Armed with sunscreen, water, and a camera, we're heading out from Ventura Village Harbor to a superhighway. A whale superhighway that's better known as the Santa Barbara Channel.
It's one of nine designated Whale Heritage Areas in the world, and one of only two in the U.S.
"What do we look for? On a calm day like today, our eagle-eyed Captain Dave could definitely see us about at least two miles away," explained Holly Lohuis, our guide aboard our cruise.
"This body of water is about 80 miles long, 25 miles wide on average," Lohuis explained. Because of the oceanographic conditions, a lot of mixing occurrence, and an important vertical upwelling, we just have a really productive, healthy marine ecosystem here right offshore."
Lohuis is also a naturalist and deckhand with Island Packers, one of the local companies offering trips like this, which has been running whale watching trips and trips to the Channel Islands for 57 years.
According to Island Packers President Cherryl Connally, no two days are the same.
"Every day is a new special day. I get excited every time I'm on the boat when I see a whale or a dolphin," said Connally.
"What's really fun as we depart the Ventura Harbor, we have no idea what we're going to see," added Lohuis. "We have year-round residents of common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins that we see throughout the year. And then this time of year, the third week of March, is a great time to see northbound Pacific gray whales. We're also lucky to now have humpback whales about every month of the year."
I'm sharing the ride with nature enthusiasts hoping to get a chance to see these majestic mammals. And also some middle school students, who are being encouraged to get off their devices and make the outdoors their real-life playground for the day.
We get lucky and spot a pod of four grey whales, making their northbound migration.
Dolphins are another of the many species thriving here, and we're lucky enough to encounter a playful pod as the boat's wake made an inviting playtime.
Through whale conservation and responsible ecotourism, it’s hoped that visitors will have the opportunity to experience the magic of seeing them in the wild for years to come.
