As the sun rose over the waters of the Pacific, National Geographic Sea Lion prepared to
drop anchor in the Channel Islands National Park for the very first time. An
early morning exhale stretch and yoga class onboard readied guests for our
exploration of the park’s two easternmost islands, Anacapa and Santa Cruz, by
kayak, hike, and expedition
landing crafts. These opportunities showcased the terrestrial diversity, marine
abundance, and cultural history that make the islands such a unique cornerstone
of the California coastline and such a hidden gem of the park’s system.
11/6/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Cruising around Catalina Island and Southern California Coast, Channel Islands National Park
Today the adventurers aboard National Geographic Venture embodied the true spirit and meaning of expedition mentality. After gusts of up to 40mph and swells of more than five feet, the backside of Catalina Island was too weather restricted to be a good spot to perform land operations. Guests, crew, and staff pivoted quickly to a plan of wildlife cruising while heading for safe harbor by the shores of Malibu. Little did everyone realize that the unexpected way the day would unfold would be all the more joyful due to our new plan. Cruising brought sightings of many seabirds such as, brown pelicans, fulmars, and shearwaters presumably making their way south away from the Santa Ana winds that were filling in quickly. Guests enjoyed expedition staff presentations and trivia games before being treated to one of the most spectacular wildlife encounters a ship can experience on the California coast. An hour before sunset the ship wide announcement was made that we were surrounded by a megapod of Common dolphins. A megapod or super pod of dolphins is usually considered to contain one thousand or more dolphins, so this was a special interaction. After our final dinner and slideshow, we were treated to another sighting of this same species of dolphin, but at night in waters filled with bioluminescent plankton lighting up when agitated by the movement of the dolphins that were chasing fish in front of the bow of the ship. Today really was a sight to see.
