Island Packers Announces 2013 Whale Watching Season
Whale Watching Season Now thru April 14!
A perfect time to gather with friends and family and catch a glimpse of nature up close and personal! Island Packers, Ventura County’s official concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park, is now offering ½ day whale watching excursions to view these magnificent mammals.
The 3-3½ hour non-landing narrated trips are offered from both Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. Trips depart almost daily at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. All-day trips with landing are also available on Anacapa or Santa Cruz Islands.
The rates for the half-day trips are $36 for adults, $32 for seniors and $26 for children 12 and under. The full-day trips to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands are $59 per adult. Camping is also available on all five islands. Boat transportation costs range from $79 per adult. Advance reservations are advised and can be made online at www.islandpackers.com or by calling 805-642-1393.
About Pacific Gray Whales:
Every year, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 Pacific Gray Whales migrate through the Santa Barbara Channel on their way to and from the warm lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. Gray Whales are marine mammals that breathe air and are warm-blooded, giving birth to live offspring. A Gray Whale spout or blowhole can reach up to 15 feet and often resemble a heart shape. The whales eat very little food during the migration. Males can reach up to 45’ in length and females up to 50’, weighing 30 to 35 tons. Tails can span up to 10’ wide. They travel up to 7,000 miles twice a year. Newborn whales are 15’ long at birth and weigh about 2,000 pounds.
About Island Packers:
Island Packers, family owned since 1968, is the authorized concessionaire authorized by the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, to serve the public in the Channel Islands National Park. We welcome you to visit our gift shop at the main office located at 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105B in Ventura Harbor Village. Island Packers is open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information visit our web site at www.islandpackers.comor call 805-642-1393
