Island Packers Cruises - Ventura, California

Sophie Gullett

Truly one of the coolest things I've ever done and could not recommend it more highly. We did the painted cave/Santa Cruz excursion. We saw thousands of dolphins and several humpback whales on the journey over, including a dolphin pod right as we got to the island. The captain did a super cool 360 turn there and it was so cool to see the dolphins follow us with the view of the island behind them. The boat has plenty of snacks and drinks for purchase at a good price, including alcohol on the return journey. It was highly organized and the entire crew was so friendly and helpful. We went in November which was a great time for seeing wildlife and for hiking on the island - it was a nice cool temp and we had plenty of shade, which I'd heard is scarce in the summer months. Saw four foxes and lots of birds as well. If you want to hike the full pelican trail, I'd recommend doing the straight to Santa Cruz journey since going to the painted cave does shorten your time a bit (but is also super cool!) Also recommend eating your lunch on the ride over to maximize exploring time on the island!

Cindy Bielski

This was one of the best ferry cruises we've been on. On our way to Santa Cruz Island, the Capitán gave us a grand tour with plenty of history information and even taken us on an adventure to see the Humpback whales that were in the area with us and there had to be around 2000 dolphins jumping all around us and swimming with us. It was absolutely priceless. Then, the amazing sunset cruise back to the mainland after our hiking tour was a perfect cherry on the top. Thank you for the amazing experience. Well, definitely come again.

Tracy Holcomb

Absolutely AAAAHMAZING!!! From check in, to waiting to board and most of all the cruise was an incredible experience!!! The crew was fantastic with finding wildlife, dolphins, sea lions and a glimpse of a whale! Lots of information on the islands with humor thrown in!! We had PERFECT weather on 11/5 and definitely recommend! I'll be back to spend some time on the islands, took the round trip cruise.

Aidan Toms

Such a beautiful ride to Santa Cruz Island. The crew was very organized and professional and took a lot of care to teach the passengers about the beautiful environment of the coast of Ventura.

We saw a pod of 500 dolphins on the way out and 2 humpback whales on the way back. The crew coordinated with other boats to safely find and observe these animals while sharing really interesting facts about all the different natural wonders around us.

I was a little cagey about paying a private vendor a decent amount to take me to a national park, but this was a genuinely great experience and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.

Jax Amelia

Absolutely phenomenal trip. I went on their trip to Pelican Bay and saw more aquatic wildlife on the boat ride there/back than I did on an actual aquatic wildlife tour down in Long Beach. We saw huge pods of bottleneck and common dolphins, and got really lucky to have two humpback whales come right in front of us. Captain Dave is great at helping spot wildlife, showing areas of interest on the island, and sharing neat facts. We also did the Painted Cave portion, which was awesome. You get to go in as far as the ship size permits, which is enough to get great photos. The process of boarding was straightforward, and the company is good at making sure everyone knows where they need to be and when.

The hike itself is pretty intense if it's warm, but very enjoyable. Bring plenty of water and take plenty of breaks after the steep inclines.

Overall an excellent trip, I would definitely go with them again if I decide to return to the islands.

Jennifer Owen

We had a great trip out to Channel Islands. Everything was well organized and clearly communicated. The boat left on time. There are some packaged snacks to buy on the boat at a reasonable price. There were several opportunities to see wildlife on the way out to the islands. Mark led a great guided hike on the island, out to a bay with beautiful water and fun tide pools to explore.

Ian Joyce

Incredible experience heading out towards Channel Island national parks! The crew is awesome, informative, and new volunteers and experts on board. The ship are also amazing. Absolutely love all the wildlife we saw. Wales, Dolphins, harbor Lions, so many more. Worth every penny

Sheen Betty

Great voyage experience with Island Packers. Staff were professional and cared about tourists safety. On our way back, the captain pointed out the Humpback Whales and Common Dolphins. We took an extra tour to enjoy watching these amazing creatures. Captain also introduced ecological knowledge of wildlife. Totally worth taking this trip!