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Whale Watching in Santa Barbara
Information about Whale Watching in Santa Barbara California
Santa Barbara California has GREAT Whale Watching all year around. The Santa Barbara Channel has become one of the best places in the world for Whale Watching with a wide variety of Marine Mammals you might possibly see.
Whales - Gray Whales are a very common sighting in the winter and spring. Humpback Whales are seen in the channel in the spring and summer and even into the fall months. Blue Whales show up later in the spring and stay into the fall. The Santa Barbara channel is an excellent place to see Humpback and Blue Whales with the best chance being the summer months. Minke Whales are possible at any time as are Fin Whales. Sperm Whales are occasionally seen in the winter months and there are a number of lesser known and less common species that can also be seen.
Orcas/Killer Whales - Orcas are possible any time of year off of Santa Barbara but not a common sighting. The best chance for a sighting would be during the Gray Whale migration however this can involve predation on Gray Whale calves.
Dolphin - Common Dolphin, both long and short beaked, are a very frequent sighting during Whale Watching trips with pods often numbering in the thousands. Bottlenose Dolphin and Dall's Porpoise are also seen year around. Risso's Dolphins and Pacific White Sided Dolphin can be seen year around with the best chance during the summer months. Northern Right Whale Dolphins are possible as are a number of other lesser known species.
Pinnipeds - California Sealions can be seen lounging on a buoy heading out of any Harbor I have ever been out of. They are also seen out in the ocean and near the Channel Islands as are Harbor Seals. Elephant Seals are possible and if you're lucky the occasional Fur Seal.
Other species - Sea Otters will occasionally venture this far south but not often. There are many different sea birds including Pelicans that are seen anywhere from the harbor to the islands. Sun Fish, Sharks and other fish can also be seen and if you're real lucky you might see a Sea Turtle.
Whale Watching in Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara has a nice Harbor and is within walking distance of the pier. They often have events/festivals going on around the streets and sidewalks with art and various other type vendors. Parking for the harbor is usually good but can fill up depending on events in the area. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated for a couple dollars off when you Whale Watch. You may also enjoy the Santa Barbara Whale Festival.
Whale Watching companies in Santa Barbara
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Condor Cruises - Condor Cruises has year around Whale Watching and I highly recommend them. The Condor Express is a high speed catamaran propelled by water jets to be as safe around marine animals as possible. They have a high success rate for sightings and guarantee their trips.
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Captain Don's Whale Watching - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration.
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Sunset Kidd Whale Watching - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration.
Santa Barbara is not that close to me but it is well worth the drive to go Whale Watching. I have only been 6 times (all with Condor Cruises) and only during the Humpback and Blue Whale season. I'm sure they have excellent Gray Whale watching but I can do that locally so haven't made it up for that yet. Someday I will.
On my six trips on the Condor Express we have had 100% success. I've been on trips that it seemed there were Blue Whales in every direction. I've seen lots of Humpbacks including a beautiful cow/calf pair and I've even been lucky enough to enjoy a friendly approach by a pair of Humpbacks. The friendly Humpbacks swam around watching us for quite some time. It was a Whale Watchers dream! I have also seen THOUSANDS of Common Dolphin (both Long Beaked and Short Beaked) and some Risso's Dolphin. I've seen plenty of Sealions, some Harbor Seals and one Elephant Seal as well as Sun fish, a Jelly fish and a Shark. Condor Cruises also hosts trips for the American Cetacean Society.
Pictures and the stories of my trips on the Condor can be found on my personal pages - Friendly Humpback Whales - Blue Whales - Humpback Cow/Calf Pair (sorry, my last trip isn't up yet but can be found on the forum listed to the left)
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