A calm, sunny day provided a wonderful opportunity to sail in view the incredible and majestical California Brown Pelicans.  West Anacapa Island, within the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, is home to the largest breeding and fledging area for California Brown Pelicans (Stereolepis gigas) on the west coast of North America. 

Classified as federally endangered in 1970, the brown pelican population has seen a remarkable comeback. The only other breeding colony in the western United States is also within Channel Islands National Park on Santa Barbara Island.  

Latitude skipper, Jim Cowell, joins Michaela Miller, Conservation Program Manager, Capital Hill Ocean Week to learn more about the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary  (https://channelislands.noaa.gov/about/) and how we can support the efforts of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (https://marinesanctuary.org/) in California.