Free Willy - Whale Watching and Dolphins Diving

Leaving the harbour, it was a very grey looking day.


First sea creature sighting... Sea Lions i think...

This is way out by the Channel Islands, you can see the low cloud that is still around making everything very gloomy.

Believe it or not this is my first whale sighting. Not exactly the breaching blue whales I was hoping to see, but you can see the slight splash in the water made by a Killer whale.

Squeek Squeek!!!

Santa Barbara Zoo

After realising I missed the Whale Watching Tour for Saturday (plus totally inappropriately dressed to be heading way out into the Ocean) I decided to keep the animal theme going and go to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Other big bonus it had was that its so easy to get to, just catch the 25c waterfront bus!

Scarlet Macaw - Common in the Amazon basin, these macaws create strong pair bonds and mate for life. Mates sow affection by mutual preening and licking faces. Somehow I can't imagine being licked by a giant parrot!



Baja Blue Lizard - from the deserts at the tip of Baja California.

Pink Toe Tarantula.... insy winsy spider climbed up the water spout...

No, this isn't a rental in Sydney - they are Madagascar Hissing Hockroaches, and they are HUGE.

Military Macaw from Mexico through South America.

Polly want a cracker?

Blue and Gold Macaw - most of the signs read soemthing scientific about the animal, this one said... These expressive birds from Mexico and northern South America will cock thier heads, vocalise, ruffle freathers, prance and shake thier tail feathers. Shake it shake it shake it baaaaaby.

Chilean Flamingo - did you know Egyptians used the flamingo hieroglyphic as the symbol for "red". There you go - I bet your day is better now that you know that.

Ring-tailed Lemur - I wanted to bring one home for Boston, so cute!

Humboldt Penguin - they were malting, and so looked a little sick.

A strange attraction - appeared to carry a large amont of small humans that made a lot of noise.

Hardly needs an introcution... but you can see the nice view that the Zoo has.

Cacti

Girrafes - not as funny as the ones at Sydney Zoo.

Caught Murray snoozing :)

Red-tailed Hawk - from California.

White handed Gibbon.



Amur Leopard- China

Blue Crowned Pidgeon

Snow Leopard

Domestic Sheep! Yes - thats right - sheep at the zoo! Clearly they weren't the most popular exhibition.

All in all, pretty good. A little disapointing as much of the zoo was closed for renovations. Probably only 3/4 open. But a nice small zoo all the same.

Happy Birthday Murray!

Domingo Historic Architectural Walking Tour

I've really enjoyed other walking tours that I've done, and so why not in Santa Barbara? So on Sunday I thought I'd get out in the sunshine and take one of these walking tours. Walking always seems to be the best way to get to know a city. The buildings here are really nothing like anything I've seen in Australia, which I guess is because we don't have a Spanish herritage.

On the Domingo (Sunday) Tour, see the historic art and architecture of downtown Santa Barbara as it was reborn after the 7.1 1925 earthquake. From the Public library and it’s famous murals,

through La Arcada Court, (complete with turtles!)

up State Street, experience sculpture, famous courtyards,

historic Arlington Hotel, the Granada Theater and other architectural delights.

Learn about the architectural history and how the Women’s League and Pearl Chase forced the city to maintain an architectural integrity, beautiful public park spaces and rich landscapes making Santa Barbara “The Riviera of America”