[CINC] Islander-ESCI-2/18/12

[paul jr petrich]

Great International Day on Santa Cruz Island!
  Captain Mike took the Islander out to Santa Cruz with a full load of 123 passengers today. Thirty kayakers and as many campers got off at Scorpion, along with about 35 day hikers. The remaining passengers were primarily a burial at sea party that had their memorial near Prisoner's Harbor. The Island Adventure, active today as a whale watch boat, dropped of more day hikers within an hour after the Islander did. Karen and David Telleen-Lawton, both volunteering as overnighters, handled them.
 My 12 hikers to Cavern Point included two UCSB Grad students from South Korea ( my guests ) and a tourist from India. We also had a UC Santa Cruz Grad student from Bulgaria, who accepted and made the challenge to hike to Montan'non Ridge, as we veered up toward Cavern Point. Potato Harbor  ended up a destination for most of the party with me. There we met a bunch of people from the 2nd boat. 
   It was in the open terrain east and west of Cavern Point where we saw a total of three separate fox hunting down mice, totally oblivious to our presence. Red Tailed Hawks and Ravens soared over head, as did  graceful Pelicans below the cliffs; and all the while the song of the unseen Meadowlarks was heard in the background. Everyone, including all of our international visitors, totally enjoyed the day to the max!  The trip back to Ventura was calm, we saw playful common dolphin, and the sunset was beautiful.      Paul