Island Packers Student Cruises: Eco Adventure

Some of our favorite types of trips to plan for student groups are eco trips, these trips always providing the perfect mix of entertainment and education, pleasing both students and teachers.

Another of our favorites to plan are student cruises, which is why we think Island Packers Student and Eco-Cruises are the perfect trip opportunity for your student group.

The Island Packers Cruise line goes by one simple motto:

Cruising the California Channel Island for Education, Recreation, and Research since 1969.

The popular Cali cruise line offers several different cruises, camping outings, and wildlife watching opportunities. Some of the most popular cruises include the Wildlife Cruise, Whale Watching Cruise, Channel Island Wildlife Cruise, Pelagic Birding Cruise, Prisoners Harbor Cruise, and Holiday and Private Cruises.

The cruise we are particularly excited about is the Prisoners Harbor Cruise, also known as

the Santa Cruz Island Day Trip. This day-long eco-outing starts with a 1.5-hour channel crossing to Prisoners Harbor, the total time depending on drop-offs at Scorpion Anchorage. The harbor is located midway along the North Shore of Santa Cruz Island, bordering the National Park and Nature Conservancy Property.

This absolutely stunning spot is a wetland natural oasis, the shaded eucalyptus groves providing the perfect spots for picnic lunches (bring your own food and drink, coolers recommended). Your student group can spend your day snorkeling or kayaking the calm harbor waters, or try to spot some wildlife on the shore such as the endemic Island Scrub-Jay and Santa Cruz Island Fox.

There are several different areas to hike to during your time on the island as well, the options as follows:

Eagle Canyon - 0.4 Miles
Picnic Area along Navy Road
Del Norte Trailhead - 1.3 Miles
Chinese Harbor views
South Side Overlook - 2.5 Miles
Uphill climb with views of San Nicolas Island and Santa Barbara Island.

There are also additional hiking options, such as the Island Packer Naturalist Guided Hike on Pelican Bay Trail, a rocky coastal bluff trail filled with pine, oak, and canyons, and the Del Bay Trail Hike.

We can set this cruise up for you and your group, no matter how big or small, just give us a call!

Check out all of our other student cruise options on our Cruise Theme Page, some of the most popular including the