Condor Express Whale Watching - Santa Barbara, CA

peter C.

Enjoyed an excellent whale watching trip this past Saturday, my second trip this year. The Santa Barbara channel is one of natures treasures and I can highly recommend this adventure for anyone who loves the natural world. On both trips we experienced close up encounters with several humpback whales (and one curious sea lion!) along with a variety of sea birds and on our way back into harbor several sunbathing harbor seals.

The Condor Express is a very seaworthy twin hulled vessel powered by saltwater jet engines so, there are no propellers to harm inquisitive whales, dolphins, etc. Consequently, we can get very close to whatever sea mammals we find.

My hats off to the captain, Dave, the galley crew, Aspen, and Becky one of the excellent tour guides.

Lael R.

The wife and I had a Great trip today on the Condor Express!! Saw 7 minke whales and 3 humpbacks!! Really nice tail fluke showings too! Kudos to the crew for going really far out there as it made the difference in seeing those humpbacks. We also saw hundreds if not thousands of dolphins and some sea lions, a sunfish floating at the surface and maybe even a seal back near the dock. Lot of good bird life as well. Would highly recommend these guys!

Bren K.

First impression at ticketing desk was disappointing. The staff seemed annoyed and unfriendly. The tour itself was miserable. It was cold and no whale sightings. The boat needs an update and heat for colder days, especially for the price of the tour.

Jennifer N.

Our family had an INCREDIBLE experience on the Condor Express! We got really lucky with super close whale watching! It was amazing!! And the boat/facilities and the crew were all wonderful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

Tanner C.

I love Condor Express! I've been many times. The price tag per person looks high, but I've never had a bad time and you get 4.5 hours on the water. The volunteers are great, staff are nice, there's a kitchen on the boat, and a double-decker boat with great views from anywhere. Over my trips, I've seen thousands of dolphins, sea lions, mola mola, a blue shark, humpback whale breaches, orcas, minke whales, and a blue whale. Plus, you get amazing views of the channel islands and the SB coast. Every time I'm in SB I try to make a trip with them. Never been disappointed. My pictures this trip weren't that great since I didn't bring my nicer camera. If you can, this is a photographer's paradise.

Shawn M.

I really enjoyed the whale watching tour I went on today. Highly recommend Condor Express. The boat was great and the crew was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Deborah S.

We had originally book our trip for the day before, but it was cancelled because of weather, but we had spectacular weather the next day. We were brought into the channel by Captain Dave and were given an interesting informational talk by two volunteer naturalists (Larry and Larry). The captain knew exactly where to go and we were thrilled to see 2 grey whales and several dolphins playing together. We followed them for over an hour and it was mesmerizing. We loved it!

Yvette G.

This was our second time going for a whale watch with Condor Express! We had such a great time a few years ago that we wanted to come back, and it didn’t disappoint. The crew and amenities are excellent, and they had several naturalists on board who were very knowledgeable. On today’s 4.5 hour trip we saw sea lions, 1,200+ common dolphins and a fin whale. The captain took us nearly out to Santa Cruz Island (the largest of the Channel Islands) and that’s where we saw the dolphins and fin whale. It was a 1.5 hour boat ride to get out there but the weather was beautiful and there was a nice spot inside the cabin to warm up. The air temperatures are cold on the open ocean, so we were glad we brought warm clothing (down jacket & wind breaker). Next time I’ll pack gloves and a winter hat! Highly recommend this outfitter!