News and Naturalist Blog

Visiting a National Park can take lots of time, research and planning. Sometimes, you just want a quick getaway, a spontaneous excursion, or a chance to preview a destination before you commit more time and resources. The Anacapa Shoreline Cruise is a perfect solution for these desires. This 3 ½ hour non-landing trip allows you…

I close my eyes. Silence is all I hear between the far away drone of a ship’s motor and the nearby rustle of leaves as animals move about the dry grass. Somewhere, a Santa Cruz Island scrub jay calls to another as it leaps from the tip of a gnarled scrub oak. The sound of…

It was late morning on September 23rd, and I was one of the Island Packer’s naturalists/crew, working with Captain Joe Honsey on the Island Adventure. We were heading to Santa Rosa Island and then continuing on with a wildlife cruise along the shoreline of San Miguel Island when we heard on the marine radio a…