Today we woke up anchored off beautiful Santa Rosa Island. There was a light marine layer giving the island this large, ominous feel. We started the day by heading to shore in the hopes of seeing some of the endemic animals that live there, like the island scrub jay and the island fox. Mission accomplished for some guests!
We had multiple hike options for multiple skill levels, ranging from a 7-mile hike to the torrey pines to a light costal walk near Santa Rosa Pier. Some guests chose to kayak in the morning and were treated to a gray whale opportunistically feeding in the shallows. After lunch, some guests went back ashore for hiking while some went out for a Zodiac cruise along the coastline and seeing both gray whales and sea lions.
After a long day of adventuring, the crew had a fun surprise waiting for us on the sundeck before we settled into a presentation by a National Geographic guest speaker.
