Anacapa Island

Just back from Alaska and off for another adventure ... this one a trip to California and Crater Lake in southern Oregon with daughter Caty. We flew into Santa Barbara and checked into our hotel at Ventura Harbor. 

Lovely Ventura Harbor

Our first stop is a new national park for both of us: Channel Islands National Park. It's a string of islands off the coast of California separated by a deep trench and known for remoteness and unique plant and animal life. 

Channel Islands National Park

Map: Bearfoot Theory

Close to the California mainland, the park encompasses five of the eight California Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara) and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting natural and cultural resources. 

The Park bridges two biogeographical provinces and in a remarkably small place, harbors the biologic diversity of nearly 2,500 miles of the North American coast. The Channel Islands are home to over 2,000 plant and animal species, of which 145 are found nowhere else in the world.

Much of the diversity is on other islands; Anacapa is very rocky

Like the Galapagos Islands of South America, isolation has allowed evolution to proceed independently on the islands. Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the blue whale, the largest animal to live on Earth. Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 13,000 years of human habitation.

Anacapa is 20 miles from Ventura

It is one of the least visited of all of America's National Parks. 

Access is by boat.

The light is welcoming

Anacapa Island
Visiting all the islands would be difficult. We took a boat trip to Anacapa Island. 

Anacapa island

We traveled with Island Packers, which runs transport and sightseeing visits to the Park.

We have traveled with Island Packers several times

The trip took quite a while because the seas were a bit rough. We hoped to see Whales or Dolphins or something, but all we saw were distant birds. 

Nada!

Anacapa is very small, two miles long and less than a half a mile wide. It's basically a huge rock in the ocean, surrounded by other huge rocks, some carved into arches by the sea.

Kayakers around Arch Rock

It has a lighthouse ...

Anacapa Light

... a Visitors Center ...

Bird poop decorates the Visitor center sign

... and millions of birds ...

Earlier in the season; Photo: KCET

The boat maneuvered into a small cove to dock. It was a little bit scary. You could easily imagine being dashed against the rocks. After we got off the boat and climbed the steep 157 stairs, there was a "briefing" about the island that took way too long (could we not do this on the boat?). In fact, it took up much of the time we had allotted on the island.

Our boat

We wanted to see as much as we could in the short time we had left before we had to return to the boat. Despite the late arrival, the boat schedule didn't change. So, we barely had time to hike to the end -- Inspiration Point -- to view the island string. 

The string of islands

All of the advertisements for Channel island show magnificent golden flowers. 

Not when we were there! Photo: Ventura Harbor

And, while not technically a lie, it's pretty misleading. Those flowers bloom annually in the spring for a short time. I am sure it is lovely. But, the rest of the year, the plants are brown and wilted looking as if there had been some kind of disaster. Nuclear. Fire. Plague. Take your choice.

Reality

And, because it's a rookery, it smells pretty bad. Ok, really bad. And, everything (everything!) is covered in poop. Thank goodness for the wind: it could have been worse.

There is camping available. We saw some people trying to set up in that same wind that reduces the smell. It was a miracle they could hold onto their tent. 

Overheard: "It seemed like a good idea!"

I do image the stars could be fabulous if it doesn't get too foggy at night. I bet it gets foggy at night, which means everything would be covered in wet poop!

Channel island is the world's largest Brown Pelican rookery ...

Pacific Brown Pelicans

... and the largest Western gull rookery in the western U.S.

Western Girls

So, we rushed to the end, took some photos and rushed back to the boat in time for departure.

Caty on the steep trail

We did see some wildlife, including lots of Western Gulls ...

Adult Western Gull

They were in the stage of breeding where the eggs had hatched and the youngsters fledged. This year's chicks could fly, but were still hanging close to parents looking for food.

Juvenile Western Girl

We did see one fierce mama protecting an unhatched egg. While it could have been a late laying, it was probably an unviable egg that she had not yet figured out that it was not going to hatch.

Guarding that egg!

We also saw some California Sea LIons hauled out on the beach way below the cliff on the opposite side of the island.

California Sea Lions

I may have been a bit rough -- because of the brown plants and poop -- but there are many lovely aspects of the Park, especially the blue, blue ocean and the dramatic sea arches.

Anacapa Island

Plus, it's a treat to visit one of the nation's least visited Parks.

Trip date: July 26-August 8, 2013