Blue Whale Watch

Every summer for the last several years, the largest animal on earth ever -- the great blue whale -- has returned to the Santa Barbara Channel to feed on krill, tiny orange-red shrimp-like crustaceans that inhabit the rich, deep Channel waters.

Scientists estimate there are less than 10,000 blue whales worldwide, but a thriving population of about 2,000 of these magnificent leviathans congregate each summer off the California coast.

This makes the Santa Barbara Channel one of the best places to see the largest animals that have ever roamed our planet. Measuring up to 90 feet and weighing around 150 tons, you hold your breath in awe as these giants surface near your boat.

We'll board the the 75-foot Condor Express in Santa Barbara Harbor at 8 a.m. and head out toward Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, 20 miles offshore.

Other marine life we regularly see in the Channel are humpback whales, minke whales, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Dall's porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Risso's dolphin, northern right whale dolphin, elephant seals, and, of course, California sea lions. And of course, many species of marine birds such as shearwaters, storm petrels, and gulls.

We'll return around 4 p.m. but if we see something too fascinating to pass up, our return time could be delayed.