Santa Cruz Island, CA
As I looked up through the screen of our tent, I could see the sun coming up through the eucalyptus trees and hear a symphony of bird calls overlapping each other in unison. This morning was special and magical as we were waking up in a place so close, but so far away from our day to day life. As I struggle out of the tent (remember I was sleeping on the ground!), I stretch and look around our campsite to find a beautiful little red island fox staring back at me.
We were on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park. Barren and Beautiful, Santa Cruz Island is one of the central islands in the Channel Islands National Park, accessible by private or commercial boat only an hour from the docks of Ventura Harbor, California. One quarter of this island is managed by the National Park Service, and the rest of it is protected by the Nature Conservancy, rendering that area of the island basically off limits to the general public.
I have lived in Ventura County, California for nearly 30 years and have just recently discovered this little piece of heaven only an hour away by boat. The funny thing about it, is that we look at the islands every day. We not only look at the islands, but look for the islands. Sometimes you can’t see them at all through the haze and fog, and other times, especially in the afternoon heat, they appear so large that it looks like they are moving closer to the California Coast. We can see them as we are driving around town in Ventura, or driving on the freeway, sometimes they loom bigger than life. The Chumash had a name for the changing views of the islands, especially Anacapa.
Part of the magic of visiting and photographing these islands is the boat ride across the Santa Barbara Channel which is usually chock full of dolphins and whales. The morning crossing usually has the best wildlife photography opportunities as the winds are calm and the water glassy. Frequently, we will see literally hundreds of dolphins following the boat and playing in the wake. Whales are also common site especially in the spring time. They usually keep their distance, but we have had a close encounter with a Momma whale who felt we were a little too close to her babies. She breached the boat no more than five feet off our side of the boat! That was both a rare and scary occurrence!
What makes these islands compelling subjects to photographers? From the mainland, clouds and islands off the coast will add dimension and “the glue the holds the picture together” to an otherwise common picture of an ocean vista. As you get closer to the islands, the ocean wildlife is the predominant photographic subject, and little by little, that silhouette of an island that we see everyday starts to show it’s hills, valleys and unique topography.
When you are on the island, photographic options abound. There are vistas from numerous peaks, old farm equipment, decaying shacks and crystal clear water with views of the world below. Dolfins, whales, shells, birds, and small island foxes are your main photographic subjects here.
On this particular visit, the weather was unseasonably hot with warm winds that reminded us of Hawaii. We came to explore and learn about this place so close, but yet so far from where we live.
We’d like to come back to kayak this secret paradise right off shore, but for now it’s time to leave some of its secrets behind for us to explore on our next visit.
As we pull away from the island and look at all of the trails we hiked on, the detail of the topography starts to slip away as the boat rushes towards Ventura. Pretty soon this little island will once again be the scenery and “the glue” in our sunset photographs but we now have new knowledge of the magic that lies behind the silhouette. Now we know what a remarkable place it really is. If you are interested in discovering and seeing these beautiful islands photographically for yourself, join us on one of our group or privately optioned photography tours and workshops to either Anacapa or Santa Cruz Island. This is an amazing National Park not to be missed and we can show you the special nooks and crannies. For more information on our workshops, tours and online classes, go to: JansenPhotoExpeditions.com.
Holly Higbee-Jansen is photographer, trainer, blogger, and photographic workshop leader who enjoys teaching and the creative process.
Her passions include teaching photography workshops in beautiful locations in California, Iceland, Costa Rica and the American West with her husband Mark. Holly also teaches online classes on Lightroom, Photoshop and photographic technique.
Get Holly’s Free E-Book on “Landscape Photography and the Light” and find out about her newest workshops at Jansen Photo Expeditions.com.
