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santa cruz island
Painted Cave is a sea cave on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, thought to be the fourth largest sea cave in length in the world and second largest in volume in the US. With weather and tides permitting, Island Packers Captains can make the decision to immerse the boat completely within the cave. The entrance is over 130 feet high, over 100 feet wide and over 1200 feet in length. Naturally occurring algae and lichens give Painted Cave its artist’s palate appearance.
The island fox is only found on six of California’s Channel Islands. In 2000, these rare canines faced extinction on four islands. Today populations are recovered, but drought and introduced disease pose new threats. Survival of the island fox is vital to restoring healthy island ecosystems because these tiny foxes control plant predators and are themselves important seed dispersers. New research is also revealing that island foxes may provide a link between marine nutrients and island vegetation. Join us for a discussion on the intricate interconnections between island species and an unprecedented new research effort this summer.
