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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Our Blog
Stay up to date with the latest whale news, sightings, and science in the SBCWHA!
Meet the Humpback Whale
Humpback whales (Megaptera Novaengliae) are a species of large baleen whale that can be found in all of the world’s oceans. These incredible whales breed in warm tropical waters and migrate to cold nutrient-rich waters to feed. Showing up in the spring months here in the Santa Barbara Channel, these whales will remain here until…
Meet the Gray Whale
The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a fascinating marine mammal known for its distinctive appearance and migratory behavior. These whales belong to the baleen whale suborder Mysticeti and are recognized for their dark gray skin, which is often covered in characteristic white patches and barnacles. Gray whales have a robust body, and adults can reach…
Whale of Thanks
Thank you for all of your support in 2023, as we became the 9th whale heritage area in the world! People like yourselves inspire us to continue our mission to raise awareness about the whales of the channel, their vital significance, incredible abundance, and unique hardships. Advocating for our channel’s greatest inhabitants is no small task and…
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“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