A Whale of a Day Trip to Santa Cruz Island

A Whale of a Day Trip to
Santa Cruz Island

After Epic Kayaking Through Sea Caves,
We Were Greeted by a Big Surprise Guest

By Sarah Sinclair | June 6, 2024

On a predictably foggy morning in May, I boarded a ferry toward Santa Cruz Island, hoping for sun and eager to spend the day kayaking through sea caves. The sun didn’t show, but a calm, glassy ocean surface and warm marine layer provided the perfect setting for exploration.

Our group paddled around the edge of the island, admiring pelicans, cormorants, and seals with their new pups. Wildflowers clung to cliff faces, while giant kelp performed a mesmerizing dance below.

The sea caves vary in shape, size, color, and texture. The ceilings and walls of volcanic rock shimmer in rainbow-hued stripes in some places and cartoonish black crags in others. With names like Split Rock, the Cavern, and Elephant Belly, the caves’ distinct personalities quickly become clear.

Sea-cave kayaking is not for the faint of heart. Life jackets and helmets are required, and it was soon apparent why. Our guide explained that the ceiling would get so low as we paddled through that we would need to lie flat on our backs at times. Another cave was so narrow that we rappelled off the sides with our paddles, making sure not to touch the razor-sharp barnacles with our hands. We made it through unscathed, whooping and comparing adrenaline rushes as we exited the dark cave into the daylight.

While five hours and nine miles of paddling sounds like a lot — and it was — we were reluctant for the day to end. As we boarded the ferry and watched the island recede, I felt like I had attained my adventure quota for a while. My reverie was interrupted by a voice over the loudspeaker excitedly announcing the presence of a whale off our starboard bow.

As I scanned the horizon, a young humpback whale jumped completely out of the ocean, landing with an enormous splash. I’ve spent most of my life in Southern California, near the ocean, loving the beach, and I’ve vacationed in Hawai‘i, always watching for whale behavior. I’ve been lucky over the years. I’ve seen whales breach a handful of times. This was more magnificent than anything I’ve experienced. His size alone was impressive; his behavior was enchanting.

As we slowed our course to observe, the humpback came closer. Over the next 30 minutes, the huge creature put on an incredible show: slapping his fins and tail on the water’s surface, sending clouds of water spouting high into the air, and breaching multiple times.

The naturalist on board kept up a commentary with our whale’s acrobatics. She explained that his repetitive “pec slapping” might be a form of communication, might be a mating behavior, might indicate grooming to splash away parasites, or could simply be for enjoyment.

Back on shore, as the excitement of the day sank in, I started doubting whether the whale sighting was as epic an experience as it had seemed.

Holly Lohuis, a marine biologist and co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, was also on the ferry that day. I asked her about what we had witnessed. “Oh, it was special,” she confirmed.

Lohuis explained that the recent increase in humpback whale sightings is a conservation success story. “After 150 years of industrial whaling off the California coast,” she said, “seeing more and more humpback whales in the Santa Barbara Channel continues to inspire and educate people about the importance of ongoing conservation efforts to ensure the long-term health of our oceans.”

Santa Cruz Island is part of Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Ferry service to the island is provided by Island Packers (islandpackers.com). Kayaking is available through Santa Barbara Adventure Company (sbadventureco.com).