Whale Watching in Santa Barbara
Information about Whale Watching in Santa Barbara California
Santa Barbara California has Whale Watching year round. The Santa Barbara Channel is well known for viewing a wide variety of Marine Mammals. Located about 1 hour or more from Los Angeles depending on where you are in Los Angeles you may opt for closer options such as Newport Beach. The weather can be on the chilly side in Santa Barbara and with lower water temperatures than the rest of Southern California it can be down right uncomfortable even during the summer months. Dress warm and make sure to take sea sickness medication if at all prone to motion sickness.
Whales - Gray Whales are a 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 has good viewing opportunities for Humpback and Blue Whales, with the best chance being the summer months. Minke Whales are possible at any time as well as 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 by the Orcas.
Dolphin - Common Dolphin, both long and short beaked, are possible during whale watching trips with pods sometimes numbering in the thousands. Bottlenose Dolphin and Dall's Porpoise are also seen year round. Risso's Dolphins and Pacific White Sided Dolphin can be seen during the summer months. It may also be possible to see Northern Right Whale Dolphin as well as other lesser known species.
Pinnipeds - California Sea Lions can be seen lounging on buoys that sit at the mouth of every harbor that I have ever been. The sea lions are also seen out in the ocean and near the Channel Islands as are Harbor Seals. It is also possible to see Elephant Seals 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.
Whale Watching in Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara has a nice small 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 types of vendors. Parking for the harbor is usually easy but can fill up depending on any events happening in the area. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated for a few dollars off when you go whale watching. 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 round whale watching and I recommend them. The Condor Express is a high speed catamaran propelled by water jets. The Condor Express is unlike its counterparts in the south and has a good selection of amenities. I typically favor more traditional whale watching ships, but I will make an exception here. They have a pretty high success rate for sightings. I also suggest dressing warm.
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Captain Don's Pirate Whale Watching - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration. They are trying to appeal to families with the “Pirate” referenced in all of their cruises, but I am not really a pirate buff and whale watching alone is fun enough that I don’t need a colorful spin to make me want to go. With Condor Cruises nearby, deciding who to go whale watching with isn’t a tough decision. Their harbor cruises probably would be fun for kids though.
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Sunset Kidd Whale Watching - Sunset Kidd offers whale watching during the traditional Gray Whale migration. Actually they start in February which is already well into the migration and continue until mid May. Perhaps they chose this date range to miss some of the unsettling weather that can occur here, I am not sure. Sunset Kidd uses a sail boat for all of their whale watching cruises. It does seem to be pretty nice, but still it has the limitations of a sailboat. The price is pretty reasonable at $35. For sailing enthusiasts this might be a pretty good option. For those just interested in whale watching I would opt for Condor Cruises or maybe head south.
Santa Barbara is not that close to where I live and the drive is kind of a long one to go Whale Watching. Still, if you make a weekend of it the drive isn’t too bad. I have been out 6 times (all with Condor Cruises) and only during the Humpback and Blue Whale season. I'm sure they have good Gray Whale watching but I can do that locally in Newport Beach so haven't made it up to Santa Barbara for that yet. Someday I will.
On my six trips aboard the Condor Express we have had almost 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. 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 Sea Lions, some Harbor Seals and one Elephant Seal as well as sun fish, 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)
Need a place to stay on your trip? Try Santa Barbara vacation rentals.
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