Santa Barbara Island is located 55 miles from Ventura County and is a great location for a few day visit to enjoy island kayaking, snorkeling and camping with friends. Santa Barbara Island is the smallest of the eight California Channel Islands. The island is home to a large sea lion rookery and several seabird nesting colonies. The boat ride to Santa Barbara Island from Ventura Harbor is about 2.5-3 hours long. Here are some photos from an afternoon snorkeling exploration trip.
Water temperatures around the Channel Islands vary from 50-60°F, with the warmer temperatures generally occurring in August and September.
Santa Barbara Island has a few coves that are great for snorkeling and best accessed by kayak.
Channel Islands National Park with the surrounding Marine Sanctuary has beautiful kelp forests with numerous fish and invertebrates.
This is awesome! Really want to experience this for myself, do you have any tips for us first timers? Does the company provide snorkeling equipment as well?