We awoke to a beautiful sunrise at the largest island in California, Santa Cruz. This island is known for its endemic species, including the island fox and the island scrub jay which is found only on Santa Cruz. When we went ashore for our hikes, many of us were hoping to see these rare creatures, and indeed, many of us got our wish!
After exploring the island, we returned to the ship for lunch, during which time we repositioned to Anacapa Island, the second smallest Channel Island. We boarded Zodiacs to explore and were amazed at the California sea lions and brown pelicans feeding on bait balls all around us.
Once National Geographic Venture got underway again, we were joined over and over by common dolphin escorts who gleefully rode our bow as the sun set. It was a beautiful day full of the abundant wildlife that call this place home.
