TRAVEL
barns, blacksmith and saddle shops, winer- ies and a chapel, relics of the 1800s and 1900s. As David was discussing the progress
A Channel Islands Tour by Bill thomas & Paul Romero photos by Paul Romero and Jim Steelquist. T
hrough the mist, the craggy outline of Santa Cruz Island, one of eight under the auspices of the Channel
Islands National Park, slowly came into focus. Nineteen contemporary, well- equipped, amateur adventurers were about to begin their own collective explo- ration following the initial wake started by Juan Rodrigo Cabrillo in 1542. They had boarded Island Packers’ double-decked vessel bound for Santa Cruz Island, also the provider of passage to Anacapa Island the following day. The group had just left Ven- tura having been prepared for their island visits by the National Park’s Director of In- terpretation and Public Relations, Yvonne
Menard, who had shared information, pro- vided maps, brochures, newsletters, and an authoritative magazine to her receptive au- dience at the Visitor’s Center, which also includes a bookstore, a native polenta gar- den, displays of marine aquatic life, exhibits from each island, and a 25-minute park film.
The one-hour ocean voyage, with ma-
rine life unfortunately in hiding, took them to Scorpion Cove where they docked and were met by their guide, David Chubb, a park volunteer. He shared an overview of safety guidelines and an orientation to the island, introducing its ranching heritage consisting of still standing ranch houses,
on the restoration of island structures, in- cluding endangered plants and animals, a small fox emerged from the tall grass and approached the group, all of whom were amazed at how docile the fox acted. David explained that since the animal had no nat- ural predator on the island, it had no fear. At one time, he explained, the fox species were endangered because of the Golden Eagles that inhabited the island. They, in turn, were removed and replaced by Bald Eagles that fed on fish. Consequently, the fox population has grown and flourished. So has it been with the coming and going of kelp forests, pigs, rats, sheep, horses, cows, pelicans, reptiles, cats, rabbits, oil spills, film shootings, smuggled liquor, and the Chumash Indians. The two-mile hike around the island,
though at times challenging, was worth climbing the several hills to partake of the uncommon and varied vistas. The once heavily grazed Santa Cruz Island is still slowly recovering from the immense sheep population. The hillside’s former grasslands have been replaced with plants native to the island, while ice plant, used to stabilize erosion, is still being eradicated by the park service. Further removal of non-native plants and animals is intended
to bring all of the islands back to a natural balance so the public can again enjoy them in all their natural splendor. After the boat trip and return to their
comfortable lodging at the Country Inn and Suites in Port Heuneme, the weary pi- oneers enjoyed a lively reception and a Thai dinner. Boarding the same boat the following
day, the renewed sea goers motored 14 miles to “bird island,” Anacapa. Debarking, they labored up the five flights of 156
Anacapa Lighthouse.
steps to meet their guide for the day, vol- unteer Doug Williams. Doug led the group over a relatively flat one-mile trail overlook- ing the “bird island’s” 700 acres, featuring thousands of western seagulls occupying the island as their nesting place. The
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