Several years ago, while kayaking across the Santa Barbara Channel, I was extremely fortunate to come across two humpback whales just southwest of the southbound shipping lane, their powerful spouts seen easily on a glassy day on the channel. They were feeding, rounding up a huge ball of baitfish in a broad circumference, followed by a large pod of common dolphins, a rambunctious group of California sea lions, opportunistic Brandt’s cormorants, and aerodynamic black-vented shearwaters. It was a thrilling display of pelagic wonders feasting in one of the best places in the world for marveling at marine mammals.
That experience, and others like it, is just one of so many reasons why the Santa Barbara Channel was recently awarded with Whale Heritage Area (WHA) status through the United Kingdom–based nonprofit World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) and World Animal Protection (WAP). Announced on October 20, it’s the ninth such designation in the world. The other eight WHAs include three in South Africa and one each in Australia, Costa Rica, Canary Islands, and the Azores. The only other one in the U.S. is Dana Point, which was designated in January 2021.
“The designation of the Santa Barbara Channel as the ninth Whale Heritage Area in the world will highlight the region’s commitment to promoting responsible ecotourism, providing more ocean educational opportunities, supporting ongoing research and conservation efforts, and honoring the timeless cultural connection we have to whales,” said Holly Lohuis, co-director of the WHA, who spent more than two years on the application process. “As a whale heritage area, even more international attention will allow for tourists to support community-driven conservation through responsible tourism where the popularity of whales, dolphins and porpoises can help address some of the local and global environmental concerns.”