Channel Islands National Park National Park Service Channel Islands California U.S. Department of the Interior protected asChannelIslandsNational Park. are island waters withinonenauticalmileofeach five oftheislands,theirsubmergedlands,and rise totherichbiodiversityoftheseis the minglingofwarmandcoldoceancurrents give else onEarth.Iso cies ofanimalsandplants—145are found nowhere spe their encircling watersare2,000 hometoover rate themfrom themainland,eightislands and dark rock. Namedforthedeeptroughs thatsepa - of ribbons Islands seemtofloatonthehorizonlike theOff California thecoastofsouthern Channel ions. You don’t havetogofarfindsuchaplace. and therhyth breezes, walk onadesertedbeachwithbirds,salty fortranquility—tounfamiliar landortheyearning Maybe itisthethrilloftravelingoverwatertoan Something drawsustotheseaanditsislands. Nowhere ElseOnEarth Not longagotheyfacedextinction. pelicans inthewesternUnitedStates. breeding colonyofCaliforniabrown islands, includingtheonlymajor Eleven seabirdspeciesnestonthe of seabirdsinsouthernCalifornia. and feedinggroundsfor99percent The islandsprovideessentialnesting A SafeHavenforSeabirds mic washofwavesasourcompan- lation over thousands of years and lation overthousandsofyearsand
from theendangeredlist. recovery. In 2009 theywereremoved save thebirdsledtoaremark to banned DDTin1972.Thefight species asendangeredin1970and DDT as thecause.Theylisted West Ana In 1970onlyonechicksurvivedon capa. Scientistspinpointed lands. Today, able able
- many plantsgrewlarger. fox. Speciesofmice,scrubjays,and house cats,becomingtoday’sisland and grayfoxesshranktothesizeof a newspeciesofpygmymammoth, vironment. Mam and adaptedtotheisolateden- Many speciesevolvedovertime from themainland. isolation ofanimalsandplants channel againandincreasedthe the sealevel.Thiswidened water frommeltingglaciersraised seeds floated.Birdsflew. Later, on raftsofveg nel. Miceandfoxesdriftedover tory. Mam cies toventureintothisnewterri- to reachthen,allowedsomespe- seafloor. Thelandoffshore, easier Channel andexposedsomeofthe distance acrosstheSantaBarbara during theiceagesnarrowed Living Alone The ChannelIslandsfrom theIceAgestoToday moths swamthechan- etation. Plantsand Lower oceanlevels moths evolved to moths evolvedto Indians settledonthenorthern America. OvertimeChumash known humanpresenceinNorth Santa Rosarecordtheearliest of ahumanlegbonefoundon ago; 13,000-year-old remains attracted seafaringpeoplelong People ontheIslands The islands chain aspredatorandprey. squid, amajorlinkinthefood like seastarsandsurfgrass, and dolphins,intertidaldwellers fish), some28speciesofwhales garibaldi (California’s statemarine northern furseals,brightorange species youwillfindhereare diversity oflife.Amongthe2,000 an eco rents, winds,andweathercreate seals breed.Together, watercur from whereplantsgrowtowhen and seacontrolseverythinghere, powerful bondbetweentheland Kinship ofIslandsandSea A system thatsupportsarich
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their pres George Van has neverbeenfound.Capt. of theislands,althoughhisgrave and mayhavebeenburiedonone Cabrillo diedfrominjuries 1543, Isla dePosesión.OnJan wintered onanislandhe called Bar Cabrillo sailedintotheSanta In October1542JuanRodríguez sionaries, andranchers. attracted Spanishexplorers,mis- later bountiful naturalresources region’s temperateclimateand used forthiscommerce.The manufacture themaincurrency mash usedpurpleolivellashellsto coast andinland.TheislandChu that extendedupanddownthe tribes joined inatradingnet Prosperous andindustrious,the settled thesouthernislands. islands, andGabrieliño/Tongva bara Channel. His expedition bara Channel.Hisexpedition ent names in 1793. Early ent namesin1793.Early couver gave the islands couver gavetheislands uary 3, 3, uary
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diversity. of theirnatural are regain islands the and activities haveceased military and ranching andothercommercial cal dynamicsoftheislands.Today, threatened todestroytheecologi- alien plantandanimalspeciesthat on theislandecology, introducing activities haddevastatingeffects ing raidsonSanMiguel.These Santa Barbaraandpracticedbomb- set uplookoutsonAnacapaand late 1800s.Inthe1900smilitary come economicmainstaysbythe ing campsandranchinghadbe- Fish- moved tomainlandmissions. By 1822mostChu extinction. sea lions,nearlyhuntingthemto coves forseaotters,seals,and the in the1800sfurtraderssearched mash had been had been mash ing some ing some
NPS /MICHAELHAMPSHIRE park’s fiveislands. isillustration This a composite of the tions tocome. genera for resources foryouand preserves thenaturalandcultural and ecosystems, restores species, tects threatenedandendangered Nation Marine Sanc from eachis extending outsixnauticalmiles Islands NationalPark.Thewaters cal mileofeachislandasChannel lands andwaterswithinonenauti- Santa Barbara,andthesubmerged Santa Rosa,Cruz,Ana gress designatedSanMiguel, National Monu Barbara becameChannelIslands in 1938whenAnacapaandSanta Pro Protection andRestoration tection fortheislandsbegan al Parkmonitorsandpro- tuary. ChannelIslands land areaNational ment. In1980Con
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- Visiting Channel Islands National Park The National Park Islands at a Glance
When was the last time you gazed at Planning Your Visit? Whether you go details. Service animals are welcome For Your Safety Be sure to check the Commercial Service to the Islands San Miguel Island the ocean? Did you see the islands? to the islands on your own boat or in the visitor center at Ventura. On park website for details about safety Channel Islands Aviation This westernmost island receives the brunt of the north Feel them call you? Savor the sea— with a park concessioner, you should the islands they are allowed only by and regulations. • Weather conditions 305 Durley Ave. westerly winds, fog, and severe weather from the open its gulls, barking sea lions, and tiny use the park website (www.nps.gov/ permit from the superintendent. change rapidly; dress in layers. • There Camarillo, CA 93010 ocean. The cold, nutrient-rich water surrounding the creatures. Take time for a visit. chis) to plan your visit. It describes the are no supplies on the islands. Take 805-987-1301 9,491-acre, eight-mile-long and four-mile-wide island is many tour options that are available Things to See and Do Visitors to the water, food, and other necessities. www.flycia.com home for a diversity of sea life. Submerged rocks make the Eight Channel Islands range along and includes information about boat islands may swim, snorkel, hike, camp, • Watch your step—ladders, railings, nearly 28-mile coastline a mariner’s nightmare. Rough seas the coast of southern California for and airplane concessioners that can watch wildlife, kayak, sail, and explore and stairs may be wet. • Stay back Island Packers, Inc. and risky landings did not daunt the Chumash who lived 160 miles. San Miguel, Santa Rosa, take you to the islands. It has detailed tidepools, beaches, and rugged can- from cliff edges; they may be crumbly 1691 Spinnaker Dr., Suite 105 B here, nor did they deter the first European explorer, Juan Santa Cruz, and Anacapa are the information about activities on the yons. Naturalists lead hikes. The kelp or undercut—a fall could be fatal. Ventura, CA 93001 northernmost. Four islands lie to the islands and in the water, boating safe- forests, caves, clear water, and rich • Do not approach marine mammals 805-642-1393 Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Ranchers raised sheep from south—San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, ty, weather, park regulations, and diversity of animals and plants make like whales, seals, and sea lions. • Pets www.islandpackers.com 1850 to 1948. Later the Navy used the island for a bombing Santa Catalina, and San Clemente. more. Park staff can also help you this one of the top scuba diving sites are prohibited on the islands. • Check range. Today, native species are making a recovery in this plan your visit. Contact a visitor cen- in the world. for ticks and watch out for poison More Information sanctuary. Visitor Centers The visitor center in ter for information. oak. • For firearms regulations ask a Channel Islands National Park Island Features: Chumash sites; Cabrillo Monument; caliche Ventura has information, a film, an Protecting the Islands The islands’ park ranger or check the park website. Robert J. Lagomarsino forest; seabird, seal, and sea lion rookeries. © TIM HAUF PHOTOGRAPHY indoor marine life display, exhibits Accessibility We strive to make our natural and cultural resources, includ- Visitor Center Over 100,000 seals and sea lions breed and haul out on San Miguel. about the natural and cultural fea- facilities, services, and programs ing all seabirds, marine mammals and WARNING Deer mice on the islands 1901 Spinnaker Dr. tures of the islands, a native plant accessible to all. For information go other wildlife, plants and wildflowers, may carry diseases, including deadly Ventura, CA 93001-4354 garden, and a bookstore. A small to a visitor center, ask a ranger, call, artifacts, structures, rocks, fossils, hantavirus. Avoid all contact with 805-658-5730 visitor center in Santa Barbara has or check our website. The Ventura shells, and shipwrecks are protected mice and other wild animals. Keep www.nps.gov/chis information and exhibits. Both visitor center is accessible for visitors by federal law—all collecting is illegal. food in rodent-proof containers. Santa Rosa Island Outdoors Santa Barbara visitor centers are open daily, except with special needs, but getting onto Keep at least 100 yards away from The second-largest island, with 53,051 acres—15 miles long Thanksgiving and December 25. the islands can be difficult; ask for marine mammals and seabirds. Fish In an emergency: On the islands Visitor Center and 10 miles wide—beckons you with rolling hills, deep and wildlife laws are strictly enforced. contact a ranger. On the water use 113 Harbor Way, 4th floor canyons, a coastal lagoon, and beaches adorned with sand Staying on trails helps prevent erosion marine radio VHF channel 16. Santa Barbara, CA 93109 dunes and driftwood. The Chumash called it Wima or and protects fragile vegetation. 805-884-1475 “driftwood” because they built tomols, plank canoes, from Channel Islands is one of over logs brought ashore by channel currents. For thousands of 400 parks in the National Park years unusual animals and plants made the island their System. To learn more about home. Flightless geese, giant mice, and pygmy mammoths parks, visit www.nps.gov. are now extinct, while the island fox, spotted skunk, and munchkin dudleya (one of six plant species found only on this island) still live here. Island Features: Chumash and ranching history; Torrey pines; snowy plover; Lobo Canyon; sand dunes; beaches. © TIM HAUF PHOTOGRAPHY Rare Torrey pines grow only near San Diego and at Bechers Bay.
Santa Cruz Island Here are pristine beaches, rugged mountains, lonely canyons, grass-covered hills, and some animals and plants that you have never seen before. This paradise is Santa Cruz Island, a miniature of what southern California looked like over 100 years ago. The largest island in the national park, with 61,972 acres, Santa Cruz is 22 miles long and from two to six miles wide. A central valley splits the island along the Santa Cruz Island fault, with volcanic rock on the north and older sedimentary rock on the south. The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service preserve and protect the island. Island Features: historic ranches; island fox; island scrub jay; Painted Cave, one of the world’s largest sea caves. © TIM HAUF PHOTOGRAPHY From Smuggler’s Cove you can see Anacapa in the distance.
Anacapa Island Twelve miles from the mainland a five-mile-long spine of rock emerges from the ocean, breaks into three islets, and offers itself as home to 265 plants species and a bevy of seabirds—with the largest brown pelican rookery in the United States. On charts, the island of 737 acres appears as East, Middle, and West Anacapa. The Chumash call it Anyapakh or “mirage.” It was anything but a mirage on the night of December 2, 1853, when the sidewheel steam- er Winfield Scott, running at full speed, crashed into rocks off Middle Anacapa and sank. The Coast Guard built a light beacon in 1912 and a light station in 1932. Island Features: bird rookeries; Chumash middens; giant coreopsis; tidepools; kelp forests; sea caves; arches. © TIM HAUF PHOTOGRAPHY Sunrise lights up Inspiration Point and Middle and West Anacapa.
Santa Barbara Island Steep cliffs of this smallest island—644 acres or about one square mile—rise above rocky shores to a grassy mesa flanked with twin peaks. Gabrieliño/Tongva Indians fished here. Explorers, seal and abalone hunters, ranchers, and the military took their toll. Today, after years of species Marine Protected Areas Islands on the Edge and habitat loss, animals and native vegetation are mak- Within the park and sanctuary is The Channel Islands lie in a region The islands rose from the ocean Ocean currents also play a big ing a remarkable recovery. Among those found here are a network of Marine Protected between the mainland coast and millions of years ago and were role in the biodiversity of the Scripps’s murrelet, a seabird that nests in crevices in the Areas (MPAs) that provide a the deep ocean known as the born of plate tectonics, volcanic islands. A cold current traveling cliffs, and the Santa Barbara Island live-forever, a rare refuge for sea life and opportu Continental Shelf. The sea floor is activity, and fluctuating sea lev- south along the North Pacific plant found only on this island. nities for recreation, education, made up of canyons, sea mounts, els. These islands on the edge of coast meets at the Channel Islands Island Features: seabird, seal, and sea lion rookeries; and science. In 11 Marine Re- banks (underwater plateaus), the continent were never con with a warm current moving up island night lizard; wildflowers; kelp forests. serves, recreational fishing and escarpments, and deep basins nected to the mainland. During from the tropics. Upwelling nutri- commercial harvest are prohibit- (Santa Cruz Basin is deeper than the ice ages ocean levels dropped ents from the ocean floor mingle © TIM HAUF PHOTOGRAPHY ed; limited fishing and harvest Arizona’s Grand Canyon). This as the polar caps expanded. What with the currents, mixing fish and Giant coreopsis (tree sunflowers) make a showy display at Arch Point. are allowed in two Marine Con- topography—shallow and deep, are now San Miguel, Santa Rosa, other sea life into a living soup. servation Areas. The MPAs total smooth and rugged, sunlit and Santa Cruz, and Anacapa islands Giant kelp forests encircle the 318 square miles, the largest dark—creates habitats for many were once joined as a single island islands and feed ocean visitors— such network off the continental species. called Santarosae. When the sea from tiny plankton and sponges United States. For more informa- rose again it created the four to giant blue whales. tion visit www.nps.gov/chis. islands we see today. Join the park community. www.nationalparks.org
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