CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CA :: Anacapa, the smallest of the Channel Islands, is located fourteen miles from the Californian coast. We boarded a catamaran at Ventura Harbor and enjoyed the hour-long crossing. Our eyes were peeled for blue whales and dolphins as we approached the edge of the Pacific Shelf, where the continent plunges hundreds of feet into the deep ocean. Much to Kristie’s delight, a pod of about 30 dolphins greeted us right before we reached the island. They swam remarkably fast around the boat, breaching, clicking, and playing in the bow wave and wake.
On the island we immediately parted from the ranger-guided tour and explored the couple miles of trail on our own. The island has a just a few park service buildings and a lighthouse at its highest point. There are no other facilities, and not a single tree obstructs the surrounding sea and sky.
In addition to the spectacular views, we found thousands of seagulls on Anacapa. This is their brooding ground, and we arrived while the chicks were still much too young to fly. As we hiked the loop and I was away photographing something, several of the gulls would attack Kristie, hovering directly above her and squawking loudly. It was pretty funny! Merely raising a hand frightens them away.
Our ride back two hours later on a single-hulled boat was uneventful, but very pleasant. We claimed the very front for ourselves, bracing against the waves and the breeze, on watch again for whales and dolphins. Upon crossing the shelf, the water got choppier and we fled behind the cabin to avoid the splashing. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and being on a boat back from an island visit was a wonderful way to enjoy it.
On the island we immediately parted from the ranger-guided tour and explored the couple miles of trail on our own. The island has a just a few park service buildings and a lighthouse at its highest point. There are no other facilities, and not a single tree obstructs the surrounding sea and sky.
In addition to the spectacular views, we found thousands of seagulls on Anacapa. This is their brooding ground, and we arrived while the chicks were still much too young to fly. As we hiked the loop and I was away photographing something, several of the gulls would attack Kristie, hovering directly above her and squawking loudly. It was pretty funny! Merely raising a hand frightens them away.
Our ride back two hours later on a single-hulled boat was uneventful, but very pleasant. We claimed the very front for ourselves, bracing against the waves and the breeze, on watch again for whales and dolphins. Upon crossing the shelf, the water got choppier and we fled behind the cabin to avoid the splashing. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and being on a boat back from an island visit was a wonderful way to enjoy it.
It looks like Seagull heaven. Hopefully no one got hit on the head.
We received no gifts from the seagulls that day.
John