Having lived in various areas of Central California for the past few years I have heard many accounts of whale watching cruises; most of them not very satisfying. I was up in Santa Barbara for a weekend recently where there’s a plethora of companies offering these daily cruises, and since it was whale migration season I decided to try one myself against all odds. One advice I can give you from the start is to make sure you book directly with the company you will be going with, because there are brokerage companies who add a hefty 30%-40% on the ticket price. If you are booking directly you shouldn’t expect to pay more than $20-$25 for a 2 hour trip. If you go out to Santa Barbara harbor you can sign up right there.
After all the negative things I have heard about these cruises and having spent lots of time on various beaches in and around Santa Barbara I had very low expectations as far as spotting whales. And if you don’t want to be disappointed I suggest embarking with the same attitude! Think of it as a little adventure out in the ocean, a sailing trip. 
I suppose we were lucky because we did see some whales although the boat was not able to approach them close enough for us to get a good view of them. We got to see a tiny bit of their back and the water they were blowing. The kids on the boat though were super excited!
Here is the thing, those boats are tiny and slow, within those 2-3 hours they can’t go very far out into the ocean. Even when we did spot the whales, the boat wasn’t able to keep up with the whales. Also, there was another company’s whale watching boat very near to ours and neither one got very close to the other or the whales. Safety comes first after all!
My best ocean life sightings (dolphins, whale, seals) have been along the coast of Malibu while sunbathing on the beach.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying out a whale watching trip, but to avoid being disappointed relax, enjoy the views and sailing and don’t make seeing the whales the main purpose of the cruise. Or,for better chances of spotting these amazing mammals take a full day trip out to the Chanel Islands or Catalina Island.
Some other things to consider:
- Motion Sickness. Don’t go on an empty stomach, but make sure you eat at least an hour before getting on the boat or if you are having a particularly large breakfast leave even more time. Take some ginger candies and fizzy water/soda, they help with an upset stomach. The captain on our boat gave the standard recommendation to stay at the back of the boat to those who easily get sick , but I quickly realized for that particular boat the back was the worst spot because it was also the lowest part of the boat.My advise to you is check out the boat you are on and find the highest point, where you can feel the wind, and you have a wide view, chances are better not to get motion sickness there.
- Take tissues & hand sanitizer with you. The toilet on this boat was absolutely filthy. Also the door didn’t close.
- Use the toilet before getting on the boat!
- It might be a hot day on land but it will still be a lot cooler out on the ocean. Take a jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat.
As always, enjoy yourself!
