BACK-TO-POD EXCITEMENT: It feels as though there's a "back-to-school"-type joke to make about whales in September, but the fact that whales travel in pods, not schools, pretty much makes that particular quip a non-starter. Let us remain reminded, though, that spying a spout-tastic, giant-fluked traveler along the California coast just after Labor Day is a possibility, and find a ride out to do so isn't too difficult. One only need to look in the direction of Island Packers, the boats that zip out to Channel Islands National Park from Ventura on the regular. This is a company that's majorly skilled in spying far-off spouts, and in pointing out all of the other amazing denizens of the Pacific along the way (high fives, dolphins, and fist bumps, dear seals and sea lions). But if you'd like to get your dose of blue beauty, and maybe finally see a blue whale with your own peepers, and not through a screen, consider hopping on a...
SUMMER WHALE WATCH... with Island Packers. There are two more trips to go, on Sunday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Sept. 16, and the company just shared that both trips "still have space" as of Sept. 5. Even if the whales are a mite shy, or just busy feeding/migrating/doing whale-important things, you can count on a day on the water, in the sunshine, with the bracing air (air that's even cooler once that boat is on the move). The gray whale season'll come around near the holidays, but, for now? You can get your back-to-school — er, back-to-pod — love on now, in Ventura, with Island Packers.
