Prisoner's Harbor

The island of Santa Cruz is unusual as part of a national park in that a large portion of the island is in private ownership. Most of the western portion of the island is owned by the Nature Conservancy, an organization which raises funds to buy outstanding natural areas to conserve them. On Santa Cruz, the area west of Prisoner's Harbor, in this picture at the center of the picture, is owned by the Nature Conservancy, which purchased this land in 1978. This now represents some 76% of the island.

In present times, most visitors to Santa Cruz Island arrive at one of two landings--Prisoner's Harbor or Scorpion Anchorage. During the days of ranching on the island, the major harbor on Santa Cruz island was Prisoner's Harbor, shown below.

The name "Prisoner's Harbor" is derived from the fact that Santa Cruz was briefly used as a penal colony for Mexican convicts who were off-loaded there in the spring of 1830.

There is a modern dock at Prisoner's Harbor which makes it easy for island vistors to disembark after their voyage across the Channel.

A group of visitors to Prisoner's Harbor are shown arriving below, packing their possession onto the dock.

Prisoner's Harbor provides an anchorage for a variety of boats.

Vegetation on the bluffs on the east side of the harbor can be seen below.