On our first and only day spent in the Channel Islands we began our morning anchored at Santa Rosa Island, rocking in the wind-swept sea and watching for birds on the bow. After our morning of presentations, we motored the 15 nautical miles to Santa Cruz island in order to run operations and get a closer view of the island ecosystems. Zodiac tours took us right to the edge of the kelp forest which surrounds the nearshore rocky environment and houses a diverse array of colorful creatures. As a beautiful closure to the day, this evening was the start of an annual meteor shower that showered the sky with bright green flashes.