturday. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the “Crystals in the Sky” planetarium show, in which lecturer Ernest Underhay will explain how the Chumash Indians used the stars to create a calendar. The placement of the stars in the sky told them when to plant, when to harvest, and guided them in other daily and religious activities.

Dinner will be served after the planetarium show. Then it’s on to the musical portion of the evening. Celtic group Queen Mab will perform traditional Irish music and will accompany storytellers Kathryn Voice and Matthew Ingersoll in the sharing of solstice legends from around the world. The solstice has long been celebrated by cultures worldwide.

General admission is $30 (for the whole show), $20 (for the planetarium show and dinner), and $8 for adults and $4 for children (for the concert only). The museum is at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road. Call 682-4711 for more information.

Reminder: The museum is participating in the Toys for Tots program. Visitors showing up with a toy will be admitted free to the museum. Of course that doesn’t include the price of special presentations.

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The Santa Barbara Symphony and the Santa Barbara Festival Ballet will kick off the “Nutcracker” season Sunday at the Arlington Theatre. Performances will be given Saturdays at 2:30 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $10-$23 for adults and $9.50-$15 for children. Call 963-4408. The Arlington is located at 1317 State St. (Look for other Santa Barbara productions of Tchaikovsky’s ballet in coming weeks.)

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Westmont College Choir director Gerry Bouma will lead his ensemble in a concert of traditional Christmas music Sunday at Santa Barbara’s Trinity Episcopal Church. The program will include “Lost in the Night,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “The Angels’ Carol,” and Bach’s Christmas cantata. The children’s chorus from the El Montecito Presbyterian Church will also perform. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $8 (adults), $6 (children). At the door it’s $10 (adults) and $8 (children). Reservations are suggested. The church is located at 1500 State St. Call 565-6240.

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The Santa Barbara band Headless Household will celebrate its 10th anniversary--just as it did last year--at its annual Christmas Concert Tuesday at the Center Stage Theater. The group, which performs an eclectic mix that includes folk, rock, jazz and polka, will take the opportunity to celebrate the release of its second album, “Inside/Outside USA.” Show time is 8 p.m. General admission is $7. Center Stage Theater is located on the second level of the Paseo Nuevo shopping center. Call 963-0408 for information.

Yes, the group did celebrate its 10th anniversary last year--they claim it was a simple, honest mathematical error.