Tours Explore Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are sometimes referred to as the American Galapagos. The islands and the waters around them are considered to be among the most diverse ecosystems in North America.

The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Park offer numerous opportunities for exploration. Visitors can often see elephant seals, sea lions, harbor seals, Northern fur seals and more. Numerous sightings of blue whales have been reported this year.

One-day trips offered by the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, in conjunction with Passage Productions and the Sea Center in Santa Barbara, are one way to explore the area. On the crossing to Santa Cruz Island aboard the 88-foot research vessel Condor, Sea Center naturalists will describe the marine life.

A cruise along the western coast of the island may reveal bird rookeries and colonies of sea lions and harbor seals. Also included are a diver-conducted, underwater tour of the kelp forests and reefs, and a visit to the Painted Cave of Santa Cruz Island, which extends 1,250 feet into the island.

Two-day natural history trips aboard the Condor are run in conjunction with Island Packers and the Channel Islands National Park. They feature ranger-guided hikes on San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands to study plant and animal life, including rookeries of seals and sea lions. Visits to the Painted Cave are also part of the two-day trips.

Two-day kayaking trips are available to the coves and bays of San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, where visitors can get close-up views of the elephant seal and sea lion rookeries.

Space is available on two-day trips Aug. 21-22 and Oct. 8-9. Two-day kayaking trips are scheduled for Aug. 7-8 and Sept. 25-26. Space is available on one-day trips Aug. 14, 28, Sept. 13 and Oct. 23. Call the Sea Landing at (805) 963-3564 or the Sea Center at (805) 962-0885.

GEOLOGY

* Scientists from UCLA, USC and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will analyze the Jan. 17 earthquake in a new UCLA Extension program, “The Northridge Earthquake: What Have We Learned?” The one-day seminar will cover topics such as plate tectonics, the physics of earthquakes and the seismic effects of quakes on buildings. The program will be held at UCLA on Saturday at 9 a.m. Call (310) 825-7093.

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

* Specimens from the La Brea Tar Pits and secrets about digging in the pits will be explained in a special “Whales Tales” presentation for children ages 6 to 13 at the Burbank Discovery Center of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County/Burbank on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. It is presented in conjunction with the “Treasures of the Tar Pits” exhibition. Call (818) 557-3562.

* Children ages 6 and older can learn about maintaining a balanced ecosystem in workshops offered by Kidspace Museum in Pasadena on Friday at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. On Saturday at 1 p.m., kids of all ages can mark the 1973 launch of Skylab 2 with an afternoon of activities including “Skylab Sculptures” and “Learn How to Navigate.” Call (818) 449-9144.

MARINE SCIENCE

* “Beluga Whales: Science in the Arctic” will be the topic at the general meeting of the American Cetacean Society, Los Angeles chapter, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Call (310) 799-0473.

* The diversity and beauty of the marine life and problems encountered in the environment of Santa Monica Bay are captured in photographer Kathy deWet’s images of the marine animals and the habitat of the bay. “Faces of Life in Santa Monica Bay” will be on display at the the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium through Aug. 6. Call (310) 548-7562.

ASTRONOMY

* The latest on the Galileo spacecraft, which is expected to rendezvous with comet-battered Jupiter next year, will be discussed by Randii Wessen of JPL’s Galileo Project on Friday at 8 p.m. The program follows the weekly Night Sky Show at 7 p.m. Call (310) 452-9396.

* The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is focusing its telescopes on the stars and planets every Tuesday night through Aug. 30. The museum’s 29-inch Shipman telescope and other large telescopes will be viewing Jupiter and Saturn, among the brightest of the planets seen at this time of year.

Uranus, Neptune, the moon, binary stars, globular clusters and the Milky Way, our very own galaxy, are also among the objects that will be observed. Call (805) 682-3224.