Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Prisoners Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, CA

Prisoners Harbor, in the W part of the bight on the N shore 8 miles W of San Pedro Point, affords shelter from all winds except from NE to W. Some protection from NW weather is afforded by the kelp, but a heavy swell rolls in. In NE weather the anchorage is unprotected and dangerous. A wharf with 16 feet at its face is in the harbor. There are buildings back of the wharf. The best anchorage is in 12 to 15 fathoms, sandy bottom, abreast a white rock on the W shore of the bight, and the outer end of the wharf in range with the buildings at the inner end.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Santa Cruz Island, 17 miles WSW of Point Hueneme, is the largest of the Channel Islands. The Nature Conservancy, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving unique islands, owns most of Santa Cruz Island. It is considered an inholding within the National Park. Landing permits may be obtained from Santa Cruz Island Preserve, 213 Sterns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, (Telephone 805-964-7839). The eastern quarter of the island is public land administered by the National Park Service.