July 29, 2012 --- Because we were moving to the east coast in early August, Nathan and I tried to enjoy the Pacific Ocean as much as we could. I found a voucher from Groupon to go on a Seafari Tour with Channel Islands Whale Watching, so we decided that this will be our last trip while in California.
We booked an afternoon departure for the Seafari Tour, and the boat was full of people of all ages. The sky cleared up by the time we departed, so we were so cheerful with the view of the ocean. The boat was named Ranger 85, and it can take about 70-80 passengers on board. The tour is fully narrated and non-landing, but I don't really see the point of landing anyway because the island is more like a cliff and has only one beach access.
Once we hopped on the boat at Oxnard Harbor, we just stood in the front of the boat the whole way. There weren't many seats in the boat, so if you can't stand for 4 hours, you should try to get on the boat as early as possible. There was a substantial lunch provided, which was already included in the ticket price.
The ocean was pretty calm the day we went, and we saw a lot of dolphins swimming right next to the boat. The captain seemed to know how to attract those dolphins to come join the ride.
The island was spectacular! We first stopped at the East Anacapa too look at the Arch Rock and the Light House. The only landing spot is located right here at Landing Cove, and there is a stair to climb up the cliff the the Light House. Then we sailed to the other side of the island that faces toward the wild opened Pacific Ocean, and it seemed even more rugged that the side facing the mainland.
The sea lives we saw most on the island are sea lions and birds. There were millions of them living here. When we sailed around the island, I saw a lot of sea caves and hoped that one day I can come back here to do sea cave kayaking.
The entire trip was pretty enjoyable and relaxing. We didn't see any whales on our trip, but this creature is pretty shy and it will come out when it wants to. Hopefully I will have a chance to see a whale one day....
