Killer Whale Sightings Featuring California’s Famous Orca, Frosty
January 2025
Every so often whale watching in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area (SBCWHA) presents a moment so extraordinary that it stays with you forever. Such has been the case over the past month for four different whale watching companies and hundreds of enthusiastic whale watchers who had the privilege of observing a very special pod of killer whales, the CA216Cs, including the famous pale juvenile, CA216C1, Frosty.
Frosty is a five-year old Bigg’s killer whale, born with decreased pigment levels (most likely leucism), resulting in a whitish gray appearance and an increasingly darkening head. Frosty has been only rarely encountered, from the coast of CA all the way to British Columbia, and recently for us in SBCWHA. A few very similar-looking killer whales have been documented, apparently with an auto immune disease known as the Chediak-Higashi syndrome, which leads to a shortened life; Frosty is now the only known killer whale with this very unusual appearance off the west coast of North America.
For me, watching Frosty actively play, interact with its mother and newborn sibling, tail lobbing, bow riding and even breaching is a symbol of hope for vitality and longevity. We have now seen Frosty and family FIVE times between December 15, 2024 to January 20, 2025. Everyone is cheering for Frosty!
As Frosty’s fans – from biologists, naturalists, whale watchers to schoolchildren – cheer on this magnificent whale, it’s a reminder of the interconnectedness between people and the ocean.
Each sighting inspires renewed commitment to ocean stewardship, ensuring that future generations can marvel at whales like Frosty. Thanks to the California Killer Whale Project, who provides all the whale watching companies with valuable information about the Bigg’s killer whales off the CA coast, we learn something new after every killer whale sighting in the SBCWHA.
Frosty and family, CA216Cs are not the only killer whales that have been seen over the past couple of months. In fact, December and January have been killer months for seeing killer whales, on the days when the weather has cooperated and it’s not too windy. These months historically have been the best months to view killer whales in the channel, and our sightings have been absolutely amazing.
For me, it all started back on Saturday December 15, 2024. The day started like many others in the Santa Barbara Channel. The air was crisp with a gentle sea breeze, and the ocean shimmered under the morning sun. Our boat, Island Packer’s Vanguard, skimmed over the calm waters as we eagerly scanned the horizon for any sign of marine life. The Channel, celebrated as one of only eleven Whale Heritage Areas in the world, is a hotspot for biodiversity, and you never know what incredible encounter awaits. For our morning trip, it was only a few bottlenose dolphins that we came across while traversing the SB Channel from Channel Islands Harbor to Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and back. But 30 minutes into our afternoon trip, one of our regular passengers, Mark O’Brien, spotted some small spouts under a large group of seabirds, just east of Oil Platform Gina. And sure enough, through binoculars, we saw a tall, six-foot, black dorsal fin of a male killer whale and a bunch of smaller, female dorsal fins, definitely those of a pod of six killer whales.
As we approached what we thought was some sort of feeding activity, we counted the killer whales, two adult females, two younger whales, one large male and Frosty. The whales lingered in the area, along the edge of the Hueneme Canyon for about 10 minutes before fanning out and making their way to the west. Frosty was swimming tightly next to its (it is not known yet if Frosty is a male or female) mother, CA216C and to our excitement, there was a very young killer whale in between them. I was sharing my videos with Adam Ernster and Even Brodsky, and O’Brien and Lotti Keenan were in contact with Alisa Schulman-Janiger, one of the lead biologists with California Killer Whale while we were watching the 6 killer whales. Schulman-Janiger confirmed we had Jimmy- CA50B, and Auroa-CA51A with her calf, CA51A1- Astrid, with us too.
We stayed with them for almost an hour. They moved in harmony, leaping and breaching, their playful energy visible even from a distance, celebrating what was most likely a kill of a marine mammal before we arrived. Frosty, in particular, seemed to revel in the moment, surfacing more frequently and treating us to an unforgettable display of agility, breaching four times and even bow riding with us for a short distance. It was a humbling reminder of the intelligence and social complexity that make killer whales so captivating.
For me personally, this was the second time, exactly three days plus three years after my first sighting of Frosty on December 12, 2021. I was over the top with so much joy, it was difficult to even talk over the microphone. It’s moments like these that remind us why conservation and education are so vital. Frosty and the pod symbolize the resilience of marine life and the importance of protecting their ocean habitat.
As Frosty and the five other killer whales started to pick up speed and continue in a westerly direction, we reluctantly turned back on course for Anacapa Island, to also share the beauties of Channel Islands National Park with our passengers who signed up for a non-landing trip to Anacapa Island. The memory of Frosty and the pod remained vivid, a testament to the wonders of the natural world and the vital need to protect it.
For anyone passionate about marine life, the Santa Barbara Channel offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the ocean and its inhabitants. And if you’re lucky, you might just find yourself sharing a moment with Frosty and its family, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Since our wonderful time with Frosty and the CA216s on December 15th, Frosty has been seen FOUR more times:
- Thurs January 9th– Captain Brittney with Island Packer’s Vanguard, found Frosty, CA216Cs with the CA49Cs, hunting common dolphins, mid-channel between Channel Islands Harbor and Anacapa Island.
- Saturday January 11th– Captain Devin with Santa Barbara Whale Watch (SBWW) came across Frosty, CA216s and CA49Cs along the front side (north side) of Santa Cruz Island around noon traveling down the island to the east, tucking in close to Chinese Harbor. Then two of the Island Packer’s boats enjoyed seeing Frosty and the 5 killer whales just off the east end of Santa Cruz Island in the late afternoon, after picking up their day visitors at Scorpion Anchorage
- Sunday January 12th– Captain Ryan with Pacific Offshore Expeditions found Frosty and family with the CA49s along the rig line in the mid-morning, traveling west. Captain Devin with SBWW joined them with Frosty around 11am, just outside SB Harbor. I was with Devin and we had an incredible three hours with the 6 killer whales. There were a few times they came under our boat and Pacific Offshore Expedition’s two boats, Jaegar and Tern. They harassed quite a few CA sea lions but I did not witness any predation. There were moments when they were less than a mile from the beach.
- Monday January 20th– Captain Devin w/SBWW found Frosty AGAIN, this time back out at Santa Cruz Island. Both pods, CA216s and CA49s were traveling together, this time up the island in a westerly direction.
Who and where will see Frosty next? We are hoping they are still exploring and hunting here in the SBCWHA.
As the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, we get to demonstrate the importance of responsible eco-tourism. When one of the whale-watching companies come across a pod of killer whales, we share with the other companies if they are out in the general vicinity. All the whale watching companies know the proper whale watching guidelines. We can help educate the private boaters too on how to watch and enjoy whales from a respectful distance without causing any change in behavior of the whales. This is the law, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As our world’s oceans become more and more urbanized with more and more boat traffic, it is so important we all work together to safeguard Frosty and all the marine wildlife that frequently visit the SBCWHA and who also call it home.
I’m sure that everyone who had the thrill of seeing Frosty this past month feels a deeper emotional connection to the ocean. This is one of our core missions at SBCWHA—to inspire individuals to develop their own personal connection to whales and the ocean. By coming together to celebrate these wonderful whales and dolphins, we not only raise awareness about the importance of marine conservation, but also empower people to take action as stewards of whales and the ocean.
Check out the Whale Watching Companies in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage
