Today on Santa Cruz visitors can tour sea caves, rent snorkeling equipment or sign up for kayaking or snorkeling tours. Reservations must be made in advance on the mainland so planing ahead is key.

On a predictably foggy morning in May, I boarded a ferry toward Santa Cruz Island, hoping for sun and eager to spend the day kayaking through sea caves. The sun didn’t show, but a calm, glassy ocean ...

A hiker look over the edge near Cavern Point on Santa Cruz Island off the California coast on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG) ...