Relatively few visitors make the trip by boat or by plane across the Santa Barbara Channel to the unspoiled shores of these five islands. Those who do encounter a windswept paradise rich in both human and natural history. In this remarkable volume, veteran landscape photographer Tim Haul captures the flora, fauna, cultural sites, and dramatic landscapes of the little-known Channel Islands.
Included are tiny Santa Barbara Island, with Its teeming plant and marine life; Anacapa, renown for its lighthouse and sea caves; Santa Cruz, the largest and most diverse of the islands; Santa Rosa, former home of a robust Old West cattle ranch; and San Miguel, the westernmost with its spectacular pinniped rookery and ghostly callche forest. Also inducted is a chapter on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, a wonder-land of aquatic marvels that encompasses an offshore distance of six mites from the pelagic edge of each Island. This book includes nearly 150 outstanding photos, not only of the best-known sites, but those that are less familiar—from spectacular vistas to absorbing close-ups. Tim Hauf's long-time collaborator Conger Beasley Jr. provides a descriptive text of the flora, fauna, and history. Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary Is a valuable introduction to the astounding natural, wonders that flourish just off the coast of Southern California.