Cueva Valdez Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island

Loc: north coast Santa Cruz Lat: N34_03.8 Long: W119-49.1 Last visit: March 06

Tide/Sun/Moon/WX Dist: 9 Prisoner's Harbor, Santa Cruz WX

Chart 18728 Santa Cruz Channel 1:40000

Skipper: Capt. Dan Boat: S/V Varekai Capt. Dan Port: Channel Islands

Landing Permit Required Nature Conservancy permit app

Cueva Valdez Anchorage

This anchorage is quite beautiful, but is also fairly open to the northwesterly swell. Most people consider this a fair-weather spot. We have to agree. The McKinneys and I anchored Sailtime's Varekai - a new Hunter 36 - late one March afternoon in light winds with no appreciable swell. Though the weather was clement, we briefed procedures for making a rapid get away in the event that wind and or swell started setting into the cove.

Hazards

A large rock is charted just below the surface and just about the point you'd like to anchor - up against the western wall of the cove. We didn't see the rock, but anchored about 100m east of the caves. We drove in as close to the beach as we felt comfortable, dropping a stern anchor in 20 feet of water. By the the time we had enough scope out astern to afford a pull back, we found ourselves letting go the bow anchor in about 40 feet of water. We snugged ourselves up between the two and spent a quiet night.

The next time I go in there, I'll try to get a bit closer to the beach or - more likely - will drop the bow hook in 30 feet of water and row the stern hook to the beach in my dinghy.

Approach

There's a smallish pointy peak immediately behind the anchorage. Actually, it's easier to identify the two valleys that run into the anchorage and form its sandy beach. In the picture, the most prominent valley is straight ahead, with another to the left. These valleys are visible, particularly in low sun angles from a great distance. You know you're in the right spot when you see the sea caves on the western wall, one of which opens from the sea directly onto the beach. See the picture at the top of the page.

The eastern part of the cove is obscured until you're well inside the anchorage. It doesn't look like a safe place to anchor. First, if wind or swell come up at all, you're on a dangerous lee shore and pretty well boxed in, second there just isn't very much room.

Going Ashore

If you intend to go ashore, you'll need a landing permit ($40 for all year) from the Nature Conservancy. go to permit for a pdf form, mailing and e-mailing instructions.

In the Area

As we left the anchorage, we were joined by a huge pod of Rizzo's dolphins. They're not usually gregarious, but this pack stayed with us for half an hour, maneuvering as we tacked. Three or four stayed at our bow for 10 minutes or so and then three or four more would take their place. They're big animals, much larger than the Common Pacific Dolphin we usually see. According to the Eder book on Whales, they are often seen swimming with whales and other types of dolphins. She nailed that, for right in the middle of the pod was a truly big creature, a whale we could not specifically identify. We were there in late March, so it could have been a late Gray transiting the area.

We also snapped the picture below later in the day. Another whale - actually 2- that we can't identify. Let us know if you can. It looks like a calf and mother. The first pic shows the baby to the right and mother mostly submerged to left. The second pic is the mother's dorsal ... if it's the mother ... if it's a whale.

Updates

If you have new or amplifying information concerning this anchorage or the surrounding area, please contact Capt. Dan. His e-mail link and phone are below.