We had a magical day aboard National Geographic Venture. It started with waking up to common dolphins riding our bow as we approached Santa Cruz Island. These speedy masters of the ocean swam right over to us, taking advantage of the pressure wave we created and saving energy while having some fun. We then disembarked for hiking and Zodiac cruising, where our hikers got to see the endemic island scrub jay and our Zodiac cruisers got to hang out with a large pod of common dolphins. After a successful morning we went to Anacapa Island. Strong winds kept us from landing on the island, but didn’t stop us from enjoying incredible Zodiac cruises on the calm, leeward side of the island. We saw sea lions, peregrine falcons, and the famous Anacapa Arch.