Orca Camp Santa Barbara

The program is organized around a consistent beach-day rhythm with room for child choice. At 9:00 AM, the group comes together for a name game and/or natural-history activity before heading into the day’s options. Those options can include a beach wander through tidepools, surfing, kayaking, swimming, sandcastle building, arts and crafts, games or music. Each day can be different because campers can help decide which activities they want to pursue.

Two structured breaks help pace the outdoor day. Around 11:00 AM, campers stop for snack, water and sunscreen, often paired with a story or natural-history lesson. A second shaded break follows around 1:15 PM before activities resume. At 2:30 PM, the group gathers to review and reflect. Regular dismissal is at 3:00 PM, with Friday pickup at 2:00 PM.

The setting changes during the week: Santa Claus Beach is the meeting place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while Tuesday and Thursday meet at Bates Beach. Across both locations, the program combines water sports, beach games, creative projects, music and ocean-focused learning. Counselors guide participation and supervise the group while campers move among activities appropriate to the day.

Campers bring their own snack, lunch and at least one to two quarts of drinking water. The daily rhythm includes eating and drinking breaks after children come out of the water, including a break around 11:00 AM and another around 1:15 PM. These breaks are also used for sunscreen, shade, stories or natural-history and marine-biology learning. Families are asked to label belongings so food, water containers and other gear can be matched to the right camper.

All Santa Barbara counselors are CPR and First Aid certified. Parents or guardians are asked to officially check campers in each morning and out each afternoon with a counselor. The daily rhythm includes shaded breaks with water and sunscreen at about 11:00 AM and 1:15 PM, and the camp asks families to apply sunscreen before arrival so it can be reapplied during the day. The camp checklist also calls for a wide-brim hat or visor, a rash guard or similar sun-protection shirt, layers for cool or foggy weather, and amphibious sandals or shoes rather than flip-flops for tidepools and nature walks. Wetsuits are suggested for cool, foggy days.

Families provide medical, dietary-restriction and other important information for counselors during registration. During registration, parents or guardians authorize Orca Adventures to obtain medical attention from a licensed physician, medical clinic or hospital if a child needs care, and accept responsibility for medical costs related to a camper’s injury.

The Santa Barbara program is directed by Taylor “Seaweed” Casey, a former Orca Camp counselor-in-training who grew up around the water, competed on the Pepperdine Surf Team, and taught kayak and paddleboard tours and surf lessons. The staff profiles also include counselors who first attended Orca as campers or CITs and who have experience with swim-school, outdoor-school and youth programs. Music is part of the staff mix as well: the director teaches guitar and ukulele, and the camp keeps several ukuleles for campers. All counselors are CPR and First Aid certified.

Camp meets at Santa Claus Beach on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at Bates Beach / Upper Rincon on Tuesday and Thursday. Families are asked to check campers in and out with a counselor each day. Regular hours are 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, with Friday pickup at 2:00 PM. Campers should bring a snack, lunch, one to two quarts of drinking water, bathing suit, towel, sunscreen, a wide-brim hat or visor, layers for cool or foggy weather, a rash guard or similar sun-protection shirt, and amphibious sandals or shoes for tidepools and nature walks. The camp also asks families to label belongings; a wetsuit is suggested for cooler days.