Caves and Coves Kayak Adventure

Your guides will greet you on the grass in front of the Sunfish docked at the Marine Emporium of Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard CA. This is where you will have a chance to use a land -based restroom and ask the guides any questions before boarding your adventure boat for the day. If you arrive early, there is a coffee shop in the Marine Emporium Landing complex.

MAKE SURE YOU BRING:

1. Food. We suggest snacks that travel well kayaking and a picnic style lunch when you return from your kayaking.
2. Water (reusable water bottles preferred, you can refill them on the boat)
3. Swimsuit or water activity clothing (to kayak in)
4. Warm clothing (after kayaking you will want dry clothing to change into) We also suggest bringing extra warm layers for the boat crossing. 
5. Sun protection (sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, etc.)

Other items you may want to bring: 

• Cooler with adult beverages for the ride home 🙂
• Camera (waterproof case highly recommended if you wish to bring it on the kayak)
• Blankets and towels

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the best places to view marine mammals on the planet. During our 14 mile crossing, we’ll have our eyes peeled in search of whales and dolphins. When we see some, we’ll slow down and enjoy their company for a short while before continuing our journey to Anacapa Island.

Anacapa Island is one of the smallest of the Channel Islands, but it is home to some of the largest arches and sea caves, which we’ll paddle through. One of the special highlights of Anacapa is the wildlife. Thousands of seabirds use this rocky island for nesting and roosting. Sea lions and harbor seals often swim by to check out kayakers and can be seen sunning themselves perched atop rocks or lounging on cobble beaches. As we kayak along steep volcanic cliffs, through shallow waters, and over kelp forest canopies, you’ll often glimpse the variety of fishes and other sea life found below the surface.

This guided kayaking trip is “one-way”. We’ll begin our paddle when the Sunfish (the big boat) drops us off at West Anacapa Island. From there, we’ll head down current and down wind, finishing at the iconic Anacapa Arch where the Sunfish will be waiting to pick us up!

1)Drop Off – The Sunfish will anchor at “Keyhole Arch” and the crew will begin unloading kayaks while everyone gets ready to get on the water.

2) Sea Caves – Right away there a number of caves that we paddle by and if conditions are good, we get to explore inside them!

3) Nesting  Seabirds – The middle island of Anacapa is the largest nesting habitat for brown pelicans and western gulls in North America. During the summer months, we get to watch baby chicks leave their nest and begin to survive without the help of their parents.

4) Bat Ray Cove and Mineshaft Cave: The sandy bottom of the cove here is the perfect place to look for bat rays and other flat-fish. We even see harmless leopard sharks at times when the water is clear and warm. After crossing Bat Ray Cove, we will explore Mineshaft Cave and other caves in this area.

5) East Anacapa Island – After crossing between the east and middle islands of Anacapa we’ll visit Cathedral Cave, a large paddle through cave system.

6) Cathedral Cove – Dramatic rock spires emerge from this picturesque cove. Keep an eye out for pinnipeds!

7) Landing Cove: This is where the only landing on the island is for a ferry from the mainland and other boats to drop off passengers. We don’t have enough time to go ashore, but we’ll have a chance to explore this cove and some nearby caves. Keep an eye out for pinnipeds!

8) Anacapa Arch: Our final paddle through is the iconic Anacapa Arch, a 40-foot high natural rock arch and the symbol of Channel Islands National Park. This is one of the most beautiful & dramatic areas on the islands. Sea lions swim around the lush kelp forest & Anacapa Lighthouse looms in the backdrop. This is where you will have time to enjoy lunch before we head back across the channel to Oxnard.

Enjoy the 1-hour return trip back to the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard.  Keep your eyes peeled for sea life along the way.  You can bring adult drinks but they are only to be enjoyed on the return trip home.

Estimated arrival time in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard is 4:00pm

Anacapa is a small volcanic island located 14 miles off the coast of Ventura County. The smallest of the northern Channel Islands, Anacapa was used intermittently by the indigenous Chumash people for thousands of years. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to discover Ancapa in 1542, calling it “Vela Falsa” or false sail. In 1793, Captain George Vancouver christened the island Anacapa, a name derived from the Chumash word, “’Anyapax,” which translates to ‘illusion’ or ‘mirage.’ Anacapa is the only Channel Island to maintain its original Chumash name.  Anacapa’s dramatic sea cliffs are often shrouded by marine haze or fog, giving the island an air of mystery.

Anacapa is composed of three islets: East, Middle, and West. Altogether, the islets make up a narrow island that is 5 miles long and only a ¼ mile wide. Ocean waves have eroded the perimeter of the island, creating steep sea cliffs towering hundreds of feet in height and exposing the volcanic air pockets, lava tubes, and sea caves. At the east end of the island a natural bridge has formed in the ocean. This forty-foot -high arch is a trademark of Anacapa and is the symbol of Channel Islands National Park. The highest peak is on West Anacapa, rising to 930 feet.

Anacapa is composed of three islets: East Island, Middle Island and West Island. Altogether, the islets make up a narrow island that is 5 miles long and only a ¼ mile wide. Ocean waves have eroded the perimeter of the island, creating steep sea cliffs towering hundreds of feet in height and exposing the volcanic origins of air pockets, lava tubes, and sea caves. At the east end of the island a natural bridge has formed in the ocean. The forty-foot-high Cabrillo Arch is a trademark of Anacapa and the Channel Islands National Park. The highest peak is Summit Peak 2 on West Island at 930 feet.

Kayaking at Anacapa is in a word… incredible! Steep cliff faces, secluded coves, inlets packed with marine life, beautiful sea caves and arches are among just some of the sights you can explore with our expert guides. Kelp forests and sea grass flourish along this rocky coast, and provide habitat for an abundance of wildlife. Though small in stature, Anacapa provides perhaps the most diverse sea cave experience of any of the Channel Islands. The volcanic rock cliffs of the island have been eroded over time by the sea and wind, leaving spectacular geological formations that you’ll have to see to believe.

Anacapa supports the largest breeding colony of the once-endangered California brown pelican in the United States. The largest breeding colony of western gulls in the world is also found here. Other sea birds you will see include several species of cormorants, black oystercatchers, and pigeon guillemots. These species come to Anacapa to nest in sea caves and on isolated rocky shores.

Anacapa’s rocky shores also provide resting and breeding areas for both California sea lions and harbor seals, two species you have a high likelihood of encountering while on the water with Channel Islands Expeditions. 

Springtime brings colorful flowers, including the strange tree sunflower called giant coreopsis , a plant found only on the Channel Islands and a few isolated areas on the mainland.