Welcome to Travel Tuesday! Have you ever been to Channel Islands National Park? We went on a wildlife tour to Anacapa Island with Island Packers — read more about our experience below!
Wildlife Tour to Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park
Fee: $38
Duration: 3 hours
Address: 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001
Parking: Lot available
The wildlife tour doesn’t land on Anacapa Island, but it’ll travel through the waters of the Eastern Santa Barbara Channel, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and of course, Channel Islands National Park.
On this tour, you’ll often get to see harbor seals, California sea lions, and the common dolphin. Sometimes, you’re even able to see whales + orcas! (We didn’t see any on ours.)
Make sure you dress in layers– it can get pretty windy/cold out there! I’d recommend bringing a lunch, but if you forget food, they do have snacks/drinks that you can buy at the galley.
They also have 3/4-day trips lasting 5 hours – these will take extra time to travel where wildlife has been recently spotted.
Arch Rock! Seals + sea lions like hanging out here!
Anacapa Island is also home to breeding populations of brown pelicans and western gulls.
If you’ve ever read Island of the Blue Dolphins, it’s also known as the San Nicholas Island and is one of the Channel Islands!
- Have you ever been to Channel Islands National Park?
- Did you ever read Island of the Blue Dolphins?
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Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
I miss exploring! :[
Sounds like a tour I’d love to take, looks do beautiful!
Thank you! I hope you get to go sometime! :]
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
Seeing all of this wildlife would be amazing!! I think seals are just the cutest, and I love that it’s possible to see them on Anacapa Island!
Agreed–they’re super cute! It was awesome getting to see so much wildlife!
I love any tour that takes you to observe wildlife or animals in their natural setting. This sounds like a cool way to see Anacapa!
It definitely was! :D I’d love to go back to check out the other islands + camp there if possible!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
Love being able to see animals in their homes. Sounds like a great experience — I’d love to see dolphins!
Deb recently posted…17 Best Things To Do In The Picturesque Medieval Town Of Bruges
Me too! :] I hope you get to sometime!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
What a fun tour! Visiting the Channel Islands is high up on my list as I’d like to do some diving there. Love all the rock formations and chance to see wildlife!
Ooo, I hear it’s amazing! I’m really hoping to learn to dive so I can explore more — would love to go back after I learn! :]
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
I’d love to go on this tour. I’d especially love to see the harbor seals and the sea lions in their own environment. This sounds like a wonderful day out. Also, it’s my dream to see whales and orcas in the wild! One day – maybe on Anacapa Island!!
The seals were super cute! :D I’ve never gotten to see whales/orcas either — I hope we both get to someday!
Wow, I hadn’t heard of this island! What a cool spot to visit in California. I would love to see some dolphins and pelicans. Will definitely keep this tour in mind for when I finally make it out to Cali for a road trip.
Ahh, I hope you have fun when you come here! :]
Aw, I’m sorry you didn’t see any whales or orcas! Wildlife tours are usually so enjoyable (although I’ve only actually been on one in the highlands!) so this one is compelling :) It’s also a great way to explore Channel Islands.
Hopefully someday! :] I’ve never done any in the highlands but would love to someday! :D
Channel islands sounds awesome – I really want to see some Orcas, hopefully I’ll have luck when I visit!
Ooo, I hope you do — that’d be so cool!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
Sounds like a great tour! The Arch Rock with the sea lions on top looks so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by! It was definitely worth it! :]
This looks like a stunning place to go on a wildlife tour. I love all of the rocks coming out of the water – amazing landscape!
Me too! It was so pretty there!
What a gorgeous place! Would love to visit one day.
It really is! :] I hope you get to go visit sometime!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
I love boat tours to observe marine and coastal wildlife. How cool to see wild dolphins so close – and all those seabirds and seals! Sounds like a great way to spend time in California. Saving this for my next trip to the sates.
Susanna recently posted…Mountain Gorilla Trekking: Sustainable Ecotourism in Uganda and DR Congo
This was the first one I ever went on but I definitely want to do more in the future! :] Hope you get to come visit sometime! :]
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
i thought that was the Arco in Cabo! this one actually seems cooler because of all the wildlife around it…. and i do hope to take this Channel Islands tour next time i’m in SoCal.
Shelley recently posted…The Ultimate Tulum Travel Planning Guide for First Time Visitors
Ooo, I’ve never been there but maybe someday! I loved getting to see all the wildlife here though! :]
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
Your lovely photographs make the tour look and sound so appealing. Thank you.
Aww, thank you! :] It was a gorgeous place to visit!
Such a pretty area, some day I’ll make it out to these islands! The dolphins are the best!
Yay! I hope you get to sometime–it was a fun visit! :]!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
The scenery is impressive and then to add wildlife sightings makes it so much better. The dolphins and sea lions are my favorite. I also love watching pelicans do their fishing thing.
I love it too! :D Hoping I can do more things like this in the future!
I’ve driven right by this so many times! Next time, I’ll definitely hop on a tour to see the Channel Island wildlife (and get my national park passport stamp!) Thank you for turning me on to this NP!
Ooo, yeah! I’ve been collecting the stamps everywhere! :P Hope you enjoy your visit when you go!
I can almost hear the waves and feel the salty air of the ocean as I read this – I never get tired of seeing sea lions! Would love to do this tour when I visit Channel Islands NP someday!
Aww, yay! I hope you get to sometime! :]
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box
The sea life on and around this island sounds amazing. Dressing in layers is good advice.
For sure! I get cold easily so I try to always have layers on me just in case — it gets pretty windy there!
Farrah recently posted…Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes with Fusion Bake Box