Mystic Whaler News and Updates

Celebration of the Whales at Channel Islands Harbor

Mystic Whaler is happy to be joining in on the fun for the Celebration of the Whales on April 13 from 11 am until 3 pm at Channel Islands Harbor!

Stop by the Mystic Whaler booth and then come on down for a deck tour of our beautiful tall ship. (A donation of $5 per person is suggested for Mystic Whaler deck tours and photo ops. All proceeds go towards our educational programs for local youth!).

This year’s Celebration will also feature a community “paint a whale” mural project, chalk art, shopping, free kayaking and standup paddleboarding, a children’s fun zone, and more.

Plankton Pals™ is Coming to Ventura Harbor

Join us at Ventura Harbor on May 17 from 10 am until 12 pm for Mystic Whaler's next Plankton Pals™ learning experience. Please click here to RSVP. Space is limited for this program.

Plankton Pals™ Dockside Program

Science, the environment, and art were the focus during our Plankton Pals™ programs in March during which Mystic Whaler welcomed almost 70 participants. We love having the opportunity to bring folks on board our tall ship classroom to share the wonders of The Ocean!

Join Mystic Whaler for an Educational Public Day Sail in April and May! Come explore the Santa Barbara Channel and its incredible beauty with us. Tickets are available here. Proceeds from Public Day Sails support educational opportunities for local youth.

Learn More About Mystic Whaler

We invite you to check out our video about Mystic Whaler and her experiential learning programs for local youth here!

Santa Barbara: The birthplace of Earth Day

Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Earth Day, Santa Barbara’s involvement began with the devastating 1969 oil spill off its coast. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin saw the 800 square-mile oil slick from an airplane, which gave him the impetus to ratify a national day for environmental education, which he called Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, over 20 million Americans attended Earth Day teach-ins and gatherings across the U.S.

Soon after these formative events, President Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (1970), and a bi-partisan Congress adopted the Clean Water Act (1972), Coastal Zone Management Act (1972), and Endangered Species Act (1973). In 1970 and again in 1999, they also greatly strengthened the Clean Air Act, originally passed in 1963. In some cases, this legislation passed with nearly unanimous support. 

In the days, weeks, and months following the spill, local Santa Barbara volunteers and activists worked heroically to respond to the devastation—cleaning oil-slicked wildlife, spreading straw on beaches to sop up oil, documenting contamination, and creating political and activist organizations. 

Mystic Whaler is a proud member of: