Channel Islands National Park - Santa Cruz Island



Sea Cave Kayaking locations. This Santa Cruz Island Sea Caves map is made with National Park, NOAA, and USGS data from a earlier NPS contracted survey of the known and unkown sea caves on Santa Cruz Island. The source is from data compiled from the only official survey of the sea caves in 1983. REFERENCES - Bunnell, d. 1983. Sea Caves of Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara, California: McNally and Loftin

Littoral caves(water sea caves) may be found in a wide variety of host rocks, ranging from sedimentary to metamorphic to igneous rock, but caves in the latter tend to be larger due to the greater strength of the host rock.

In order to form a hollowed out sea cave, the host rock must first contain a weak zone. In metamorphic or igneous rocks, this is typically either a fault such as the caves of the Channel Islands in California, or a dike as in large sea caves of Kauai's Na Pali Coast. In sedimentary rocks, this may be a weaker bedding-plane parting or a contact between layers of different hardness. The latter may also occur in igneous rocks, such as in the caves on Santa Cruz Island, California, where waves have worn the contact between the andesitic basalt and the agglomerate.

These sea caves were created by the constant sea wave action and tides. Erosion is ongoing anywhere that waves batter the coasts, but where sea cliffs contain areas of weakness, rock can be removed at a greater rate along these zones. As the sea reaches into the open fissures thus formed, they begin to widen and deepen even more due to the tremendous force exerted within a confined and focused spaces, not only by direct hydraulic action of the surf and any grinding rock particles that it bears, but also by compression of air pressure within. Blowholes (partially submerged caves that eject large sprays of water as waves retreat and allow rapid pushing re-expansion of air compressed within), attest to this process. Adding to the large hydraulic power of the waves is the constant abrasive forces of suspended sand and rock. Most sea-cave walls are irregular and chunky, reflecting an erosional process where the rock is stronger in some spots and fractured piece by piece. However, some caves have portions where the walls are very rounded and smoothed and polished, typically floored with cobbles, and result from the swirling motion of these cobbles in the surf zone acts like a rock polisher.

Sea caves can prove surprisingly complex where numerous fault zones of weakness—often faults—converge. In Catacombs Cave on Anacapa Island, at least six faults intersect. In several caves of the Californian Channel Islands, long fissure passages open up into large vaulted chambers beyond. This is invariably associated with intersection of a secondary fault oriented almost perpendicularly to that along the entrance passage.

For more information on kayaking around the sea caves, contact the National Park Service or one of the many kayak tour companies that are licensed with the National Park Service for the Channel Islands. Also, visit our Anacapa Sea Caves Map at - http://www.cccarto.com/anacapa/index.html
Make sure you visit the National Park site for visitor information and rules on visiting the Channel Islands National Park. http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/kayaking.htm
map copyright 2007 CCCarto.com



NPS Cave Name data. Cave locations can be off. Use as reference only. Data output and adjusted locations copyrighted by CCCarto

CAVE_ID CAVE_NAME ENT_WIDTH ENT_HIEGHT LENGTH__M_ SPECIAL_CONDITIONS LONG_DD LAT_DD
108 Kangas Cave 21 3 99 Predominately wet -119.525065 34.036173
107 Kiwi Cave 15 6 34 Predominately wet -119.525507 34.036615
104 Cormorant Cave 9 6 34 Wet -119.527232 34.038626
106 Urchins Galore Cave 5 5 20 Predominately wet -119.527361 34.038141
105 Flotsam Cave 21 9 43 Predominately wet -119.527476 34.03829
103 Varicolored Sponge Cave 30 9 30 Wet -119.527796 34.039518
102 Grey Cobble Cave 11 5 18 Predominately dry -119.529986 34.040132
101 Sharp Cobble Cave 13 5 17 Predominately dry -119.530024 34.040285
109 Surging Tidepool Cave 0 0 43 Submerged entrance; predominately dry -119.533251 34.024813
110 Boneyard Cave 19 3 27 Dry; difficult entry -119.533716 34.024679
100 Little Scorpion Bay Submerged Cave 0 0 23 Submerged -119.546755 34.044782
99 Little Scorpion Bay Submerged Cave 0 0 35 Submerged -119.547122 34.044954
98 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #6 10 9 57 Wet; multiple entrances; heavy surge -119.547427 34.047987


95 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #1 4 6 64 Predominately wet -119.547701 34.045183
94 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #2 4 5 108 Predominately wet -119.547984 34.04611
96 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #4 5 4 64 Predominately wet; multiple entrances -119.548236 34.047159
97 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #5 16 8 55 Wet; multiple entrances -119.548358 34.04764
93 Little Scorpion Bay Cave #3 7 3 64 Predominately wet -119.549365 34.046385
92 Scorpion Bay Cave #2 11 8 60 Wet tunnel -119.551684 34.046575
91 Scorpion Bay Cave #1 7 8 77 Wet tunnel -119.552043 34.047533
90 Cavern Point Cave #3 4 6 19 Wet tunnel -119.561991 34.054758
89 Cavern Point Cave #2 2 2 28 Usually submerged -119.562144 34.054964
88 Cavern Point Cave #1 20 8 101 Predominately wet -119.562304 34.055089
87 West Cavern Point Cave #2 1 2 15 Predominately dry -119.563533 34.055692
86 West Cavern Point Cave #1 8 4 80 Predominately wet -119.563739 34.05573
85 Cavern Point Cove Cave #5 2 1 47 Dry -119.56409 34.055471
84 Cavern Point Cove Cave #4 5 5 33 Dry -119.56428 34.055257
83 Cavern Point Cove Cave #3 5 9 21 Predominately dry -119.564479 34.05517
82 Cavern Point Cove Cave #2 6 2 14 Predominately wet -119.564738 34.055208
81 Cavern Point Cove Cave #1 23 4 89 Predominately wet -119.56499 34.055242
80 Neptune's Trident Cave East 34 9 145 Wet; narrows significantly -119.565631 34.054597
79 Neptune's Trident Cave Middle 34 9 30 Wet; narrows significantly -119.565776 34.054468
78 Neptune's Trident Cave West 34 9 76 Wet; narrows significantly -119.565875 34.05438
77 Thrashed Dinghy Cave 14 2 28 Predominately wet -119.566889 34.052801
76 Lost Lobster #2 6 3 49 Predominately wet -119.571788 34.052362
75 Lost Lobster Cave #1 6 8 47 Predominately wet -119.572093 34.052438
73 Bat Cave 44 11 190 Predominately dry; multi-chambered -119.572833 34.051664
72 H Cave 21 5 87 Predominately wet -119.573123 34.05132
71 Y Cave 6 3 21 Predominately dry -119.573558 34.050638
74 Sea Stack Cave 6 8 122 Wet; multiple entrances -119.573817 34.052446
70 Hidden Lake Cave 3 3 21 Landlocked -119.574099 34.050035
69 Purple Urchin Cave 14 3 59 Predominately wet -119.577395 34.050264
68 Dripstone Cave 21 3 37 Predominately wet -119.578463 34.050451
67 Sidepocket Cave 5 5 57 Wet -119.580401 34.050702
66 Seal Canyon Cave 12 9 189 Wet; partially submerged -119.581416 34.050851
65 Little Blowhole Cave 12 3 15 Wet -119.587069 34.05187
64 Surging T Cave 15 11 108 Wet, with tunnels -119.587367 34.051782
63 Potato Harbor Cave 18 6 22 Dry -119.591929 34.047048
62 Potato Rock Cave #2 8 3 28 Dry -119.595111 34.048245
61 Potato Rcok Cave #1 4 5 42 Predominately wet -119.595202 34.04812
60 Potato Rock West Cave 0 0 0 Unmapped -119.596125 34.046876
59 Little T Cave 4 3 48 Predominately wet -119.59627 34.046453
57 Coche Cove Cave 11 5 98 Wet; multi-chambered -119.606326 34.039243
58 Backdoor Cave 11 11 85 Wet tunnel -119.606333 34.039452


56 Cave of the Sea Swifts 3 5 36 Predominately wet -119.705736 34.037219
55 Surprise Blowhole Cave 8 5 25 Predominately wet -119.708651 34.039726
54 Contact Cave 11 6 21 Dry -119.708964 34.040141
53 Platt's Harbor Cave #2 12 3 39 Predominately wet -119.73411 34.045947
52 Platt's Harbor Cave #1 20 2 16 Predominately wet -119.734362 34.045943
51 Midden Point Cave 13 9 102 Predominately wet -119.741618 34.049575
111 Willows Anchorage Cave #1 9 6 20 Predominately dry -119.74463 33.963252
50 Emerald Pool Cave 8 12 48 Wet; Partially submerged -119.748454 34.051318
48 Fry's Harbor Cave 7 5 64 Wet -119.755862 34.056376
49 Fry's Harbor Submerged Cave 0 0 0 Submerged, unexplored -119.75603 34.055445
112 Willows Anchorage Cave #2 5 6 24 Unmapped; surgey conditions -119.756226 33.960715
47 Diablo Anchorage Cave 11 8 95 Submerged at all but very low tides -119.767665 34.056532
46 Leftover Cave 4 7 46 Predominately wet -119.77508 34.055903
45 Fractured Tunnel 4 7 52 Wet, two opening tunnel -119.775385 34.055853
44 Double Decker Cave 3 5 42 Predominately wet -119.78187 34.056082
43 Baby's Harbor Cave 8 6 30 Wet -119.788043 34.055945
42 Lady's Harbor Cave 19 23 122 Wet; narrows quickly -119.790248 34.05678
41 Arch Rock Cove Cave 26 8 26 Predominately wet -119.799326 34.054213
40 Waterfall Cave 14 5 18 Predominately dry -119.804438 34.052622
39 Faultless Cave 15 6 91 Predominately wet -119.808413 34.051729
38 Hidden Ampitheater 98 8 82 Predominately dry -119.810702 34.050623
37 Tex Shelter Cave 30 9 21 Predominately wet -119.815829 34.052446
36 Little Tex Cave 2 2 12 Predominately dry -119.816271 34.052225
35 Hidden Canyon Tunnel 17 9 23 Dry -119.816721 34.052046
34 Cueva Valdez 24 18 131 Dry; multiple entrances -119.818652 34.052522
33 Green Grotto 6 6 181 Wet; multi-chambered -119.820017 34.053755
32 Fern Grotto 17 9 21 Dry -119.851268 34.067552
31 Shark's Teeth Cave 14 8 158 Wet -119.853 34.06949
30 Breathing Cave 29 12 106 Wet -119.853457 34.06944
29 Kelp Trap Cave 26 12 67 Predominately wet -119.854884 34.069867
28 Little Painted Cave 29 15 91 Predominately wet -119.858226 34.071225
27 Painted Cave 30 40 370 Predominately wet -119.860728 34.070493
26 Seals' Secret Cave 30 9 79 Predominately wet; multi-chambered -119.865275 34.070214
25 Hidden Room Cave 18 6 75 Predominately dry -119.865672 34.069787
24 Seal's Cove Submerged Cave 0 0 0 Submerged -119.865992 34.070325
23 Cave of the Mists 9 6 149 Predominately wet -119.866725 34.071027
22 Respiring Crevice Cave 12 9 58 Predominately wet -119.868472 34.071828
21 Backwash Cave 12 6 48 Predominately wet -119.868716 34.071568
20 Uvula Cave 27 5 44 Wet -119.874637 34.072991
18 Sideways Cave 37 6 93 Predominately wet -119.875392 34.072762
19 Cave of the Bird's Eggs 16 12 129 Dry -119.875438 34.07272
17 Blimp Hanger Cave 30 67 76 Predominately wet -119.880267 34.073235
16 Not Much Cave 18 12 30 Wet -119.882235 34.072938
15 Twin Faults Cave (unmapped) 0 0 0 Predominately wet -119.884303 34.074364
14 Del Mar Cove Cave 12 21 76 Predominately dry -119.894717 34.073697
13 Natural Bridge Cave 14 8 117 Wet -119.899783 34.073746
12 Cave of the Swimming Cormorants 5 12 44 Predominately wet; surge -119.904071 34.074826
11 Could Go Cave 5 8 46 Wet -119.906512 34.075146
10 Swiss Surprise Cave 7 9 176 Predominately wet -119.908336 34.075272
9 Blue Grotto 9 5 40 Predominately wet -119.908458 34.075776
8 Painted Grotto 4 18 124 Predominately wet -119.911677 34.076584
7 Dry Sandy Beach Cave 24 24 111 Predominately dry -119.912448 34.077027
6a Unexplored 0 0 0 Predominately wet -119.919978 34.073479
6b Unexplored 0 0 0 Predominately wet -119.920237 34.073681
6 Deathtrap Cave 12 6 46 Predominately wet; surge -119.920276 34.073303
5 Birdtracks Cave 23 14 97 Predominately dry -119.920848 34.072445
4 Suicide Crevice Cave 8 11 48 Predominately wet -119.921595 34.072006
2 Shipwreck Cave 17 23 123 Predominately dry -119.921641 34.070362
3 Mussel Cave 2 8 44 Predominately wet -119.922053 34.07069
1 Thunder Cave 7 9 84 Wet -119.92229 34.070053



Sea Caves on Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island Kayaking

Santa Cruz Island Kayaks

Santa Cruz Island Water around sea caves



Data source NPS.