Channel Islands
★ Featured Anchorage
Pelican Bay, Santa Cruz Island
Holding: Good
Shelter: Good
30 mooring buoys
Shore access
Anchorage California
About This Anchorage
Pelican Bay on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island is the premier anchorage in Channel Islands National Park — a horseshoe cove of deep blue water backed by steep volcanic cliffs, with a sandy beach and sea cave system accessible by kayak or dinghy. The island is the largest of the eight Channel Islands and one of the most biologically rich places in California; island foxes, endemic scrub-jays, and nesting bald eagles are common ashore. The National Park Service maintains the anchorage with visitor moorings, and the dive conditions in the kelp beds are exceptional.
Highlights
- National Park mooring buoys — no anchoring in core zones
- Sea caves — kayak the famous painted cave at the west end
- Island fox and endemic scrub-jay viewing ashore
- Kelp forest diving — visibility 30–60 ft, rockfish and sheephead abundant
- Isolated backcountry camping on the island (permit required)
- Dolphins and blue whales common on the 24-nm crossing from Ventura
Cautions & Notes
- NW swell wraps into the bay — uncomfortable in strong NW weather
- Reserve NPS mooring buoys in advance at recreation.gov
- 24 nm from Ventura — a serious offshore passage; check NOAA forecast
- No fresh water or supplies on the island