About Us
Speed. Adventure. Wildlife.
Santa Barbara Whale Watch (SBWW), was created with the passionate whale enthusiast in mind. We are devoted to providing the ultimate adventure and photography experience for our guests. Our vessel is designed to ensure your comfort and safety while on board. With a spacious deck area for photography and optimal viewing, we specialize in guided whale-watching tours, allowing you to observe and capture stunning moments of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
​
Our experienced and knowledgeable crew will take you on a thrilling adventure through the Santa Barbara Channel where you will have the opportunity to witness a variety of whale species including Humpback, Blue, and Gray whales. Every trip is unique, we truly never know what we're going to see in the Santa Barbara Channel!
​
At SBWW, we believe in preserving the beauty and welfare of these gentle giants. We follow strict guidelines and regulations, ensuring that our tours are eco-friendly and do not interfere with the whales' natural behavior. However, we will sometimes have whales closely interact with our boat! Whales are known for their curious behavior and when we're lucky enough to have a friendly encounter, the best thing to do is to sit back, turn our engines off, and enjoy an incredible connection with nature.
​
Join us for an unforgettable adventure.
Book your tour today!
​
​
THE
SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL
The Santa Barbara Channel is widely regarded as Southern California's most abundant marine hotspot. Whales feed in our channel from spring-fall and migrate through our channel during the winter. We're lucky to be surrounded by the Channel Islands National Park which is in sight on the majority of our tours. These islands create a sort of "bowl" shape allowing large amounts of nutrients to blanket a relatively shallow basin. These nutrients create a bloom of life in the form of phytoplankton. Where the phytoplankton bloom, krill, and anchovies are soon to follow, offering an enormous buffet for our whales and dolphins.