Our answer is always the same – “the best time of year to go is now!” We offer trips year round and guests rave about their experience no matter what month they visit. So while there is no “best” time to go, below you will find a summary of the experiences you could have during the different “seasons”.

Winter: December through February is the peak season for Gray Whale migration, so during the boat ride over and back, as well as during the kayaking portion of the trip, there is a great chance of sighting whales! After the first few rains hit the Islands for the winter, the island will start turning green, making for majestic hiking and picture taking conditions. In addition, for those who enjoy solitude, this is the best time of year to be on the Islands with the fewest crowds. You will generally get a more personal experience with our guides during the quietest time of the year!

Spring: The Island comes alive during the spring! Flowers bloom all over the hillsides and valleys, and the temperature will start rising. For those passionate about plant life and hiking, this is the time to book, as this is the peak season for plants and longer days. In addition, many trips stop requiring wetsuits, as the sun’s heat is enough to keep us warm on the water. Spring is the best time to see birds nesting in the sea caves and offers the highest chance of seeing Orca Whales in the Channel.

Summer: It goes without saying that summer is our most magical season on the island. Blessed with the Mediterranean climate found around Santa Barbara, we get nearly perfect conditions daily: the days are long, the sun is out, the water begins to warm up, and humpback and blue whales are seen in the channel almost daily! If you are looking for the best time to explore caves and enjoy a stunning day on the water, this is the time to go!  Swell is generally the smallest this time of year, which translates into calmer waters and the best opportunities for cave exploration.

Fall: Many locals often call the fall our “second summer” since Santa Barbara usually feels just as pleasant in the fall, as summer does in many other parts of the world. The fall season generally has sunnier, calmer days than the month of June!  In addition to the ideal weather conditions, the winds usually stay calm and the water is the warmest it will be all year.  This water is also the warmest in the fall and while snorkeling is always available year round, this is definitely the most fun time to swim.

Have you traveled to the Channel Islands yet? When is your favorite time to visit? Leave us a comment below and let us know!

You can see all of our Channel Islands Kayaking Tours on our website here.

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If you have an image from the islands, please share it on our facebook page. If you have a favorite memory please share it in the comment section below.

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On the day of the event, they dive down and retrieve items, often by tethering ropes to larger items and having volunteers hoist up garbage. Volunteers load up wheelbarrows full of trash and cart it up to the dumpster. Santa Barbara Adventure Company enjoys participating in the Santa Barbara Harbor Clean Sweep because it’s a way to give back to the community and to our environment which we all share.

The ocean is a common resource and we need to work together to protect it and help make it safe for ocean life. Andrea Dransfield, an employee at Santa Barbara Adventure Company, states

“I do the harbor clean-up every year and it’s very rewarding. I take it upon myself to make sure all sea creatures collected along with the garbage are safely returned to the sea.”

During the clean-up, a record number of two-spotted octopi were seen hiding in the garbage. We even found an octopus nest in a pipe! Last year only a couple octopi were found so this is good news for the populations in the harbor. We also found many small white eggs covering the surfaces of several items we pulled up. They may be octopus eggs but we are not sure. Please comment if you know what kind of eggs these are!

Among the tons of trash recovered from the harbor this year, we found a microwave, glasses/cups, an uncorked wine bottle, a bicycle, garbage bins, steps, brooms, a fisherman’s receiver, and more!

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Island Fox

The most photographed, and arguably the cutest animal on the island, is the island fox. This small mammal lives on six of the eight Channel Islands and is found nowhere else on earth. In fact, each Island has its own subspecies of the fox, yet they all descended from the mainland gray fox. Although this fox is easily found on Santa Cruz Island, the fox was on the endangered species list less than 20 years ago due to an unbalanced ecosystem. Thanks to drastic conservation efforts, the island fox population is now healthy once again. At only about a foot high, it is hard to believe, but this little animal is the top predator on the island, so they are now plentiful and easy to spot while exploring Santa Cruz. Just resist the urge to feed them!

Island Scrub Jay

Did you know that there is a famous bird that people travel all over the world to see on Santa Cruz Island? The Island Scrub Jay is a vibrant blue bird with a distinctive call, which makes it relatively easy to spot and a treat to see. This bird is related to the mainland Western Scrub Jay and is slightly larger and bluer than its mainland relative. The Jay is only found on Santa Cruz Island though there is historical evidence that the Jays also used to live on Santa Rosa Island. Although the birds seem plentiful on the island, because they only live on the one island, they have an extremely small population and are one of the rarest birds in the United States!

Spotted Skunk

The Island Spotted Skunk is another mammal endemic to the islands, found only on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. This little guy is named after the white broken lines marking its back that appears like spots against its black glossy fur. It is one of two terrestrial carnivores on the islands, the other being the foxes.  The spotted skunk is a nocturnal animal, most active in the early morning hours just before dawn and tends to stay away from humans, so it is one of the more difficult animals to spot.

Island Paintbrush

An endemic plant found throughout the national park is Island Paintbrush. Species of this beautiful plant are found throughout North America, yet this specific variety grows only on the islands and is well adapted to the dry, Mediterranean climate in which it grows. The flower of this plant is typically red, but yellow blooms can be found as well. The spring season is a great time to get out and hunt for flowers.

Torrey Pine

One other plant worth noting is the Torrey Pine. It is found in two places in the world, Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park and Northern San Diego. The interesting disparity between the range of the plant relates back to the geological theory that the Islands were once off the coast of San Diego and moved their way up over the centuries. The Torrey is one of the rarest pine trees and grows well in the coastal climate in which it dwells; it is drought tolerant and often grows beautiful, twisted trunks as the wind daily shapes it. Although it is more out of the way, it is a great tree to see!

Learn more about animals at the Channel Islands National Park here!

With all these unique plants and animals out on the Channel Islands, try to spot some on your next trip out, they are well worth the hunt!

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However, you can book kayaking and snorkeling tours on Santa Cruz Island year around by taking the ferry to the island. These tours have the advantage of a “landing” meaning you can also hike and explore the island.

While on the ferry you can whale watching, witness mega dolphin pods and enjoy a quick right to the island. Come and see blue whales, bald eagles, mega pods of dolphins and beautiful sea life.

Want to read more about Santa Barbara Adventure Company’s tours?

Then read about

Book your Channel Island National Park Tour online

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Refugio State Beach

Refugio State beach hosts a long stretch of undeveloped coastline, where various types of wildlife can be spotted daily. This beautiful beach also has palm trees planted along the creek and campground area for shade. This is a great location for kayaking, provided by Santa Barbara Adventure Company!

Alice Keck Park and Kids World

If you are downtown and need a great spot to relax for lunch, let the kids roam or take an afternoon nap – this is the place. The gardens include a pond filled with turtle and koi, as well as a gazebo and many walkways and paths. All the plants in the garden are chosen specifically to be able to thrive in Santa Barbara’s climate. Just across the Street you will find Kids World, an amazing play structure with swings, climbing and much more.

Chase Palm Park

This park runs from East Beach to Stearns Wharf.  On the harbor side there is a long bike and rollerblading trail, a skateboard park, a recreation house and access to the beach. There is grass for soccer and other activities. On the other side of the street there is a pond, music pavilion, merry-go-round, playground and many paths.

Shoreline Park

Shoreline Park is one of Santa Barbara’s most popular parks and includes a playground, a whale watching area, as well as a  Japanese garden. It also has a clear view of the Channel Islands on a virtually cloudless day. Walking from the Harbor to Shoreline Park is about 5.8 miles round trip. Santa Barbara Adventure Company offers a Coast Biking Trip that explores this area and often stops at Shoreline Park.

Channel Islands National Park

Are you ready to relax, snorkel and kayak at a home away from home? Channel Islands National Park is the perfect place. Kayaking through the various caves, you may see seals, sea lions, bright colored fish, sea stars, different species of bird and other wildlife. The translucent water paired with the giant kelp beds is very picturesque. Channel Islands National Park also has great campsites available for those who wish to savor its grandiose beauty for more than a day.

These are a few of our favorite parks. If you have a favorite, please share it with us in the comment section below.

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Volunteer Marine Debris Clean Up Day

Santa Barbara Adventure Company joined forces with Island Packers Cruises and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper on Wednesday January 15th to remove marine debris from Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Led by Santa Barbara Adventure kayak guides, volunteers paddled through a challenging shore break to reach the barnacle and urchin covered beaches where they collected trash along the shoreline.

Over 900lbs of marine debris was collected during the day as volunteers paddled back and forth from the beach to the Island Packers boat. Volunteers from Save the Mermaids, NOAA and Channel Islands National Park, as well as local kayak guides, joined the group.

Interesting items were found; lobster traps, buoys, tennis balls, plastic bottles, rope, piping, shoes, balloons, an engine, and other indiscernible things.  Trash collects in eddies in the Channel and washes ashore in concentrated areas on the Island. They are hazardous to marine life; seals and sea lions get caught in traps and rope, and smaller bits of plastic are often mistaken for food.

Michael Cohen, owner of Santa Barbara Adventure Company, reflected on the day’s success.

“The last cleanup we did was at Anacapa Island and we collected about 400lbs of trash, so we are very pleased with the outcome from today. Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz Island is well exposed to the prevailing North West winds and swells and collects a lot of debris. It is also very difficult to access by foot, so it’s a great way for us to clean up by kayak. The volunteers did a great job today and all were grateful for an opportunity to give back to the National Park that they love so much.”

Cohen also mentioned that another clean-up will be scheduled for later in the year.

We are proud to help protect and bring awareness and tourism to the National Park and strive to be responsible stewards of these beautiful islands that give us all so much joy!

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A few days ago I went out on a guided sea kayak trip to explore the caves that riddle the cliff-lined shores of Santa Cruz Island. The water was clear, the skies blue. It was a beautiful day. We had been in and out of several caverns in the first hour as our guides Kenji and Matt taught us how to time the swells and when to turn just in time so as to avoid being dashed against the barnacle encrusted walls. It was pretty sweet.
We paddled around a corner and into a bay. The cliffs were lined with gulls and cormorants and streaked with their guano. The guides paused to point out a seal lazing in the sun on a rock. We had a seen a few but were not allowed to disturb them. We had to keep our distance. They led us into a wide-mouthed cavern, out of the sun-dappled water and hundreds of feet in, into deepening shadow. As we huddled the kayaks together, Kenji told us of a secret room deeper into the cave, too small for all but one or two boats. He would take us back one at a time.

As I waited my turn, a growing disturbance outside caught my attention. The birds had become agitated. The air was filled with their cries. Back at the mouth of the cave I noted ripples in the water. Little splashes as an occasional small fish broke the surface. The ripples grew closer. In the clear water beneath my boat I could now see hundreds of the tiny fish, racing for the back of the cave. Behind them a shadow crossed the sand. It swerved, flipped, and then breached. A sea lion! Only a few yards from my kayak. I laughed, pointed. We all oohed and ahhed, no idea what was yet to come.

One became two, two four. Soon the sandy floor of the cave beneath our kayaks was obscured by feeding sea lions. A huge pod had herded a bait ball into the back of the cavern! The gentle lapping of the waves against the rocky walls became rougher. The water began to roil and surge. Soon the kayak was being tossed by the creatures, paying us no mind as they fed. Kenji shot out of the secret cavern. “Isn’t this something!” he laughed, barely able to paddle without slapping into a sea lion. We fended off the cave walls with our paddles, rode out the sea lion waves for five or ten minutes as they finished their lunch.

Soon most of them had left. Several stayed, jumping and cavorting with each other and with us. We shot in and out of the cave over and over again, racing them, racing each other; Being dashed and splashed by salt spray as they jumped and barked. Eventually they moved on, and so did we.

If there was a highlight to my Channel Islands adventure, that was it.

Photo credit: NOAA’s National Marine Service

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Are you ready for an amazing adventure? We have been working hard all Winter to develop a new epic California Island Adventure for you. This multi-day trip departs from Santa Barbara harbor and cruises to 3 of the areas beautiful, pristine Channel Islands. Guests will see amazing wildlife, kayak sea caves and snorkel in hidden coves. Food, charter boat lodging and activities are all included – you just need to bring your backpack and sense of adventure for this trip!

This is truly a unique experience and the best way to explore the most remote and often inaccessible parts of the Channel Islands National Park. This multi-day trip includes a variety of once in a lifetime experiences and is perfectly suited for those that are active and adventurous. The islands and surrounding waters are home to many amazing endemic animals and plants as well as archaeological and cultural resources that you will not see anywhere else in the world!

You will have plenty of opportunities to kayak, hike, snorkel, SUP and more. All of your food and accommodation is taken care of so you can fill your trip with maximum amounts of adventure and relaxation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When does this trip run?
There are 3 trips scheduled this season. They are June 14th-16th, July 5th-7th and August 4th-6th. Space is limited on each.

What should I pack?
Here is a great list for you to download. What to Pack on your California Island Excursion

What should I expect each day?
Here is our sample itinerary for this 3 day trip:

The day before – check in at the Sea Landing at 8pm and get your gear on the boat. Meet your guide and the crew and you are free to make your own dinner plans in Santa Barbara. We leave the dock at 4am tomorrow so you are welcome to sleep on the boat tonight to avoid having to get up before dark!

Day 1 – Depart Santa Barbara Harbor early and wake up en route to San Miguel Island. Enjoy a hot breakfast on the boat before gearing up and receiving an orientation and safety briefing from your guide. Explore the extraordinary caves and coves around Harris Point and Prince Island. Take in the abundance of marine life – sea lions, harbor and elephant seals abound – before landing at Cuyler Point and hiking with a qualified naturalist to Lester Point. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of snorkeling from the boat and then head out for a short kayak or relax on the boat with your favorite beverage in hand to watch the sunset!

Day 2 – Kayak from Carrington Point to Bechers Bay on Santa Rosa Island, exploring the amazing kelps forests and crystal clear water before returning to the boat for lunch. Head out after lunch on one of the many great hiking trails and experience the ancient forests and stunning vistas. In the afternoon jump back on the boat and head to Forney’s Cove at Santa Cruz Island for an afternoon snorkel or sunset kayak.

Day 3 – Explore Santa Cruz Island and experience the world’s second largest sea cave – Painted Cave! Enjoy a downwind paddle from Emerald Bay to Painted Cave before jumping back on the boat and enjoying lunch. Snorkel around some of the best diving spots in the world before we head back to Santa Barbara.

How much does it cost?
Our standard rate is $1349 per person. You can save by planning ahead. If you book 30 days prior to the departure the cost is $1249. Additionally, if you have a group of 4 or more people the group rate is $1124. You can’t combine discounts or use other promotional codes with our discounted rates.
Book today and receive Early Bird pricing of $1249!

Come explore with us. You will remember this adventure for the rest of your life! Read all the details at Channel Islands Multi-Day Island Excursion.

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Michael worked with Adventure Company for 2 years. Guests always loved him; his enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors is contagious. So I was thrilled and saddened when Michael was selected to work with the Community Environmental Council, we lost a great one to an even better cause. Since leaving Adventure Company he has been doing great work on high profile environmental projects. I caught up with Michael between organizing our locally loved Earth Day Celebration and educating locals on ways to preserve Santa Barbara’s natural environment.

Name: Michael Chiacos
Age: 31
First Car: 84 Toyota Corolla. Next one will be electric.
Best beach in town: Rincon, when winter swells are in. Butterfly beach in the summer for lazing around and people watching
Greatest Adventure: 8 month traveling through Asia, from surfing in Indonesia to mountain climbing in Nepal
Favorite Quote: Everything in moderation, including moderation

How long did you work for SBACo? What was your favorite trip to guide? Favorite memory/part of the job?
I worked for SBACo for about two years, and continued working the spring week long rafting trips for another two years, until my full time job made those trips hard to do. My favorite trips were the surfing lessons, because I got to get in the water, share the stoke of surfing with excited clients, and do something that I truly love. Doing the rafting trips was also quite fun, as it is so great to get away and spend a week camped right out next to a flowing river, get to spend some quality time with the other guides, and of course all the great rafting, kayaking, hiking and fun up on the American River. And then there was the time my neophyte whitewater kayaking skills got me over my head, literally, but that’s another story!

Any advice for someone wanting to be a guide? How to run a great trip?
My advice is to have a great attitude, as having a fun and positive attitude will rub off on the clients and make them rise to the occasion. I always hope I inspired people to not only have a lot of fun, but also learn something new about the environment we were playing in. Through that interaction with nature they learned a few things and also hopefully became more conscious of protecting the environment.

You’re a Santa Barbara local – what was it like growing up here?
Growing up in Santa Barbara was great – I grew up in the mountains in a little 1930’s cabin in a community called the Trout Club and was part of a feral pack of boys that ran around building forts in the oak trees and playing in the creek. My dad used to blow a conch shell at dark to round us up for dinner.

However, like most kids I didn’t realize how good it was until I left Santa Barbara. I lived in some cool places, Portland, Oregon, the Big Island of Hawaii, and traveled all around the world. However, every time I came home I was blown away by the natural beauty of Santa Barbara and all the access to amazing outdoors we have here. I can ride my bike from my house and in 15 minutes be hiking or biking through the mountain trails of our front country or hop in my car and be surfing in 5 minutes. On the culture and community side, Santa Barbara has the accoutrements of a much larger city and lots of great people. Those things made me want to move back here to Santa Barbara and experience living here as an adult. Well, that and the fact that every Christmas break when I’d come home I’d go hiking in the mountains and the smell of winter sage after a rain touched me so deep inside. The chaparral is where I grew up, and is in my blood. I had to come back.

Currently you are working for the Community Environmental Council to raise awareness about the most pressing environmental issues that affect Santa Barbara. What is the most pressing issue affecting our environment? How can we make a difference?
We are lucky here in Santa Barbara and the US in that we’ve made huge progress on most environmental issues. Compared to India, Peru, Kenya, and other places I’ve travelled we have relatively clean air, water, and cities, though things could always get better.

The biggest environmental challenge humans have ever faced is now pressing on us, but oddly not pressing too hard. Climate change is something distant and faceless enough to think about that it is hard for humans to rally around and agree to tackle it. Our whole economies are built on cheap oil, coal, and natural gas, and we need to totally transform many things to address our dependence on fossil fuels and the environmental, social, and economic issues with them. I believe there will be huge economic benefits, amazing new technology and a whole new economy that emerges as we transition to the clean energy economy, but in the meantime there are powerful vested interests and a whole infrastructure that needs to be changed.

Here’s an example. As the Transportation Specialist at CEC I work on everything from bikes and carpooling to electric cars and better city planning. Lately I’ve been working a lot on electric cars, and they are a great example of the new green economy. They get around 100 mpg equivalent, emit zero tail pipe emissions, and on California’s green grid cut greenhouse gas pollution by around 70% compared to gasoline cars. Our local utility, SoCal Edison supplies 20% renewable energy to our local grid, and that will go up to 33% by 2020, so these cars actually get cleaner as they age, not dirtier like a internal combustion engine. Even more inspiring, many electric car early adopters also get solar panels, so they are driving on sunshine instead of oil! These are the things we need to be moving toward, and where we can have some competitive advantage over China and India. We are working right now to build charging stations and make it easier to use electric vehicles in Santa Barbara –you can check out a short video of our efforts at Plug In Santa Barbara or watch it below.

You just finished working on the Santa Barbara Earth Day celebration. How did it go this year?
Amazing! We had over 38,000 people over two days and the most fun, educational, and peaceful vibe ever. We’ve been able to grow tremendously (around 8,000 attended in 2007) while keeping a great vibe and an emphasis on not only having a fun time with the community, but also learning some positive things to take back and incorporate into life the rest of the year.

Where can we find you when you’re not working these days?
Well, lately making raised beds and laying brick and flagstones as I transform my front yard from a grassy weed patch into a food forest! It’s been a lot of work the last couple months, but is now starting to look great. I bought a house 6 months ago and have been working on it a lot lately – mostly on the outside as thankfully the bones of the house are pretty good. I now have over 50 types of edible fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing on a little downtown lot.

After this big front yard project is over I promised my girlfriend that instead of working on the house three weekends a month, and going on an adventure one weekend a month, we can revert back to our old schedule of three weekends of adventures a month! So starting this summer you’ll see me a lot more in the mountains, in the ocean, and out on the islands.

Thanks for lots of great memories Michael. Look forward to seeing you around town and at the 2012 Earth Day Celebration!

If you have a memory of exploring nature with Michael, please share it in the comment section below. I am sure Michael would love to hear from you.

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