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.
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Stay up to date with the latest whale news, sightings, and science in the SBCWHA!
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…
A Whale of Gratitude: Celebrating One Year as a Whale Heritage Area
December 2024 This past month, we gathered to celebrate a monumental milestone: the One-Year Anniversary of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area. The sold-out event, “A Whale of a Celebration,” was an overwhelming success, and it’s all thanks to you—our passionate supporters: donors, sponsors, in-kind donors, dedicated volunteers, and enthusiastic community members…..Thank You! The…
Jean-Michel Cousteau – The Humpback Whale
October 15, 2024 Happywhale engages citizen scientists to identify individual marine mammals, for fun and for science. This is a vital platform for cataloging whale sightings but also more importantly, fosters a global community committed to whale conservation. The significance of Happywhale lies not just in its innovative technology, but in its role as a…
“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