DAILY SIGHTINGS

A stunning winter day, packed with an eventful agenda! After these crazy winter storms we've been having, debris was everywhere in the channel. Logs, bushes, sticks, and the occasional human garbage riddled the channel. Our first sighting of the day was a pair of humpbacks. The sub-adult pair fluked continuously as they headed west in the channel. We watched as a pair of large container ships passed by in the distance, adhering to the 10 knot voluntary speed reduction request

Another one of those incredible December days. A bit of a bump from yesterday's high winds resided in the channel, but didn't stop us from finding a whole bunch of marine life! Captain Devin reports incredible marine sightings. 7 humpback whales, 10 Dall's porpoise, and 100 common dolphins are a great way to start any trip. But ending the trip with a friendly pod of killer whales was THE BEST way to end it. On the way home, we happened upon a group of killer whales known as t

Just one of those days! Captain Devin found the Killer Whale pod, the CA51A's, on a beautiful day in the channel. We last saw these whales in June of 2024. The whales had clearly killed some sort of prey, most likely a sea lion or common dolphin, and were sharing the prey below the surface. Out of nowhere, 3 humpback whales soon began to harass the killer whales. For hours, the same pattern of killer whales coming to the surface to breathe, followed by humpback whales chasing

Captain Devin reports Perfect weather today which allowed him to find 15+ humpback whales and 1,000 common dolphins. This time of year, the whales are all moving around, migrating to and fro. However with the channel being such a productive marine hotspot. Many of the whales are still feeding into December. Competition behavior for the breeding season as well as feeding behavior are common this time of year, making it a great time to hop on a whale watching trip! Until Next T

WHAT A DAY! Captain Adam reports the conditions don't get any better! The whale action was great to match. Right out of the gate, we enjoyed four humpback whales lunge-feeding on anchovies. We had plenty of close passes as the whales fed with hundreds of sea lions. Further south and past the lanes, we ran into another large group of whales. It consisted of 6 large adults in a competitive state, as well as a few smaller whales on the outskirts. The whale's trumpet blew, raised

CRC-21399 Captain Adam reports another day with beautiful weather and lots of whales! We enjoyed a cow/calf pair close to shore. Tail flukes were seen by all. We then spent time with 100 or so common dolphins. The flat, calm sea conditions really emphasized the awesome encounter. South of the lanes, we found even more humpbacks. A competition pod of 6 whales. Among the whales was this individual, CRC-21399. This whale has been seen in Monterey Bay since 2023. It was never see

Captain Adam reports absolutely stunning sea conditions in the channel, along with some really nice sightings! Our first whales of the day made up a comp pod of 5 whales together. They trumpet blew, they threw their tails around, and put up high arching flukes. It was a bittersweet encounter knowing these whales will soon be headed south out of the feeding grounds. We soon found a beautiful pod of about 250 common dolphins. The glassy seas really accentuated this encounter. T

While this time of year can bring us some unpredictable weather, the last few days have remained the same, no wind and a slight bump. Captain Devin ran to the east in search of whales and dolphins. Luckily, he found both! Near the middle of the channel towards the east end of Santa Cruz Island, Devin found a nice honey hole, consisting of 6 humpback whales and 6 common dolphins: how unusual! We typically see common dolphins in the hundreds if not the thousands. Today however

Captain Devin reports lots of whales in the channel! We watched at least a dozen whales, capping the day with one happy breached! Over and over again, we witnessed one of the most powerful acts in nature, as a 40 ton humpback kept from the seas! Topped off with 2,000 common dolphins, it was another beautiful fall day in the channel 🐋

Picturesque fall weather greeted us in the channel this morning! A long period swell rolled through the channel, the only evidence left over from the last storm. Humpbacks were everywhere as they put up their tail flukes all around us. We closely watched 10 out of a larger group of 20+. The last pair of whales we watched were vocal and one even threw its tail in the air right next to us before taking a deep dive! Common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins were watched today as w

Captain Devin reports 9+ Humpback whales with behaviors such as competition pods and some late-season lunge-feeding.

The dolphins returned today after a week long absence from our sightings reports. They are always the cherry on top to our excursions! Add in 7 humpback whales and you’ve got a recipe for a great day in the Santa Barbara Channel Until Next Time, The SBWW Crew

Blue skies and a slight western bump created some scenic views today. A report from Captain Adam on his own boat led us west along the coastline. We soon caught up with 8+ humpback whales feeding with California Sea lions off the BEAUTIFUL Gaviota coast. We witnessed lunge feeding and some social interactions from a group of 4. Further west, we spent more time with a few pairs of whales as more spouts appeared in the distance. November is still packed with lots of action in t

Captain Devin reports a bit of a westerly swell, but lots of humpbacks! 7 whales were found just a few miles off the coast. We witnessed lunge-feeding when a rocket soared overhead, launched from the nearby Vandenberg Space Force Base! The whales also exhibited some competitive behavior, a common sighting this time of year. Until Next Time, The SBWW Crew

Out the gate Captain Devin reports a small group of common dolphins, likely around 100 animals. Getting our dolphin fix out early is always a plus! Southwest of the buoy we started to pick off humpback whale after humpback whale. At first the whales were feeding actively with birds and sea lions, then soon got into a competitive mood. This behavior is common this time of year as the whales ready for the winter breeding season. Until Next Time, The SBWW Crew

Captain Devin reports 15+ humpback whales split up into 3 groups. Each group contained 5-7 whales that were clearly in a competitive state. This time of year “comp pods,” are very common as the whales prepare to head south for their winter breeding season.

15+ humpbacks and 4,000 common dolphins were actively feeding throughout the channel. A lot of the feeding was subsurface, but we did see a few instances of lunge-feeding, always impressive to see! The highlight of the day was when 1,000 dolphins suddenly took to the sky in a stampede! Go, buddies go! Until next time, The SBWW Crew