Santa Barbara is famous for its wide beaches and stunning natural beauty. Just 2 hours drive north of Los Angeles, this coastal location is the perfect getaway for anyone seeking a beautiful beachside getaway with easy access from Los Angeles. And one of the premier activities is whale watching in Santa Barbara!
Being so close to the big city, a whale watching trip couldn’t be any easier. And for those families with kids, a whale watching cruise from Santa Barbara offers a safe, comfortable and exciting adventure. Available all year round, Santa Barbara offers half-day cruises into the Santa Barbara Channel to experience whales up close.
Why Choose Santa Barbara for Whale Watching?
Although named way back in 1602 by Spanish explorers, Santa Barbara was was not inhabited by the Spanish until 1769. It had a strong Spanish, and later a Mexican influence until it fell to the United States in 1846. Roughly 100,000 inhabitants live in Santa Barbara.
A unique style and vibrant character is enjoyed in this part of Southern California, thanks to the strong Spanish and Mexican influences. Fascinating local architecture and attractions are plentiful in Santa Barbara, and thanks to the Mediterranean climate it is suitable to visit all year round.
Santa Barbara Channel
Santa Barbara also has an incredibly diverse underwater topography, just off the coast in the Santa Barbara Channel. In fact Santa Barbara Channel is home to more than 30 species of Whales, Dolphins, Seals, Sea-Lions, and many other forms of marine life. It is one of the best locations to find Blue Whales. You can also find plenty of Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, and even Orcas, aka Killer Whales.
Especially interesting is the Blue Whale, being the largest animal known to ever have existed. At 30 metres long and 170 tons in weight, these animals are truly the gargantuan of the oceans. And for anybody with a sense of adventure, Blue Whales can be easily spotted from Santa Barbara on a half-day whale watching cruise.
Who to Cruise With in Santa Barbara
The Condor Express is a great company to take you on a Santa Barbara Whale Watching adventure.
After checking their website, two things about Condor express really impressed us.
-
- They have a whale watching guarantee. If they don’t see whales or have sightings of other marine animals, the Captain will issue “whale checks”. Whale checks are good for a free trip of your choice on another Condor Express Whale Watching trip during the season.
- They have a “Captains Blog” on their website. This is essentially a whale watching report, and it details exactly what species of whale were seen on each day trip. They include a photo and details of other creatures encountered on the day. Readers will have a good idea of what to expect after reading the Captains Blog.
What Will You See?
On a good day out with the Condor Express, you may encounter half a dozen or more Blue Whales, as well as many more of other species of whales. You will probably also see hundreds if not thousands of dolphins and sea-lions.
On the day we booked, there were fairly good sightings of Blue Whales for the previous few days. Not every day, but most days. This was good enough for us, we liked our chances. Besides, there were daily Humpback Whale sightings, so if we missed the Blue Whale we were pretty much guaranteed to see a Humpback Whale. We were able to book a trip for the following day. Ready, set, go!
The Condor Express
Built and launched in 2002, the pride of the fleet is aptly named the Condor Express. It is a catamaran boat with a modified hydrofoil wing which lifts the boat up at high-speed to give a smoother ride. The cruising speed is 28 knots, which is quite fast in boating terms. At this speed the Condor Express can reach the Channel Islands in just 45 minutes. That is if doesn’t stop to view some whales on the way, which is very likely.
The boat has a large sun deck up top with plenty of seating. There is a large weather-proof cabin downstairs with a bar and kitchen. Here you can purchase a wide range of drinks, snacks and freshly cooked meals. It has wide decks where you can walk right around the boat, and a large open area at both the bow (front-end) and stern (back-end) of the boat. Overall the boat is beautifully appointed and feels new, even though it has quite a few years on it. At 75 feet long and 26 feet wide it is a large, comfortable and well equipped boat.
Passengers aboard the Condor Express can view the variety of marine life up close from virtually any angle on the boat, and there is ample room so the people can spread out and not feel crowded. We give this boat a giant thumbs up, it is comfortable, safe and exhilarating.
The Trip to the Islands
Just a few miles offshore from Santa Barbara is the Channel Islands National Park, also called the Santa Barbara Islands. With a rich and diverse history, humans have lived there for the past 13,000 years. And it takes a little under an hour to reach the Channel Islands from Santa Barbara aboard the Condor Express.
As you approach the Channel Islands you will cross the Santa Barbara Channel,an enormously deep part of the ocean with a diverse variety of underwater landscapes. Ocean basins and troughs in this area reach depths of about 6,000 feet (1,800 metres). No wonder the sea life is so rich and the whales love coming here so much. The sea is absolutely teaming with wildlife. Even before you leave the port you will probably observe Sea Lions, Pelicans and other wildlife.
What We Encountered
After leaving the marina in Santa Barbara we headed straight out into the Santa Barbara Channel. Then, after a few minutes we observed some very unnatural sightings. Oil rigs up close which have apparently been operating since the 1960’s, and are still operating to this day. They are actually quite impressive to see if you’ve never seen these before.
After passing the oil rigs we started heading straight for the islands, and only got about half-way across the channel before seeing our first whale. The activity was centred around a giant school of herring, which was being herded to the surface by a giant school of dolphins. The dolphins were in a feeding frenzy, attacking the helpless school of small fish from all directions.
So Many Sea Lions!
There were many Sea-Lions joining in on the action, and coming up to the boat to check out the humans. We also were treated to one Humpback Whale lunging from deep below, getting huge gulps of herring filled water. The Humpback Whale kept breaching the surface, rising vertically out of the water with giant mouthfuls of doomed herring. And of course there were hundreds of sea-birds joining in the feeding frenzy, dive bombing and going every which way.
We stayed and watched this spectacle for about 30 minutes, and then moved on and try to find another Whale. Alas we made it all the way out to Santa Cruz Island and did not see any more whales.
Santa Cruz Island
The Condor Express made it across to Santa Cruz Island, which is part of the Channel Island group. There the Captain edged the boat into a beautiful harbour which was alive with sea life. On one side was a large rock full of Sea Lions. These were barking, playing, diving into the water, and being downright entertaining as Sea-Lions usually are. All around us were sea birds of all descriptions. And up above us on the mountainous island was a group of hikers enjoying the view. An interesting account of the history of the island was presented by the Captain, including the human habitation which dates back some 13,000 years. We then set sail for home, hoping to spot more whales on the way home.
Mako Shark
We did not spot another whale, although there were plenty of interesting things to see. First there was a Mako Shark, whose dorsal fin could be seen swirling around the surface near the Condor Express. Then there was a replica Spanish Galleon sailing through the channel, a spectacle out on the open seas. And there were hundreds more dolphins doing their wonderful dolphin antics. The seas were calm, the passengers happy to have seen a Humpback Whale, and the day almost over. Just a few more Sea Lions to pass on the way back to port and the trip was complete.
Overall Experience on the Condor Express
Reservations can be made online for the half day whale watching cruise on the Condor Express. This is a feature which rates very highly with us, and is the way we made our booking.
We found the parking a little difficult when we arrived. First we had some trouble locating the correct car park. Then we found the car park was full, and had to park a couple of hundred metres from the boat launch site. It’s recommended to arrive at least half hour before launch site, and I would add an extra 20 minutes to find the car park. The parking also carries a small fee but is reduced by presenting your Condor Express tickets.
Wildlife in Southern California
The highlight of our coastal road trip in Southern California was the wild-life. We spotted Elephant Seals, Sea Otters and Sea Lions up and down the coast. But the Humpback Whales we spotted were the most awesome wildlife we saw, especially because this was our first whale watching trip. Although a little disappointed not to have seen any Blue Whales, the awesome spectacle we witnessed with the lunge feeding of the Humpback Whale made up for it.
Santa Barbara Whale Watching is definitely bucket list worthy, and an experience your family will never forget. Santa Barbara Whale Watching is a perfect activity for you family travel adventure!
Would you like a free copy of our Ultimate Bucket List?
Not sure where to travel to next? We have created the Ultimate Bucket List to help you plan your next trip. 1170 awesome travel destinations in 167 countries. And we want you to have it for FREE.
Send Me the Ultimate Bucket List
Looking for some more great adventures around Santa Barbara? Check these out!
