Whale
Watching Tours
There
is only one way to see the whales and that's to get on a
boat to go where they are. It is truly incredible to
see one of these magnificent creatures breaching - where
they haul their mega-ton bodies high above the ocean
surface. The size! The strength!
As
the veterans of a more than few whale watches, we can
offer a few tips to make your whale watches more
enjoyable, more educational and a little easier on your
health.
1.
Dress warmly and dress in layers. It is
usually cold out there. The boat can leave the
harbor in 85 degree weather and be in 65 degree weather in
less than 45 minutes. The wind is usually cold.
The water is always cold. The spray from the bow
soaks into skin and you can get really cold. The
beauty of layers is just maybe you'll find warm weather at
sea. Maybe. Did I mention it gets cold out
there?
2.
Bring a plastic bag for your camera. When
you're not taking pictures keep the camera safely tucked
in the bag. The salt spray can turn $500 worth of
electronic genius into scrap metal before you realize that
you were just hit with salt water spray. Better yet,
buy one of those disposable cameras that you will throw
away when you're done. Plastic doesn't rust!
3.
Know what you're going to see. Not all
whales are available during all times of the year.
If you're hoping to see a humpback in February you might
be disappointed. Read up on them. Why is a
Right Whale called a Right Whale? (Because it was the
right whale to hunt.) How long can a Blue Whale
really get? (+100 ft) Do whales sleep? (It's called
logging and they rest half of their brain at a time.
They're conscious breathers and will drown if they sleep
like we do.) There will usually be a naturalist on
board, but be prepared. The more we have discovered about
whales the more we've grown to love them.
4.
Take good care of your health.
First of all - bring something to soothe sea sickness.
It happens to the best of us and it's not always easy to
predict. All it takes for the waves to get rough is
for the wind to get a bit stronger. It's better to
be prepared than to be green. (Seasickness hint:
look at the horizon, not the edge of the boat.)
Also, bring sunscreen. Even those of us hardened to the
Southern California sun can get burned by the sun
reflecting off the ocean waves.
5.
If you have children, bring something to entertain
them. It can take up to an hour to
find and track whales. Boats can be kind of dull
when there's nothing to see. Avoid books or board
games (try reading on a bus with six foot bumps) unless
Junior has an iron constitution. (And kids often do, don't
they!)
Celebrate
Whales!
Don't
miss the Ventura Harbor Village fourth annual Whale
Celebration that happens during February. Visit
educational and environmental booths, listen to
presentations, view displays, and more.
To
go on a Whale Watch, contact:
Condor Cruises of Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 882-0088
Email:
info@condorcruises.com
Web:
www.CondorCruises.com
Island Packers
1867 Spinnaker Dr.
Ventura, Ca 93001
General Information (9-5pm PST): (805) 642-1393
Fax: (805) 642-6573
24 Hour Information: (805) 642-7688
Island
Packers departs daily for whale watching trips in the
winter (Dec-March) during the Gray Whale migration and
sporadically through the summer to view Humpback and Blue
Whales that are feeding in the western part of the
channel. All trips are narrated by experienced naturalists
and can last from 3 1/2 hours during the Gray Whale season
to all day in the summer. Gray Whale watching is included
on all regular day trips January thru March.
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