Anacapa / Santa Cruz passage (SBA Co.)

Anacapa / Santa Cruz passage (SBA Co.)

The Salty Bird

Birds of Interest

Species in this passage include shearwaters, Northern Fulmar, alcids, loons, grebes, pelicans, scoters, cormorants, gulls, terns, jaegers, and phalaropes. Brown Booby has been recorded as well as Common Raven, and Osprey.

About this Location

This Hotspot covers the gap between Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island when traversing the Anacapa Passage by boat within Santa Barbara County. eBird checklists from this Hotspot should only include species observed over the ocean between these two islands. The shortest distance between these islands inside this passage is approximately 4.6 miles between San Pedro Point (Santa Cruz Island) and Rat Rock (western Anacapa Island). The mid-way point delineates each county.

Use more precise island Hotspots or personal spots when birding Santa Cruz Island, or when birding closer to shore by boat where island species can be observed and clearly identified. There is a separate Hotspot Anacapa / Santa Cruz Passage--(VEN Co.) when closer to Anacapa Island in Ventura County waters.

About Santa Barbara Offshore Waters

See all hotspots at Santa Barbara Offshore Waters

Pelagic birding in Santa Barbara offshore waters is best during the spring, mid-summer and fall passage of ocean birds. Birding trips are targeted during these seasons for optimal results and the greatest bird diversity, but taking a relatively close-to-shore whale-watching trip can also provide a good variety of birds with the added bonus of close-up views of migrating Gray, Humpback, and occasionally Blue Whales and Orcas. Birds closer to shore are those species usually visible from land, such as scoters, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants, jaegers, loons, grebes, gulls, and terns. Arctic Tern is frequently encountered in flocks just a short distance off the coast whereas they are seldom found on shore. In summer, Sooty Shearwaters are common and number in the thousands, and Black-vented Shearwater is fairly common in fall and winter. Buller's and Short-tailed Shearwaters are rare but regularly encountered in county waters each year.

Birds regularly found in the Santa Barbara Channel include: Black-vented and Pink-footed Shearwater, South Polar Skua, Parasitic, Pomarine, and Long-tailed Jaeger, Sabine's Gull, Scripps's Murrelet, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklet, Red Phalarope, Black, Leach's and Ashy Storm-Petrel, and Northern Fulmar which is irregular but often abundant in winter. Black-footed Albatross are encountered well offshore. Among the more spectacular sightings in offshore county waters: Mottled Petrel, Cook's Petrel, Stejneger's Petrel, Red-tailed and Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown, Nazca, and Masked Booby, Tufted and Horned Puffin, and Parakeet Auklet. In August 2005 a first northern hemisphere record of Ringed Storm-Petrel occurred SW of San Miguel Island.

On the right is a map of Santa Barbara offshore waters in the deeper green shade. Take note of this particularly when in transit from Ventura to Santa Cruz and/or Santa Rosa Island. More than half of this transit takes place in Ventura County, where the hotspot "Santa Barbara Channel--east channel (VEN Co.)" should be used.

Pelagic birding trips in Santa Barbara and Ventura offshore waters are organized by Island Packers.

Content from Jamie Chavez, Jamie Chavez, and Linus Blomqvist

Last updated December 24, 2023

Santa Barbara offshore waters in dark green