Description:
Skill level: Intermediate
Trip length/type: 6.0 miles; round-trip; open-ocean; three to four hours
Chart/map: NOAA Chart #18756; USGS Santa Barbara Island 7.5 min series
Summary
Once called Santa Barbara Rock, this square mile of craggy, volcanic rock surrounded by vertical cliffs hundreds of feet high, appears as if it had just been thrust from the seafloor. A new adventure awaits you around each point on your circumnavigation of this remote Channel Island.
How to get there
Santa Barbara Island is located approximately 46 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Transportation to Landing Cove at Santa Barbara Island is available through Island Packers or Truth Aquatics, authorized concessionaires to the Channel Island National Park. For information and reservations, call Island Packers at (805) 642-1393 or Truth Aquatics (805) 963-3564.
Camping
A limited number of primitive campsites are available on Santa Barbara Island. From the landing dock, a trail leads to the top of the bluff and then it is a short distance to the campsites. Backpacking equipment is recommended for transporting food and camping gear. Pit toilets and picnic tables are provided; water, windbreaks, and shade are not. Stake your tent well; it gets very windy. Open fires are prohibited. For reservations and permits contact National Park Reservation System (800) 365-CAMP.
Hazards
Because Santa Barbara Island is small and exposed, there are no all-weather landing sites. Most of the island is surrounded by vertical cliffs with few beaches to land on during an emergency. Plan your tour for the morning to avoid the strong afternoon westerly winds. Dense fog is most common in June and July. Santa Ana winds can occur any time of the year but are most common from September to November. Wear a helmet and PFD, and carry a waterproof flashlight when exploring the caves. In an emergency, park rangers can be reached by radio on Channel 16.
Public access
A permit is not required to land on Santa Barbara Island. However access to the island is allowed only at the landing cove. The waters on the east shore of Santa Barbara are closed to invertebrate fishing in waters less than 20 feet deep. Landing is prohibited on offshore rocks and islets. For the most recent information regarding permits and regulations contact Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. This tour is located within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Kayak surfing
Santa Barbara Island is not noted for good surfing waves.
Launching
Launching from the dock at Landing Cove on Santa Barbara Island is a two- to three-person job. Kayaks must be lowered 10-12 feet to the water and there is not a hoist. It's best to stow your gear in your kayak before lowering it to the water so you don't have to load a boat which is moving up and down. A steel ladder extends from the dock to the water. Negotiating the last step from the bottom of the ladder into your kayak can be difficult when there is a large surge. A launch can also be made from the shore adjacent to the dock, but the rocks are sharp and the surge is strong. A strong south swell can make launching extremely dangerous.
Tour description
Only about one square mile in size, Santa Barbara Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands. The island is triangular in shape with high precipitous cliffs on all sides. Two prominent peaks protrude above the marine terrace. Signal Peak, at 635 feet, is the highest point on the island. Because of a lack of fresh water and overgrazing during past ranching activities, the island is only sparsely vegetated. The most prominent native plants are the giant coreopsis, a species of sunflower, and the prickly pear cactus. During the spring the fields of bright yellow flowering coreopsis give the island a golden glow. Most of the island is covered with non-native grasses introduced by agricultural activities during the 1920s.
Head north from the landing cove to Arch Point. If conditions permit, paddle beneath the arch. A navigational beacon atop Arch Point flashes every 5 seconds.
From Arch Point head west toward Webster Point, staying inside of Shag Rock. Vertical cliffs of dark-brown volcanic rock nearly 500 feet in height ascend from the turbulent waters. The craggy rock is sharp, jagged, and honeycombed with caves.
Just east of Webster Point are elephant seal and sea lion rookeries. Santa Barbara Island is one of the principal rookeries of the California sea lion. Hundreds of sea lions can be seen hauled out along the shoreline. Their loud barking echoes off the cliffs. During the summer mating season, the breeding males become very territorial. Males will bark continuously, warning competing males to stay clear. Confrontations often occur with fights involving intense pushing and biting.
After San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara is the second most important sea bird nesting site in the Channel Islands. The western gull, three species of cormorants, the brown pelican, and the black storm petrel (the rarest breeding sea bird on the California coast) all nest on the steep cliffs. The island has the largest known breeding colony in the world of the rare Xantus' murrelets. The Xantus' murrelets nest on the steep cliffs surrounding the island. When the chicks are only 48 hours old, they instinctively leave their nests during the middle of the night and fall to the ocean where they meet their parents and swim out to sea to spend the rest of their lives. The Xantus' murrelets return to land only during the nesting season.
Webster Point is probably the most spectacular setting on the island with numerous caves, arches, and offshore rocks. Curious sea lion pups surround your kayak, swimming and playing in the water. The huge males hauled out on the beach seem uninterested, provided everyone keeps a safe distance.
From Webster Point head south along the western shore of the island. Conditions can be rough during the afternoon. Waves commonly break on submerged offshore rocks and the kelp beds are thick. Sutil Island, a huge rock with high, vertical cliffs, lies approximately one-half mile off the southwest corner of the Santa Barbara Island. Passage between the two islands is possible during most conditions.
The south and east sides of the Santa Barbara Island are sheltered from the westerly and northwesterly wind. The bluff is low-lying and backed by a steep, sandy slope. There is less kelp than on the east side of the island and the water visibility is frequently greater than 50 feet. Sea lions are everywhere: in the caves, on the rocks, in the water, even climbing hundreds of feet up the steep hillsides. Young pups body surf in the waves just inches from the sharp rocks. Near the southwest corner of the island a giant blow hole spouts a geyser of water up to 20 feet into the air.
Head north along the east side of the island to Landing Cove. The wind often blows offshore and the sea is calm in the lee of the bluff. The landing cove is a great place for snorkeling. The water is very clear and usually calm. The sea lions that hang out in the cove are accustomed people and are very friendly.
Landing
Land at the dock where you launched. Hoisting a kayak from the water to the dock is a job best accomplished by two people. Boats may not remain tied to the dock. Storage of kayaks on the dock should be coordinated with the park ranger. A landing can also be made onto the shore adjacent to the dock, but the rocks are sharp and the surge is strong. A strong south swell can make landing extremely dangerous.
What to do afterward
Santa Barbara Island has a small visitor center with displays and six miles of hiking trails. A trail guide is available at the visitor center. Due to the fragile environment, hiking is limited to the well-marked trails and collecting of cultural and natural resources is prohibited.
For more information
Island Packers: (805) 642-1393
Truth Aquatics (805) 963-3564
Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center at (805) 658-5730;
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (805) 966-7107
Excerpted from Adventure Kayaking- Trips from Big Sur to San Diego: Includes the Channel Islands by Robert Mohle with permission from Wilderness Press.
This book is available in the Paddling.net Store.
