California Whale Watching from the Santa Barbara Harbor

Santa Barbara Channel Whale Watching Calendar

California Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Blue Whales and Killer Whales (Orcas) are common visitors to the Santa Barbara Channel throughout the seasons. The best time to view specific types of whales varies by the time of year. The California Gray Whale migration is most common in the winter from December until mid-May. Humpback and Blue Whales are more commonly seen from April to November. Orcas and a wide variety of wildlife including other whales, dolphins, seals, sea otters, sea birds and sea lions are common throughout the year, making Santa Barbara whale watching on of the best things to do in Santa Barbara. The chart below is a guide to Santa Barbara whale watching and shows some of the peak times for viewing California Gray Whales including females with their calves, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Orcas, Sperm Whales, Minke Whales, Finback Whales, Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Risso Dolphins, Northern Right Whale Dolphins, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Dall's Porpoise, California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Northern Elephant Seals and California Sea Otters.