Whiskers in the Wild: Week Three - Shifting Shores & Labor Day Lessons
Join us for wildlife stories, field notes, and plenty of coastal surprises - from sea lions at the marina to hidden tide pools and a shop full of nature-inspired art.
Channel Islands Harbor & Silver Strand Beach, Oxnard, California & // September 3rd, 2025
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Locations
📍 Sea Fresh Channel Islands — 3550 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93035
Family-owned, right on the harbor. Great for fresh seafood, chowder in a bread bowl, and a breezy patio dinner before heading out to watch the colony. Parking & restrooms available in the plaza.
📍 Honey Cup Coffee House — 3500 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93035
Local coffee shop in the Channel Islands Harbor plaza. My favorite: Honey Comb Iced Latte with oat milk. Great pastries, friendly baristas, and plenty of plaza parking. Restrooms available in the plaza.
📍 OTA (On The Alley) — 1559 Spinnaker Dr, Ventura, CA 93001
Harbor-side dining with a relaxed atmosphere, known for fresh seafood and classic comfort dishes like beer-battered fish & chips. Great spot to unwind after a day by the water. Parking available nearby; restrooms on-site.
📍 Channel View Park — 29 Ocean Dr, Oxnard, CA 93035
Small park at the harbor entrance, just steps from Hollywood Beach. Sea lions often gather on the rocks and in the water - listen for their signature “arf”! No restrooms at the park, but facilities are available elsewhere in the harbor. Limited street and lot parking.
📍 Kiddie Beach Park — 2721 Victoria Ave, Oxnard, CA 93035
Calm, protected cove inside Channel Islands Harbor. Great for families and swimming. Lifeguard on duty in summer. Showers, restrooms, and free parking on-site. Check water advisories after storms. Recently a major sea lion haul-out - maintain a safe distance and follow posted restrictions.
📍 Hobie Beach — 2974-3098 Victoria Ave, Oxnard, CA 93035
Designated launch site for kayaks, SUPs, and small sailboats. Calm harbor water, easy marina access. Free parking in adjacent lot. Restrooms & showers nearby at Kiddie Beach.
📍 5th Street Beach — 176 Sunset Dr, Oxnard, CA 93035
Sandy beach just south of Mandalay State Beach. No restrooms or facilities. On-street parking, can be limited at peak times.
📍 Neptune Square Park — Neptune Square, Oxnard, CA 93035 (see exact location on map)
Scenic waterfront park with stunning ocean views and large sandy beach area. Ideal for watching waves and wading, especially during high surf. A quieter alternative during busy weekends.
📍 Silver Strand Beach — 2525 Ocean Dr, Oxnard, CA 93035
Stretch of beach near harbor mouth, featuring rocky jetty haul-outs popular with sea lions. Parking and restrooms available at nearby beach access points.
Week Three: Labor Day Tides
The week opened with a sense of movement, both in the harbor and in my own routines. Labor Day energy was already in the air: beaches crowded, the weather heavy with late-summer warmth, and the sea lion colony slipping out of rhythm.
Colony on the Move
The week began with an unusual quiet settling over Channel View Park. The rocks that usually buzz with sea lion chatter were empty, save for a few males drifting lazily in the water. County crews were cleaning the beach nearby, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the noise had nudged the colony to seek calmer spots. The absence was palpable, the usual chorus of barks and splashes replaced by an eerie stillness that felt almost out of place.
By Friday evening, the harbor had flipped back to its familiar rhythm. The colony returned in force, reclaiming their haul-outs and filling the air with their calls. But by Sunday morning, the scene had changed again. The colony had vanished from Channel View Park once more, leaving only a few sea lions scattered near the rocks and the local beach bar. The harbor was packed with holiday visitors, and the usual wild energy felt fractured and scattered.
After grabbing an iced pecan crunch oatmilk latte at Starbucks (so good, highly recommend), we ventured to the Silver Strand jetty just beyond the harbor mouth. There, the colony had settled into two large haul-outs - one tightly packed along the jetty rocks, the other spread out further down the beach. A nice touch: Silver Strand offered posted reminders not to feed the sea lions, a simple way of setting the tone for respect.
Watching the sea lions surf the waves alongside nearby surfers was a highlight of the morning. I made a mental note to return later in the week, hoping for better light and the chance to capture tighter shots once the holiday crowds had thinned.
Close Encounters at the Jetty Light
Not every day brings a front-row seat to sea lion behavior, but this week delivered a moment I won’t forget. While sitting quietly at the jetty light, one sea lion made his way up the rocks and walked right up to us - stopping about 15 feet away. We stayed completely still, didn’t block his path, and crucially, didn’t encourage him to come closer. The moment mattered because it was entirely on his terms - a real lesson in letting wildlife set the boundaries. I got some neat footage, but the real reward was the feeling of being trusted enough to witness that moment.
Later that morning, the same spot offered a different reminder: a pile of cans tucked under the jetty light. Small things like picking them up matter when you’re sharing space with wild neighbors.
Holiday Crowds, Human Currents
Labor Day weekend brought the crowds in full force. Silver Strand was packed, 5th Street beach was overflowing, so we detoured through the Starbucks at Victoria and Moon - a drive-thru with mosaic murals and living walls - before checking Solimar (also slammed). Finally, we headed back towards home and settled at Neptune Square Park to watch the huge waves and wade for a few hours.
The overlap between humans and sea lions was everywhere; sometimes harmonious, sometimes in conflict. The volleyball nets were buzzing with games on one side, while sea lions and swimmers literally shared the same break on the other. The overlap became impossible to ignore; it was the weekend’s defining thread: humans and sea lions literally surging through the same waves, sometimes playfully, sometimes a little too close for comfort.
Conservation in Action
Later in the weekend, we returned to Channel View Park and found the CIWMI team on site, monitoring an adult male sea lion with rope restricting his neck. Michael overheard staff telling another beachgoer that his breathing was steady and he wasn’t in distress, but it was a sobering sight. I was too shy to interrupt their work, but I hope to connect with CIWMI soon about ways I can help with response and education. Seeing conservation in action, even from the sidelines, was a reminder of how much work goes into protecting these animals, especially when their challenges are so often the result of human carelessness.
Harassment & Hard Lessons
At the Hollywood Beach volleyball nets, one man from a Labor Day beach crew was antagonizing sea lions - running up, yelling, pointing, and nearly getting bitten. He pushed too far and almost got bit, a stark reminder that wild animals have their limits. I felt the urge to yell, but chose not to escalate with a group like that. Instead, I quietly documented the behavior for accountability, keeping the photos private unless authorities ever need them. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is quietly record and move on. It’s frustrating to see, but it’s also a reality of sharing the coast: some people are respectful, others need reminders, and every week brings a new lesson in responsibility.
Harbor Life & Small Joys
Threaded through the week were the little rituals that keep life grounded: daily harbor walks, HoneyCup and Makenna runs, Five Below candy & Halloween knick-knack shopping, even the news that Karl’s Village Harbor project had been approved - something I’ll be watching with curiosity. I spent time researching the most challenging wildlife subjects to photograph in California and dream-planning a coastal van trip. A new bicycle arrived, trips to Santa Cruz (this week) and San Miguel (October) were booked, and the days felt stitched together by a mix of routine and anticipation.
My desire to be on the water has skyrocketed. We’re considering a million options - buying a boat, a RIB, or a clear kayak. New dream goal? Living aboard an Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran (haha) or having a house here on the harbor with a boat docked out back. Short-term, it would be amazing to get the slip in front of our apartment or join the Carefree Boat Club.
On top of that excitement, Michael’s family is coming to visit and rented a gorgeous house in Silver Strand for the end of September. We can’t wait to show them all the places we love.
This Tuesday morning, I woke at six and worked on this blog from our patio, watching “Frank” the great blue heron, a regular visitor who flies in every morning around 6:30 to land on the same boat docked nearby. He settles into his usual spot and spends hours resting and surveying the harbor. Meanwhile, the resident duck family paddled by and hummingbirds zipped through the flowers. A reminder that even the quiet starts hold their own kind of abundance.
One Month In
It’s officially been one month living at Channel Islands Harbor, and the feeling still hasn’t worn off. Every day feels like waking up on vacation - I’ve never felt so at ease. Not every week will yield gallery-worthy prints, and that’s okay. This one was about being present, adjusting to the heat and holiday crowds, and remembering why we chose to build a life here. I launched a new Whiskers in the Wild hub page to collect all these stories in one place, and I’m already dreaming about the next adventure: Santa Cruz Island in just a few days, with San Miguel Island on the horizon for October. We’ll be continuing our Channel Islands coverage moving forward and plan to create a dedicated hub for it as well, so stay tuned.
On the Horizon
This week’s gallery features sea lions surfing the waves at Silver Strand, a respectful encounter at the jetty light, and a handful of harbor life moments that capture the spirit of late summer on the coast. Scroll down to see the full set. Looking for video? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, or subscribe to us on YouTube.
A few of you have asked about changes to the shop. We’re updating the catalog with new coastal-inspired prints and streamlining the rest to make it more intentional. Some of the photos you’ve been asking about - sea lions, harbor mornings, and more - will be added soon. I’m grateful to know which moments have resonated with you and appreciate your support as the shop continues to evolve.
Thank you for following along, for caring about our wild neighbors, and for being part of this ongoing story.
Gallery
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