Birding Trips

Join us aboard the new Condor Express for one of the premier pelagic (open ocean, non-coastal) trips on the south-central California coast! With a huge raised foredeck and unobstructed views from the upper sundeck (with lots of comfortable bench seating) it's the perfect platform for bird watching. Let the professional crew take you to the outer offshore waters surrounding the Santa Barbara Channel (referred to as the "Galapagos" of the northern hemisphere). The Condor Express offers an extremely stable ride that makes it ideal for spotting and photographing birds in all weather conditions! These trips offer your best chance for sighting Pterodromas and exotics.

Most of our trips concentrate on the Arguello Canyon, Rodriguez Dome or Richardson's Rock and San Miguel Island. These deep canyons and high seamounts create tremendous upwellings and are the meeting grounds for the cold water Alaska Current from the north with the much warmer Davidson  Current from the south. The result is a very dynamic and food-rich body of water that attracts a wonderful variety of offshore birds. Birders get a rare opportunity to add many species to their "Life List"! All of our trips feature well-known, respected leaders with extensive local knowledge. The crew of the Condor Express have traveled these waters for years and will compliment the trip with narrative about the natural history of the area. Many whales, dolphins and pinnipeds can also be seen so be prepared for a full day. 

Over the years, the Condor, and now the new Condor Express, has built a very impressive sighting list both for pelagic bird species and a huge variety of cetaceans.

The Condor Express offers comfortable accommodations and complete indoor galley that make for an enjoyable, relaxing way to see the outer waters! Join us on one of our scheduled trips.

For more information about our bird trips, contact Captain Mat at [email protected] (805) 896-7489 or Los Angeles Audubon (323) 876-0202.