On a lark, I decided to take a Wildlife Cruise at Channel Islands National Park:  3 hours  cost me $34 and it was a beautiful day.   The cruise left at 9:30 a.m.  The lark hit me about 8:30 a.m. while having coffee with my brother-in-law Steve.    I love it when a last minute plan comes together!

The cruise left out of Ventura Harbor on a crystal clear morning.

The ride out to the islands was a bit bumpy – I was quickly reminded that I get seasick easily.  So after a bit, I found the front of the boat on the lower deck which had a great breeze and a more stable ride.

Soon we came across a large pod of dolphins.  The dolphins were quite happy to swim alongside the boat – but I still couldn’t get a great picture.  They were all over the place.

Next we saw one seal … briefly.   No pictures.  Then we followed whales around for about two hours.  The whales were migrating from the cold waters of Alaska to the warm waters of Mexico.  The female whales get pregnant in Alaska and have their babies in Mexico.  Fun facts from the cruise are that whale milk is 50% fat and baby whales gain 10 pounds a day … and dolphins are one of the few species that have sex for enjoyment.

The end of the cruise was a visit to the East End of Anacapa Island which has a lighthouse, a dock, and picturesque arch.  Anacapa Island is the largest nesting place in the US for brown pelicans.