Santa Cruz Island, the largest, is where most visitors go. The island fox — a cat-sized endemic that recovered from near-extinction in one of the fastest carnivore recoveries ever recorded — is now common and often seen around the campground at Scorpion Anchorage. Island scrub-jays, found on this island and nowhere else on Earth, work the oak scrub above the landing.

Anacapa Island holds the seabirds: the largest breeding colony of California brown pelicans in the United States, along with western gulls nesting beside the trail. It is a small island, easily walked in a few hours, with a lighthouse at the end.

The kelp forests around all the islands are the marine draw — giant kelp, garibaldi, sea lions playing around divers and snorkellers, and some of the best cold-water diving in North America.

The channel crossing itself is a wildlife trip. Blue whales — the largest animals that have ever lived — feed here from roughly July to September, with humpbacks alongside them, and common dolphins in pods that can number in the thousands.

Spring brings wildflowers and calm seas; summer and early autumn bring the whales; winter brings grey whales migrating past and rougher crossings.

Practicalities

Boats run from Ventura and Oxnard, with the crossing taking one to three hours depending on the island. There is no water, no food and no shelter on most islands — you carry everything, including water, and campsites must be reserved in advance.

Crossings are frequently rough and are cancelled for weather; build flexibility into any plan that depends on being picked up on a particular day.