We got in touch with Captain Sean to help celebrate my girlfriend's 30th and had a fantastic time!…read more We set sail in the morning to the Channel Islands, then kayaked through sea caves, snorkeled in the kelp forests, hung out with the seals, and chilled on the boat with a some drinks, sandwiches, potato salad, and cake. Captain Sean also didn't blink an eye when I had a couple dietary restrictions in terms of provisioning the boat. Overall the experience was definitely an adventure we'll remember and we're already itching to find a way to get back in the sea again.

People were friendly and informative! We saw whales, a massive school of dolphins and seal lions…read morethey were knowledgeable and attentive.

Matteo is a most accommodating and hospitable captain. His vessel is clean and comfortable. He…read moremakes everyone feel like family. What a great opportunity to see the Channel Islands and be a tourist in my own city.

From the owner: Welcome to Whales & Co., your destination for eco-friendly whale watching tours. Join our crew for…read morean unforgettable experience at the Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary off Anacapa Island. Come and share our love for the Oceans and enjoy a great day at Sea onboard our Research Vessel. Spend half day off Anacapa Islands with your family and friends to discover the beauty of our Whales and Dolphins or spoil yourself with our tasty snacks and wine selection while cruising at Sunset. Our tours are designed with your Enjoyment, Comfort and Safety in mind. With room for private parties up to 6 passengers, treat yourself with an adventure in the World Whale Heritage waters of the Santa Barbara Channel.

Had a great time with our grandsons on a half day charter. Doug knows the Channel Islands well.read more

An incredible experience! Doug is a knowledgeable Captain who expertly navigated around the Channel…read moreIslands. He brought us to a quiet cove to enjoy lunch (and swimming if desired), showed us sea lions basking in the sun, sea caves where kayaks were exploding, dolphins, and other sites. Being out on Doug's boat for the day was a wonderful experience that our family won't soon forget. Definitely recommend having Captain Doug show you around the Channel Islands.

Chartered the sunfish for a two hour sunset whale watching cruise last night and it was incredibly…read morefun!!!! Roger was a terrific captain. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and just all-around awesome. Cheyenne was terrific as well. My group of 10 could not have had a better time. We weren't even sure we would see whales and we saw tons of them and we saw about 100 dolphins and adorable sea lions and other fish just swimming around our boat. What a phenomenal experience! So highly recommended!!!

If you're thinking about taking this tour just do it! From the moment you arrive these guys treat…read moreyou like your best friend visiting the islands for the first time. They show you all the cool stuff answer all your questions. It's been a few days and we're already missing them! They are truly lovely to chat with. When it was time to hit the activities they went to work showing their skills and knowledge. FYI we're vegetarian and the lunch was lovely- so make sure you order that too! Thanks Captain Dan and crew! It was a bucket list day we won't forget!

We Had An Awesome Time! June 2025…read moreCaptain Dan and his Bosun, Dennis provided an exceptional sailing trip to Anacapa Island for us. We enjoyed the sail over to the island where we anchored and had a delicious Mediterranean style lunch. We got to see a lot of Sea Lions, a few dolphins, and a huge Mola Mola Sunfish. My future daughter-in-law took her turn at the wheel and really enjoyed being able to do that! We had some pretty big waves on the sail back to the harbor but Captain Dan's and Dennis's sailing expertise navigated us back to the harbor safely. We highly recommend sailing with Sail Channel Islands

Our family was very pleased with Captain Dan and the Sail Channel Islands funeral at sea…read moreservice/experience. Captain Dan is extremely skilled at boating and sailing which made us feel very confident. The boat is beautiful and we had wonderful weather (May 30 2025), overall it was exactly what we were looking for as we said our goodbyes to our Dad. Thank you Captain Dan and Nico! Shelley and Autumn

What a nice day for a little excursion out of Oxnard toward Anacanda Island we were hoping to see…read morewhales but only saw a few entertains pods of Dolphins! Had a nice ride on the Ranger 85.

Do NOT book with this place. They have canceled my whale watching (ranger 85) three times the day…read morebefore for THREE WEEKS in a row. The first two times were weather related so i understand that's out of their hands. This time they sent out and email / called saying the tour was canceled because they "didn't have enough people". They informed me the season ends at the end of may (I booked mid April the first time) To cancel on guests the day before because there aren't enough people to your liking is crazy. I'll be getting my refund and booking elsewhere. Actually one of the worst businesses I've dealt with.

It was a great experience on the boat ride with Island Packers. It was easy to park, easy to…read morecheck-in, and the 3.5hr was super fun. We did not see whales, but we saw a pack of over a dozen dolphins and they swam super fast with us on the boat. We had a great time.

We used Island Packers to go on their Anacapa Island boat tour where they take you around the North…read moreshore of Anacapa Island. As this is one of the only ways you can experience Channel Islands National Park and we were on a time crunch, I felt the 3 hour boat tour was our best option (they offer other Channel Islands exploration options as well). Our guides were amazing and they did a great job of pointing out wildlife and when we got to Anacapa, Felicia was really informative. My husband and I really enjoyed our time on the boat!

Rachel is awesome! Super knowledgeable of the ocean, water, marine life, and history of the area…read more What a rad human being to have guiding the tour. As it turns out, all of the harbor seals, and sealions have names. We befriended one named Steve, he is much better at swimming than I am. He also taught me secret techniques to paddling. This one Pelican named Parry got into a barking match with some sealions, which is a fight he wasn't gonna win, let's be honest. Though I was hoping to see an M-A-N-A-T-E-E ... next time! If you're gonna go down on Haley street, where the dogs are easy and the sun is cheap, you never know just who you'll meet, on Haley. (But hopefully it's Rachel from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and you get her kayak tour; shout out!)

A heartfelt thank you to Santa Barbara Adventure Company for creating such a memorable birthday…read moreexperience for our daughter. From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. We had a fun ferry ride to the islands and even got to slow down to watch a large Sunfish (Mola Mola) snacking on some jellies. I recommend getting in line early to secure the best view seating on the ferry. Our kayak guides, Chuck and Adam, were exceptional--knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They made the entire trip both fun and informative, while ensuring we always felt safe and well cared for. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and warm water, which allowed us to explore all seven sea caves--many of which are inaccessible during high tide or rougher conditions. It made the experience even more special. Having lived in Santa Barbara for 22 years, this was my first time visiting the islands, and it was truly unforgettable. The pristine landscapes, abundant sea life, and even spotting several tiny island foxes while enjoying our picnic lunch, made it an unforgettable adventure. We can't wait to do it again--highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and exceptional experience!

This was a great first boat ride for our baby boy. It's only 40 minutes so we didn't have to worry…read moreabout bringing anything or about the kiddo being on the boat longer than he would want. It was really laid back and chill; no scary pirates, only a funny one. While we were waiting to board, we saw fish, crab and a small octopus, about 15 inches long- so cool! The captain was really nice- even helped me on the boat with my baby. He told some really cute pirate jokes and pointed out birds and dolphins as we slowly cruised the harbor. Then he let the kids take turns at the wheel, letting them wear his pirate hat. Wasn't too cold, as the front windows are covered. Would do this again for sure!

Well, I do have to say, the marketing for this "excursion" is very well written. Too bad the actual…read moreevent wasn't nearly as exciting. Our loading time was 12:00, waiting for about 5 minutes to see if anybody else was going to join us. Captain Dave then took all boarding passes, payments, vouchers, etc. Also tried selling some Pirate gear for an additional $5.00 each - things that you can get at the Dollar Tree--all which took another 5 minutes or so. All the kids received pirate stickers though. While leaving, (12:10) the narration started - "see the seal", umm yeah-he's been swimming around for the last 30 minutes. Didn't narrate anything else, other than tell 3 pirate jokes and pointed out the fishermen on the rocks and what could possibly be caught. Rode up to the the break water, blew the horn to scare the birds so they could fly, the Captain says it's like being in the movie "The Birds". Turned around and floated by the kids beach, Coast Guard Station, the fueling dock, then he let the kids drive the boat for about 45 seconds each. Not really narrated much of anything - mainly because he was on the phone most of the time. We got back to the dock at 12:37. So--with leaving late and coming back early - I would say we were shorted 15 minutes. This company either needs another person go along on the rides or stay at dock to answer the phone and actually write down who and how many are coming for the next trip. Dave took about 6 business calls, pretending to write down the name and how many in the party; took 2 personal calls and made additional calls. Too busy to narrate anything that way. This 30 minute tour was nothing like what we were expecting. Captain Jack Sparrow would be embarrassed. AAARRRRRRRGH!