National Park #3, canceled June 23, 2018
We got up early to catch the Island Packers boat out of Oxnard, and arrived at the Anacapa Landing Cove around 10:30. We were informed about the island being home to thousands of nesting western gulls, but nothing could prepare us for the sight that met us atop the 150+ step staircase from the boat. It was like walking into a National Geographic documentary! The chicks were so stinking cute! Though the morning was overcast, it warmed up in the afternoon, and we took a walk past Pinniped Point (lots of basking sea lions on the rocks below the cliff) over to the lighthouse (the last permanent lighthouse built on the west coast, in 1932). We all brought snorkel gear, but I was the only one who got in the water past my knees (I was also the only one with a wetsuit). I would love to dive here–it was incredible in the kelp forest! A volunteer naturalist led us on a sunset hike to Inspiration Point, and we spent a rather windy evening in our warm tent to the sounds of squawking gulls and a foghorn.
The next day we spent more time exploring the trails (the same ones as the day before–there are only about 2 miles of them), and saw a number of birds defending their territory rather aggressively. Some tried to dive bomb us, but Jeremy put up a good fight and kept everyone safe. The kids earned their Junior Ranger badges, and we spent some time basking in the sunshine near the visitor center while waiting for the boat. On the ride back to shore, we saw a pod of dolphins. It was truly an incredible weekend!
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