A spectacular sunrise loomed over us this morning just before breakfast. The swell picked up throughout the morning, slamming wave after wave onto our intended landing zone on Santa Rosa Island. Due to the worsening conditions, our expedition leader and bridge team made the tough call to abort our mission to get ashore today. We pivoted from that idea to embark on some kelp-filled Zodiac tours. Riding the slow swell and watching large waves crash into the nearby caves from our small boats was a truly expeditious way to spend our morning.
The afternoon was filled with sites of soaring seabirds, witnessing bow riding dolphins, and learning about this wonderful place from our natural history team via presentations. Just before recap, one of our naturalists spotted a great potential for an amazing phenomenon – the green flash! Everyone came outside in anticipation and that vigilance was rewarded! We saw the sun’s rays change from yellow to orange to a small blip of green just before cresting under the horizon. What a magnificent way to end the day in the Channel Islands.
