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Channel Islands Expeditions

4.8 (108 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

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My wife and I did a trip for our 1 year anniversary and it was INCREDIBLE. We did the sea cave kayaking on Anacapa. We got to see dolphins coasting along our boats bow, kayaked through all sorts of caves and kelp forests, and even snorkeled with sea lions! The island of Anacapa is beautiful, full of wildlife and very remote/isolated. The staff were friendly, supportive, and clearly knew their stuff! They made us feel safe and had so much knowledge and insight. We would absolutely go on a trip again with Channel Islands Expeditions and likely will again!

Anacapa island
Lauren C.

Channel Islands Expeditions has a top notch kayak trip experience. As a native, I had never made it to the islands just a few miles of the coast of my hometown; Craig our guide and Alex the captain made sure we had a memorable experience. We kayaked the northern tip of Anacapa which is closed most of the year into sea caves and along the island. We snorkeled, saw humpback whales, a megapod of dolphins (Santa Barbara's specialty), and many other species of the local marine life. Topped off with incredible views and hospitality with a crew that truly loves their jobs. I always felt safe even when managing the swell that day in the open water. Craig was very knowledgeable and helpful through the day. Thanks so much!

Best father son day ever!
John S.

I had an epic day with my son in late July 2020. Our guide Phil was a UCSB grad, marine biologist who was in area, as his normal guiding in Antarctica was limited due to Covid. The boat staff was knowledgeable, friendly and worked hard to make our day both enjoyable and safe. Only 8 people on a boat that can hold 30-40 and they were very Covid compliant. Masks in the boat at all times (except lunch - bring your own food) and outdoor seating but could take off masks in the double kayaks. Really easy and felt safe and compliant. 10 out of 10 and I'm a tough critic.

Marwin L.

We drove about 2 hours from Irvine, CA to reach the harbor in Oxnard, CA. We were all prone to sea sickness (highly recommend asking your doctor for that motion sickness patch). We did not see dolphins or anything particularly crazy. The trip can be on the expensive side at about $300 per person, including tip). It was the BEST kayaking experiencing of my life. The boat was loud and if you don't like the smell of marine diesel, you're gonna want to sit near the front. And if you don't like waves and sea travel, then ...I have a lot of other questions for you. But if you can tolerate about an hour and a half of being on a boat, then you're going to be in for a treat. Visiting the Channel Islands is like going to California's version of the Galapagos. It's nearly untouched and it's a nature preserve (being a National Park). So there's a lot of wildlife and limited people. I recommend going in October since it's no longer super hot and apparently we went on a 'perfect day' according to the crew. We briefly saw a Blue Whale en route and it was spectacular. I go kayaking several times a season and a lot of the kayak rental places are very hit or miss. The crew at Wild Blue REALLY care about your comfort. They swapped kayaks for me to make sure that I had a good time on the water. That is a HUGE deal, especially if you're going to be on a kayak for several hours going through caves and such. If you are afraid of the ocean and tight spaces, going ocean kayaking and weaving in and out of sea waves is going to be a bad time. But if you love adventure and you are a capable swimmer, there's almost no chance of dying because everyone has a life vest plus you're on a kayak. I strongly recommend bringing a GoPro AND practice mounting / framing it. It's useless if everything is out of frame or you don't have the right mount. I used a shoulder / backpack mount and I was able to strap it on the chest of my life vest. Awesome footage with awesome people. Garret, Mark and everyone aboard the Sun Fish made this a once in a lifetime trip.

Customers $2,300 Scubajet that a crew member lost.

The public should also know that I belong to a dive club of 22 members that have paid for over $400,000 in dive trips since the club began. I personally have been going on Lobster dive trips on the TRUTH for the past 10 years and have generously tipped the crew over $3000. This is the first time I've had to deal with such an unjust decision decision by the boatowners I do want to apologize for my unprofessional conduct following the loss of my Scubajet. That's not the way I want to be remembered. I hope the boat owners crewmembers, and my Dive club members will give me a chance to redeem myself next year, The public needs to know what they are up against and what happened to me. I am burdened by a crewmember that lost my $2300 Scubajet because she was negligent not wearing a personal flotation device. (NOTE) I am willing to pay out-of-MY-pocket for a lifejacket of any cost as my free donation to enhance the performance of the rescue diver and hopefully reduce future burden to other paying customers. That is the true fact and the boat owners do not want to acknowledge this and they do not want to compensate me in anyway It's time the TRUTH live up to its name, and acknowledge the Truth. The crewmember was negligent, not wearing a personal flotation device that would have allowed her to Maintain neutral buoyancy, and retain The expensive $2300 Scubajet and return it to the customer. The boat owners refused to accept that their crewmember was unprepared, and was not equipped to take possession of any device that would make her unable to maintain neutral buoyancy . Divers need to know if they have expensive cameras that allowing a crewmember to take possession of it is a big risk and the boat owners would just say tough luck to the divers if it's lost The public needs to know that the rescue was successful, and that the boat owners are devoid of any insight as to why the crewmember was unable to return the $2300 Scubajet to the customer. I recently viewed a video of the rescue taken by a dive club member. It clearly shows the crewmember was not wearing a personal flotation device needed to maintain neutral buoyancy and retain the Scubajet. The crewmember was compelled to release the Scubajet to obtain and maintain neutral buoyancy. In the future, customer service and loss of expensive property could be improved with the simple use of a personal flotation device by crewmembers.

Ally help people off the boat

We went out on our 20th anniversary and really enjoyed the whole trip. The crew was great Marc was very informative and helpful. Ally bubbly personality made the experience great. Our captain was awesome.

Awesome experience. Did a day trip to Santa Cruz Island and went on a guided kayaking tour. Captain Dan and his crew were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Also, the crew member Bailey made some delicious chocolate chip cookies with three different kinds of chocolate for everyone on board, would book this trip again just for the cookies alone.

Caves
Mark R.

Did this with my wife and 4 of our friends. Drove up from the IE , 2 hour drive, well worth it! What a great crew! Very knowledgeable about the island and surrounding area. Going in and out of the caves was awesome, though challenging at times but that made it even more enjoyable. If you are considering this trip, DO IT! We WILL do it again.

Kayaking on Anacapa!
Matt K.

We had an amazing adventure on a safe, secure trip with great guides who were highly experienced, friendly, and helpful. We experienced caves, canal challenges, and an easy kayaks tour that lasted 3+ hours. They give you the opportunity to try challenges but give zero pressure for those who just want to chill. We did it all and none of it was dangerous. We have kayaked 1-2 times previously on a lake, so even as novices this is enjoyable and doable. Jordan and Johnny were great guides!! As a BONUS we got into a few pods of dolphins on the ride back to mainland, and this put the trip from Outstanding to simply amazing. #iwillgoagain!

Captain Phil
Tracy E.

Garrett, Phil and the other crew members who guided us through Anacapa were outstanding! I would definitely put this on your Summer bucket list. A great way to get fresh air, exercise and actually go through not one, but like 10 sea caves. Emerald Cave and Roller Coaster Cave were favorites. We even jumped out of our kayaks and swam through a cave. We also jumped off the landing (port) for Channel Islands National Park. We saw SO. MANY. DOLPHINS!!!! We were a party of 4 adults and 2 children ages 13 and 10. Everyone especially enjoyed eating the fresh seaweed Captain Phil found for us. Another best part was the tropical music they played during the lunch break aboard the boat. A+ guys!

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Brought my family for a cruise and some dolphin watching- Captain Dan and his crew were awesome!

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Ask the Community - Channel Islands Expeditions

Any age restrictions? My husband & I would like to take our 12 & 14 yr old sons on this tour, with one adult in each kayak.

9 yrs and up! Must be able to swim.

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Review Highlights - Channel Islands Expeditions

They made an already awesome day of kayaking along Anacapa Island even better with their humor and skills.

Mentioned in 17 reviews

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Santa Barbara Harbor

Santa Barbara Harbor

4.4
(43 reviews)
0.3 mi

It's always a nice little break whenever we're down here. Slightly different from State Street in a…read moresense as you're away from the crowds but it's a different kind of crowd here. You have the waterfront and beach. Right when you drive in, there's parking on both side. The lot out front is a paid lot which I believe is 3.00 per hours. If you continue to drive through, there's a lot there that's free I believe. It's a hit or miss in that one as it tends to get utilized first. Along the waterfront are some restaurants which I highly do recommend Brophy's Bro and the Santa Barbara Fish Market. If you love seafood, this is your place. Pretty much everything is near each other so you don't have to walk far. Liquor store, realtor, public restrooms, shop, and a few other businesses. But if you continue walking on the path along the water, it leads you out to the walkway and jetty. It's a beautiful strip so it's definitely worth checking out. At the end of the path, you're literally right across the pier. A small beach depending on the time with the tide. Regardless if you're there for the beach, harbor, a meal or just taking it in. This place is quite nice. Nothing crazy but a nice views of boats and the waterfront. The path along the front will lead you to and from downtown. If you like a nice walk, that'll be pretty or a nice bike ride. Regardless where you're at, it's a nice place to just take it in.

Loved visiting and taking in the beauty of this place!…read more Beautiful harbor to walk around. Many boats, signs with some history on the local history/fishing, and a few small business nearby if you want to enjoy a meal out too. Walk to the end of the wharf for the best views. 90 min parking for free. Otherwise, it's about $4 an hour.

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Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara Harbor

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Santa Barbara Sailing Center

Santa Barbara Sailing Center

3.9
(172 reviews)
0.1 mi

My friend and I used a SB Sailing house credit from 6 years ago... long story, for a Sunset…read moreCatamaran Sailing Cruise. We called to confirm the credit was still being honored, they were very accommodating. We reserved a space for 2 on a Wednesday for the Sunset Catamaran Sailing Cruise at 6:00PM. There's a meeting spot at the SB Sailing office at the SB Habor. Paid parking is available. We were able to walk from our hotel to the meeting location. Our sail was practically a private sail. There were about maybe the most 14 people, which was so nice. The crew was a Captain and his Assistant, both were very nice Unfortunate Mother Nature did not provide any wind that evening so the Captain had to use engine power that whole evening (it was a very tame ride). The sunset was beautiful glad we did it and it wasn't crowded. I think it worth doing once. Helpful hints: We went May 6th, I wore pants and a long sleeve shirt plus wore a light weight padded jacket and I was fine. It was cold and quit a few of the other passenger were freezing. The sail boat does supply blankets and 2 restroom and drinks and snacks purchase.

February 2026 -- Sunset sailing with friends was absolutely fabulous. The crew was wonderful, the…read morecatamaran was beautiful & the views were stunning. Being out on the ocean was pure joy--an unforgettable experience I'd happily do again

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Santa Barbara Sailing Center
Santa Barbara Sailing Center
Seated on the front part of the boat - great view

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Seated on the front part of the boat - great view
Santa Barbara Adventure Company

Santa Barbara Adventure Company

4.8
(259 reviews)
1.0 mi

Rachel is awesome! Super knowledgeable of the ocean, water, marine life, and history of the area…read more What a rad human being to have guiding the tour. As it turns out, all of the harbor seals, and sealions have names. We befriended one named Steve, he is much better at swimming than I am. He also taught me secret techniques to paddling. This one Pelican named Parry got into a barking match with some sealions, which is a fight he wasn't gonna win, let's be honest. Though I was hoping to see an M-A-N-A-T-E-E ... next time! If you're gonna go down on Haley street, where the dogs are easy and the sun is cheap, you never know just who you'll meet, on Haley. (But hopefully it's Rachel from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and you get her kayak tour; shout out!)

A heartfelt thank you to Santa Barbara Adventure Company for creating such a memorable birthday…read moreexperience for our daughter. From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. We had a fun ferry ride to the islands and even got to slow down to watch a large Sunfish (Mola Mola) snacking on some jellies. I recommend getting in line early to secure the best view seating on the ferry. Our kayak guides, Chuck and Adam, were exceptional--knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They made the entire trip both fun and informative, while ensuring we always felt safe and well cared for. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and warm water, which allowed us to explore all seven sea caves--many of which are inaccessible during high tide or rougher conditions. It made the experience even more special. Having lived in Santa Barbara for 22 years, this was my first time visiting the islands, and it was truly unforgettable. The pristine landscapes, abundant sea life, and even spotting several tiny island foxes while enjoying our picnic lunch, made it an unforgettable adventure. We can't wait to do it again--highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and exceptional experience!

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Waiting in line to enter sea caves
Waiting in line to enter sea caves
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My selection
We kayak

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Channel Islands Expeditions - rafting - Updated July 2026

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