One of the most gorgeous and glorious nature experiences available to us is a slow cruise along the front (north) side of Santa Cruz Island. I watch people grow silent as they are awed by the breathtaking beauty of the sheer rugged cliffs and picturesque little coves.
Sea caves abound, and they look so inviting, until you consider what happens inside that cave when a powerful swell sweeps along the island. One special cave — Painted Cave — is large enough to take a boat inside of when the swells aren’t too big.
Most of our party boat and private charter operators take passengers into Painted Cave. It can be spooky, but for some it becomes a spiritual event.
Painted Cave is my absolute favorite place in the world. Smaller caves can be found all along the north side if the island, and many are just right for exploration by kayak. It can be great fun to stack some yaks on a boat and head across for a day of paddling and exploration. Santa Barbara Adventure Company offers such adventure packages.
One amusing moment is when the overall calm and serene mood is pierced by the shrill sound of bird calls. We all know the gull’s cry only too well. Thankfully, our pelicans are quiet. Other birds make some eerie sounds. The rocky rugged waterline of Santa Cruz Island is perfect for funny looking and sounding birds that inhabit just such terrain.
We often see oyster catchers and boobies, launching themselves off the rocks at water’s edge and flying in their typical semicircular pattern to another equally precarious perch. These birds are special because of their shape and colorful appendages.
There is another very rewarding birdwatching opportunity at this island. This is the home of the island scrub jay, which only lives on our Channel Islands. These grow to roughly 25% larger than mainland scrub jays. All of this makes it a very special bird to log in a bird watcher’s book.
Know what I love about bird watchers? When a birdwatcher claims to have seen a particular bird, all other birdwatchers seem to readily accept the person’s word as truth. Compare that to fisherfolk. Listen … when fisherfolk claim to have caught something, they had darn well better have photos to back it up, or that fish never happened!
It is so relaxing and rewarding to spend a day crossing the Santa Barbara Channel and watching for pelagic seabirds, then drifting just off of a wide canyon looking for island scrub jays, then noticing American Bald Eagles flying above the island or sitting in lone trees, next enjoying the scenery of the quiet little coves, and feeling special about spotting the cute shorebirds of the rocky coastline.
The trip back across the channel is when everyone can compare notes about what they saw, and why it all feels so wonderful. We are lucky to have such precious resources around us.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
