Winter Whale Watching off Ventura. Yes, It’s Absolutely Worth It!

Some of the greatest and most fulfilling adventures, such as a winter whale watching tour off the coast of Ventura, start in your own backyard.

^{Last updated: January 28, 2026}

Ventura Whale Watching. | Roads and Destinations — *Winter whale watching trip off the coast of Ventura*

Winter Whale Watching off the Coast of Ventura

We travel far to see the places of wonder. Places that light up with the aurora borealis at night and hold the remains of ancient civilizations. Pockets of secure land and ocean expanses where wildlife roams freely, breeding and raising the next generation to take over their wild home when they are gone. We love these simple miracles of nature and ancient cultures, preserved for years to come, that ignite our curiosity and, to some extent, make us feel fully alive.

The last few weeks had promised many adventures that didn’t even come close to the phase of fruition. Dylan’s school vacation was spent on finishing up Christmas gift wrapping and nurturing back after stomach flu. And before we noticed it, two weeks had gone by. A drastic change of scenery was needed for the last few days of the school break.

On Monday, with a frown on my face and laptop in front of me, I kept typing places in Google maps. Destinations that we might be interesting to revisit. Four hours away. Six hours away. Too long of a drive for a day trip…

One hour. Not bad. But that unmistakable feeling of uncertainty started nagging again: “Maybe not this time. Keep looking.”

Watch our whale watching adventure in Ventura

Channel Islands National Park

Dylan had never been to Channel Islands National Park. One of the most secluded national parks in California, the chain of islands is located off the Southern Coast of the Golden State. It’s accessible primarily by boats, with the official concessionaire Island Packers offering year-round service.

The last time we traveled to Santa Cruz Island by ferry, we skipped a kayak tour to Painted Cave. Known as one of the world’s largest sea caves, the site is an adventure on its own. That could be an ideal place for us to visit this time.

Yet January, even in sunny Southern California, is cold. The winds blow with intensified force over the ocean. So, sadly, the voyage to Painted Cave in Channel Islands National Park had to wait for the warmer season and open excursion dates.

But something else caught my attention as I was scrolling more and the frown between my eyebrows was deepening. A winter whale watching trip from Ventura.

Winter Whale Watching in Southern California

Whale watching is both a seasonal and year-round activity in California. Gray whales come to the food-abundant waters off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara around December and winter here until April. The peak season to watch these species of marine mammals are January and February before they migrate south to Mexico to breed.

Humpback whales are more common sightings from mid-May to mid-November. But they can also swim in Southern California’s rich waters in winter alongside gray whales and dolphins.

The number of dolphins you can see off the coast of Ventura in winter is staggering. The quirky marine mammals surround the boat and swim alongside it, breaching, flipping, and swimming in acrobatic duos and trios.

Dolphins dwell in the waters abundant with food and nutrients right off the coast of Ventura year round. In winter, during a whale watching tour, you are likely to see common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and Risso’s dolphins.

A special treat to your eyes is the viewing of orcas that follow their food sources all the way to the Southern Coast of California. Gray whales lure killer whales to the marine environment of Ventura. While not regular visitors in these waters, orcas target inexperienced calves during the annual gray whales migration.

Our Experiences

We’ve done a few marine wildlife watching tours over the years. At one point, precisely at the end of the season when it was a rather big surprise, we had the pleasure to observe a mother orca playing with her two calves in Kenai Fjords National Park. Several voyages, but sadly not many big marine mammal encounters, squeezed in our Florida adventure.

But somehow, except for a not particularly successful whale watching trip in Newport Beach, we stayed away from the ocean realm of California.

We travel far to see the places of wonder, forgetting about the miracles in our backyard along the way…

Do you know that instant when a light switch goes on in your head and an unabated idea suddenly appears? Some call it a “lightbulb” or an “aha” moment. This whale watching cruise off the Ventura shoreline was exactly that. I knew right away that we had to do it. With jitters and butterflies somersaulting in my stomach, I rushed to the booking section of the website.

The nearest open date was the upcoming Friday. Weekends were either sold out or there were no tours scheduled. The next whale watching excursion from Ventura Harbor that would suit our schedule wasn’t available until the end of the month. So, Friday it was!

Winter Whale Watching Tours from Ventura

Two winter whale watching tour boats depart from the Ventura Harbor between late December and mid-April daily, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Each excursion lasts 3.5 hours. It’s a perfect time, not too long to get reckless (our previous 5-hour boat experience started dragging on and on after the first few hours). Yet it’s long enough to provide multiple opportunities to watch marine animals in their natural habitat.

Winter whale watching tours from Ventura Harbor are operated by Island Packers. The tour boats cruise through the Santa Barbara Channel between the mainland and the Channel Islands. It’s the ocean realm that dolphins, migrating whales, seals, and sea lions favor.

A few decades ago, only 500 humpback whales would winter in the waters off the coast of Ventura. Today, this number has increased to 5,000. It all has been possible due to a joint preservation work of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

California | Roads and Destinations — *Off to see some whales | Whale watching in Ventura*

Marine Animals to Encounter during Winter Whale Watching Tour from Ventura

Announcing their presence by unmistakable spouts, humpback whales can swim nearby, sometimes approaching boats to investigate. These marine creatures are curious and flamboyant. When they are in an exceptionally good mood, you can see them breaching and slapping their fins and tails on the water.

Even more inquisitive are dolphins. The playful marine mammals are the most reliable encounters during the winter whale watching tours from Ventura. No sooner than our boat sailed off the shore and steered toward the deeper waters, a pod of blizzard-fast dolphins surrounded it and kept breaching out and diving back in.

Gray whales off the coast of Ventura are shy. They are primarily preoccupied with their migration from Alaskan feeding grounds, through Ventura’s rich waters, to selected lagoons in Baja California, Mexico. Here they resume their social and friendly demeanors and become quite curious about humans.

I wasn’t sure if we would see any whales or dolphins during our winter whale watching trip from Ventura. Certainly hoped for it. The marine mammals I did expect to see, seals and sea lions, however, abandoned the show arena this time. Harbor seals and California sea lions are normally common sights right off the shore of Ventura.