ONLINE NOW!
THIRD ANNUAL "WHALE OF A CELEBRATION" EVENT!
Join us at the SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, OCTOBER 23RD for a fun night of whale lectures, celebration, and the premiere of our short film "WHALES in a CHANGING OCEAN," by filmmaker Adam Ernster.
Hop on board CONDOR EXPRESS WHALE WATCHING for a 4-hour whale watch exploring the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area. Join our guest lecturers and the SBCWHA team.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE!
Latest Short Film!
Channel of Giants : Celebrating Two Years as a Whale Heritage Area
Checkout our NEW Short Film highlighting what it means to be a whale heritage area. Join SBCWHA Co-Director Holly Lohuis on an expedition through the Santa Barbara Channel, where we encounter dozens of humpback whales, a species once near extinction off the California coast, now on the rise.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH!
The Importance of Whale Heritage Areas
We are excited to announce the Santa Barbara Channel has become the 9th Whale Heritage Area in the world. This designation highlights the region’s commitment to promoting responsible ecotourism, providing more ocean educational opportunities, supporting on-going research and conservation efforts, and honoring the timeless cultural connection we have to whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Our Valued Partners
Our Blog
Stay up to date with the latest whale news, sightings, and science in the SBCWHA!
‘BATTLE of the BLUES’
A New Film Co-Sponsored by SBCWHA Is Screening Feb 6th & 7th at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Battle of the Blues is a 25-minute narrative film that highlights the population of Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) that reside off the US west coast, specifically in Southern California. As the largest animal the world has…
WHALE OF APPRECIATION
January 2025 We are thrilled to celebrate an incredible milestone: the designation of the Santa Barbara Channel as the 9th Whale Heritage Area in the world! This prestigious recognition, awarded by the World Cetacean Alliance and World Animal Protection, underscores our region’s commitment to sustainable tourism, marine conservation, and the deep cultural connection we share…
Iconic Encounters in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area.
Killer Whale Sightings Featuring California’s Famous Orca, Frosty January 2025 Every so often whale watching in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area (SBCWHA) presents a moment so extraordinary that it stays with you forever. Such has been the case over the past month for four different whale watching companies and hundreds of enthusiastic whale…
“Whale Heritage Areas are becoming the gold standard for responsible whale watching destinations worldwide. But they also have so much more to offer. By interweaving natural and cultural elements and placing communities at their very heart, these sites will become places where people respect, celebrate and protect cetaceans and their habitats long into the future.”
Jean-Michel Cousteau Honorary President,
World Cetacean Alliance
Founder, Ocean Futures Society