Island Packers

05/30/2026

Busy day at Scorpion Anchorage! It's a rare day when all the cats are in the same place at the same time.
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05/25/2026

Our summer whale watching and Whale Heritage Area cruises start June 1st. We've been seeing both Humpback and Blue Whales lately on our crossings to the National Park.
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Check out all the details on our website - link in our bio.
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05/20/2026

As of today we have transported over 75 firefighters to Santa Rosa Island, where along with National Park Service staff, they are working hard to supress the catastrophic fire that has so far burned nearly 17,000 acres.
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We are grateful for all their efforts to extinguish this blaze before it damages even more ecologically sensitive land or historic sites and buildings.
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We are also grateful to our island partners and for their dockside assistance in checking gear for biosecurity risks before it was sent to the island.
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This is truly a team effort to protect the valuable resources we all care for and love.
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05/11/2026

Island Packers first started taking people to the Channel Islands 58 years ago today.
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We've come a long way since our first boat, the Island Packer, but one thing has never changed - our appreciation for all who visit this beautiful resource and cherish it as much as we do.
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Here's to another year of celebrating the beauty and abundance of the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands National Park.

05/01/2026

We've been nominated for a Readers Choice Award from USA Today. Vote for your favorite whale watching tour using the link in the article. 🐋

Voting for the Best Whale Watching Tour is open! Cast your vote daily to help pick the 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Award for Best Whale Watching Tour.

04/23/2026

"Our Power, Our Planet."
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Each of us has the power to make a positive difference on our planet. Every day actions and personal commitments can have a significant impact on global environmental goals.
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We hope you spent Earth Day enjoying your favorite natural space, or at least dreaming about your next visit!
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04/18/2026

🌎 Tomorrow is the 2026 Ventura Earth Day Festival! Enjoy a Saturday in the park learning about Our Power, Our Planet. 🌍

Island Packers is pleased to be a Bronze Sponsor of the event, hosted by the .

03/30/2026

Low tide at Prisoner’s Harbor.
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03/23/2026

Serenity was the theme at Fraser Point today.
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03/20/2026

WD4C’s Pete Coppolillo, Mark Vick, and canine, JJ joined the 32nd Vertebrate Pest Conference in San Diego earlier this month, sharing how conservation dog teams support vertebrate management and biosecurity efforts. 🐾☣

We also had the opportunity to present on the Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Project, stepping in for USDA Wildlife Services colleagues who were unable to attend. The talk, “Wake Atoll Rat Eradication - Rodent Detection Dog Teams Used to Inform Decision Making & Confirm Success,” highlighted how detection dog teams helped detect rodent presence, guide management responses, & support post-eradication monitoring & confirmation to confirm success. 🐀

While in California we were grateful for the opportunity to visit Ventura Harbor and spend time with colleagues from The Nature Conservancy in California , Channel Islands National Park, and Island Packers. Together, we walked through a series of live searches across six vessels and nearby facilities as these organizations explore options to strengthen biosecurity pathways to the Channel Islands.

From live demos (yay, JJ!) showing how dogs interpret “odor landscapes” to field visits exploring biosecurity for the Channel Islands, it was a whirlwind week full of collaboration and learning. For close to three decades, Working Dogs for Conservation has worked alongside partners around the world, not only deploying conservation detection dog teams, but also designing & developing programs that fit each partner’s needs. We’re grateful for the conversations, connections, & shared curiosity that made the week so worthwhile! 🐕🌎💚
PS. Thank you to the University of California Cooperative Extension for the photos of JJ!
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