Kayaking Santa Cruz Island...

With this being our inaugural visit to the Channel Islands, Cindy and I knew we wanted to "do it all". We booked the Discovery Sea Caves Kayak Tour (2.5 Hours). "Paddle the east or west side of Scorpion Anchorage, exploring sea caves, kelp forests, and endemic wildlife. Great for first-timers looking to hike and snorkel before/after the tour."

After very thorough safety lesson by our very wonderful guide, Alex, we were launched.

"Kayaking is a unique and rewarding way to experience the pristine marine environment of eastern Santa Cruz Island. Here you will encounter spectacular displays of wildlife. The island’s cliffs, their numerous caves and the rest of the coastline and neighboring islets are home to 8 of the 17 breeding species of seabirds and shorebirds, including ashy storm-petrels, Scripps’s murrelets, Brandt’s and pelagic cormorants, Cassin’s auklets, western gulls, pigeon gillemots and black oystercatchers. Santa Cruz, the other Channel Islands, and all their associated islets and offshore rocks comprise one of the largest breeding centers on the west coast for seabirds and shorebirds. California sea lion and harbor seals also rest and breed throughout the island’s shoreline."

Cindy submerged her camera to capture this beautiful pink coral. I can only imagine what snorkeling here is like.

The highlight was meandering throughout various caves. We were warned, "Sea caves are dangerous. Even on calm days, the wake from large ships in the channel can pose a danger in caves. Use extreme caution. Always observe and evaluate sea conditions before entering any sea cave."

We visited some amazing caves. Cavern Point Cave .8 miles one way. This magnificent cave with colorful lichen and algae is the deepest in the area. Exposed to predominant west wind and waves. Expect larger waves and stronger winds when approaching.

Seal Beach Cave .5 miles one way Massive cave with a large rock beach at the back. Used by harbor seals as a winter-spring haul-out. Landing is prohibited. DO NOT enter this cave if marine mammals are present.

There is no way to describe how scary, and exhilarating, this particular cave was. Narrow, shallow, very dark, with undulating swells, we were giddy and fearful all at the same time. Wow.

Elephant’s Belly Cave .3 miles one way East-facing opening passes through to a much larger west-facing opening. Watch for shallow boulders. Be mindful of swell and low tides. The narrow outer archway has extremely sharp walls and is subject to unexpected surges.