Cruises Re-Open to the Channel Islands

Island Packers, the authorized boat transportation to the Channel Islands, is back in business to take you on your own “Galapagos”-style adventure just a few hours from Los Angeles, following the 101.

A dozen miles off Southern California’s Pacific coastline near Ventura is a sparkling ribbon of rocks that seem to float on the horizon. The Channel Islands, named for the deep troughs that have isolated them from the mainland for thousands of years, are home to more than 2,000 species of animals and plants, 145 found nowhere else in the world. Today, five of the islands, including their submerged lands and the waters within a few miles around them, are protected as the Channel Islands National Park, granting visitors resources found nowhere else on Earth as well as a look at coastal California as it once was.

The best part of visiting these islands is the diversity of offerings—from day tripping to extensive exploring. There is something for everyone, including enjoying a cruise around the harbor that launches the island expeditions. Choose your way to discover the treasures of “SoCal’s Galapagos”:

CENTER YOURSELF: To get the most from your visit to the islands, first make a stop at the Channel Islands Visitor Center at Ventura Harbor Village. The visitor center offers three-dimensional maps of the islands, a museum, living tide pools, a movie and exhibits on the islands and native wildlife. The center also offers great panoramic views of the islands from its tower.

PICK AN ISLAND: The best known of the islands is Anacapa due to its proximity and popularity for day trips. The five-mile-long narrow, rocky isle hosts dramatically steep cliffs and an easy nature walk to view more than 265 species of plants and a multitude of seabirds which includes the largest brown pelican rookery on the Pacific Coast. Santa Cruz Island is a prime destination for recreation. Incredible inland hiking with ocean views, world-class kayaking and explorations of an ancient Chumash village site make this island a good choice. The outer islands are Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara.

BOOK A TOUR: After choosing your destination, book a tour or cruise with Island Packers, the official concessionaire for the islands. They are also your resource for all authorized tour companies once you arrive, from kayaking to camping.

HIKE ALL DAY: Numerous trails traverse the unspoiled islands, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities from the relatively flat, signed trails of Anacapa to the unmaintained and mountainous unsigned paths of Santa Rosa. On days that the concessionaire boats run to the islands, guided hikes are usually offered by naturalists. On Anacapa, take the easy two-mile roundtrip hike to Inspiration Point, which affords one of the most dramatic views of the national park.

GRAB A PADDLE: Kayaking is one of the most intimate and adventurous ways to explore the park. An authorized park guide is strongly recommended to make the most of your adventure. Scorpion Beach on east Santa Cruz Island is a topnotch destination for sea kayaking with easy beach access, pure ocean waters and remarkable sea caves and cliffs to explore.

SPOT THE SCRUB JAY: The Channel Islands support a rich variety of birds, distinct in many ways from the birds of the adjacent mainland. In fact, the Santa Rosa Scrub Jay is found in no other place in the United States, and the association of northern and southern species found here is not duplicated anywhere else in the world. The islands support the only nesting population of California brown pelicans along the west coast. Boat guides will happily assist in identifying birds on your boat trip.

SEE THE FLORA: The park is home to more than 775 plant species, and each island is floristically unique due to a complex interplay of factors, from elevation to topography. Head to Santa Barbara, Anacapa and San Miguel islands to catch the most brilliant coreopsis flower displays that appear each spring.

ENCOUNTER WILDLIFE: A total of 23 endemic terrestrial animals have been identified in the park, including eleven land birds that are Channel Island subspecies or races. Look for the island fox, the island deer mouse, the island spotted skunk, big-eared bats and the island night lizard as you hike the back country. Island Packers offers a popular 3 1/2-hour Channel Island Wildlife Cruise with opportunities to view California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and ocean birds.

CAPTURE NATURE: Crashing surf, towering sea cliffs and dazzling floral displays set against the ocean have made the Channel Islands a nature photographer’s haven. The photogenic Arch Rock on eastern Anacapa is a must shot during sunset, but any hike or boat trip leads to photo gems, from tail-popping whales to a calcified forest.

EXAMINE TIDE POOLS: Isolation has made the tide pools of the islands some of the best in Southern California. Anemones, sea stars, urchins, limpets, periwinkles, chitons, barnacles, mussels and many other fascinating species can be found in pristine tide pools on all the islands. The most accessible sites are at Frenchy’s Cove on Anacapa Island and Smuggler’s Cove on Santa Cruz Island.

UNEARTH HISTORY: The Channel Islands are home to the most well preserved archeological sites on the Pacific coast, with a history spanning 10,000 years of continuous human occupation. Island visitors can explore the world of the native Chumash, walk the shores where European explorers landed, discover new tales from California’s ranching history and witness the remains of off-shore shipwrecks.

CRUISE THE KEYS: Perhaps, you would rather keep your cruising a little more local with far-off vistas of the Channel Islands while enjoying dinner or yacht-style tastings of wine or craft beer. Island Packers, your purveyor of island jaunts, has rolled out special Ventura Harbor Cruises on select Saturday evenings now through October. You will cruise within the Ventura Harbor and the waterfront homes in the Ventura Keys aboard a 64-foot power catamaran, while enjoying food aboard catered by local restaurants from Italian to gourmet tacos. Guests may choose from a number of trips that feature various musicians playing jazz, blues, rock n’ roll, oldies and more. Wine, supplied by local wineries, is served and available for purchase, as well as beer and non-alcoholic beverages. For cruise details, visit www.islandpackers.com.

Photos by Doug Mangum