| Anacapa Island (699
acres) - Anacapa Island lies 11 miles southwest of Oxnard and 14 miles off the
coast from Ventura. Almost five miles long, its total land area is about one square miles.
Anacapa is composed of three small islets inaccessible from each other except by boat. For
much of the year the island vegetation looks brown. With winter rains, the plants emerge
from summer's dormancy and turn green. Sea mammals are often seen around Anacapa's shores.
January through March is gray whale watch season, and migrating whales can be seen
swimming along their 10,000-mile migration route. Western gulls, cormorants, black
oystercatchers, and endangered California brown pelicans may be seen year round. West
Anacapa's slopes are the primary West Coast nesting sites for the brown pelican. To
protect the pelican rookery, West Anacapa's is a Research Natural Area closed to the
public. Except at Frenchy's Cove, no landings are permitted on West Anacapa without
written permission from the park superintendent. 
Anacapa is the only Channel Island to retain its American Indian name, derived from the
Chumash word, "Eneepah", meaning island of deception or mirage. Ocean waves have
eroded the perimeter of the island, creating steep sea cliffs towering hundreds of feet in
height and exposing the volcanic origins of air pockets, lava tubes, and sea caves. At the
East End of Anacapa a natural bridge has formed in the ocean. Forty-foot high Arch Rock is
a trademark of Anacapa and Channel Islands National Park. The facilities on Anacapa
overlook the northern channel.
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