Santa Cruz Island and the Channel Islands National Park

Legal Note:
This field trip is a wholly voluntary activity, sponsored by the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers (APCG). Although we will be traveling across the Santa Barbara Channel and will see many sights along the way, the field trip begins and ends at Santa Cruz Island. The boat trip across the channel is a public transportation alternative and as such it is open to the public. Each individual will pay the cross-channel fare (from a partially reimbursed field trip fee), sign a field trip waiver, and enter this Santa Cruz Island Field Trip Event understanding that it is a wholly voluntary activity associated with the APCG 2001 conference, sponsored by the APCG.

Your hosts will be Jeff Howarth and Edwin Beckenbaugh. Jeff is a Geography grad student who has spent many years studying and living on Santa Cruz Island. Edwin, also a Geography grad student, was formerly a National Park Service Ranger on San Miguel Island, and now studies oceanography.

Cost: $55.00/person which includes a box lunch. Approximately $48 of this fee will be reimbursed to each participant upon arrival at the Harbor. Each participant will use this $48 to pay for fare on a local public transportation alternative for channel crossings. This fare purchase is each individual's responsibility.

Background: Santa Barbara enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate due in part to the cold ocean currents and ameliorating influence of the Channel Islands, a chain of 8 islands off the coast of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara. In 1980, a 1,252 square nautical mile area of the Santa Barbara Channel was designated as the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS). This ocean realm encompasses an area from the mean high-tide line out to six nautical miles around the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara. The islands themselves comprise Channel Islands National Park, also designated in 1980. The Santa Barbara Channel, between the Channel Islands and the shore, is also a major route for freight transit to Los Angeles and Long Beach, a primary off-shore oil production area, and an important migratory route for several whale species. UCSB Geography students and faculty have numerous research interests in the area, ranging from radar-based remote sensing of coastal circulation patterns to geomorphological and ecological studies of the Islands.

Schedule: At 8:00am three UCSB vans will depart from the UCSB Corwin Pavilion to carry field trip participants to the Santa Barbara Marina. Participants staying downtown may wish to meet the group at the Marina (~1km west of Stearn's Wharf on Cabrillo Blvd). To get across the Santa Barbara Channel to the Islands, we will take a public transportation service run by Truth Aquatics. The Truth Aquatics boat leaves at 9:00am. Please try to arrive at the loading dock by 8:30, in time to allow for payment, signing in and loading. The boat will return to the dock at ~4:30, where UCSB vans will provide transportation back to UCSB. The boat trip across the channel is strictly a public transportation alternative to get the the starting and ending point of the field trip, Santa Cruz Island.

Channel Crossing: The crossing can take 2 to 2.5 hours depending on the weather. If the waves are rough, and you suspect you might become ill, come prepared with one of the readily available medications; Dramamine, Benadryl, Bonine, or, my personal favorite, Marazine. The popular Scopolamine patch is available by prescription. After you feel queasy, it is too late for pills to help, so take medication early, 12-24 hours before boarding. Eating a bland, moderate breakfast, staying out on the lower deck towards the stern, and focusing on the horizon can help avoid sickness. If you should feel the urge, go ahead and let it rip over the leeward rail; you'll feel much better for it.

For those who can enjoy it, the Channel is loaded with wildlife. From May to September Blue Whales, Minke Whales, and Humpbacks can be seen in the Channel. Occasionally Orcas and Right Whales are also seen. Dolphins, porpoises, Harbor Seals and Sea Lions are frequently seen, as well as numerous near shore and pelagic birds.
The group will disembark at Scorpion landing on Santa Cruz Island where we will enjoy a leisurely hike and presentation on the island's geology, history, and ecology. Afterwards, we will re-board the boat and proceed back to the Santa Barbara Harbor.

Clothing: Prepare for prolonged sun exposure by bringing sun block and a hat. In addition, bring a jacket and comfortable walking shoes. Be prepared for temperature variation by wearing comfortable layered clothing that can be added or removed as needed. Ocean spray can damage optical equipment; photographers may want to bring waterproof carrying cases.

Food and Water: A box lunch is provided as part of the field trip fee. However, participants should bring their own water for the day. There are no facilities, other than a pit toilet, at Scorpion Bay.

 Map of the Channel Islands (pdf)  by Ian Bortins

The Santa Barbara Harbor, photo by Susan Baumgart

 

Santa Cruz Island, photo by Kevin Knight.

 

Santa Rosa Island

Oil Rig

photo: www.earthlaw.org/Feature/sntarosa.htm

Photo: Shane Anderson, www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov

 

Relevant Web Sites:

http://cinms.nos.noaa.gov/
http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/oms/omschannel/omschannel.html
Two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web sites introducing the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, (CINMS).

http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov/weatherksk.html
An NOAA site provided weather information for the CINMS.

http://www.truthaquatics.com/
The Charter Company that will take us there and back.

http://www.nps.gov/chis/
A National Park Service website for the Channel Islands National Park

http://www.channel.islands.national-park.com/
A commercial, non-government site dedictated to the Channel Islands National Park.

http://www.earthlaw.org/Feature/sntarosa.htm
A website by a conservation law group doing work in the Channel Islands

http://keystone.geog.ucsb.edu/knight/geog_217.htm
http://forest.geog.ucsb.edu/geog217/SantaCruzIs/toc.asp
UCSB Geography's "Western US Field Studies" class spent some time this spring studying land cover validation methods on Santa Cruz Island. These two web sites contain class information and photographs.

http://nrs.ucop.edu/reserves/scir/Mapscirtopolg.htm
UC Natural Reserve System map of Santa Cruz Island

http://www.channel.islands.national-park.com/sanc.htm
Another map of Santa Cruz Island


Photo Galleries:

http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/pgallery/pgchannel/human/ci_human.html
http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/pgallery/pgchannel/living/ci_living.html
http://www.metridium.com/cigallery/cigallery.html
http://www.earthlaw.org/Feature/sntaphot.htm
http://forest.geog.ucsb.edu/geog217/SantaCruzIs/toc.asp
http://keystone.geog.ucsb.edu/knight/santa_cruz_trip.htm

For questions or comments, please e-mail apcg2001@geog.ucsb.edu