Ventura - Premier Visitors Guide 2007-2008 - (Page 34) around town Channel Islands National Park & Marine Sanctuary Explore “America’s Galapagos” — Jacques Cousteau A CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HILDA KILPATRICK, BILL ZELDIS, EMILY THOMPSON wondrous, virtually untouched treasure lies 14 miles off Ventura’s shore—Channel Islands National Park (www.nps.gov/chis), established by Congress in 1980. Eight Channel Islands lie off the Southern California coast. Five of these islands and a mile of surrounding seas make up the park. In addition, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary encompasses a wider swath of six nautical miles surrounding the islands, managed jointly by the National Park Service and the National Marine Sanctuary. This magnificent nature preserve is often referred to as the “American Galapagos” because it is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals—145 of which are unique to the islands and found nowhere else on VENTURA VISITORS GUIDE This magnificent nature preserve is often referred to as the “American Galapagos” because it is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals earth. It’s a rare treat to catch a glimpse of an endemic species such as the Island Fox, the size of a house cat, or the Island Scrub Jay, larger than a blue jay. Experts as well as tourists from around the world visit the islands to observe nature in its most spectacular form: to kayak near sea caves, hike deserted trails, or camp overnight on an island similar to the one depicted in the beloved children’s book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. Offshore, the waters of 34 http://www.nps.gov/chis
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