Santa Barbara Harbor features multiple charter businesses offering whale watching, private boat charters, sunset cruises, and scenic excursions on vessels like the Condor Express (up to 127 passengers), Whisper (up to 6 passengers, all-electric), Lil’ Toot (up to 19 guests), and others for various events and marine tours.

Channel Islands Expeditions is a guide-owned and family-operated charter business since 1991, offering private charters and vessel-supported expeditions to Channel Islands National Park from Oxnard. They provide custom itineraries for groups, including kayaking, snorkeling, sea cave exploration, SCUBA diving, team building, and catering, using boats like the 49-passenger USCG-inspected M/V Sunfish.

Celebration Cruises of Santa Barbara offers public and private boat cruises including sunset cruises, coastal cruises, whale watching, narrated water taxi rides on Lil’ Toot, and private charters on vessels like the 70-foot luxury yacht Azure Seas (up to 46 guests), electric boat Whisper (up to 6 passengers), Lil’ Toot (up to 19 guests), and Voyager (up to 12 guests), along with parasailing. Locally owned by Captain Fred and Kathy Hershman, they provide event planning, catering coordination, full bar service, and operate from Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf.