The boat left Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard and motored west toward Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel. The first structure to come into view was this oil rig platform named Gina.

The Channel Island oil platforms were first installed in the 1960's. Gina here was installed later in 1980. They are beginning to near their end of life and may be deconstructed sometime in the next few years.

Oil rig platforms were huge. Note the size of the door near the top-center of this photograph. During drilling there is lodging for over 100 workers on such a rig.

Oil Rigs could be navigation markers and were so used by sailors and kayakers. One kayaker used them to measure the distance he traveled.

This Gina oil rig platform produced oil (over 11,243,003 bbls) and natural gas (over 6,946,871 bbls) and was currently operated by Dos Cuadras Offshore LLC .

To the east, past Gina oil rig platform, rose the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara and Ventura.

From the 1960's through the 1980's, oil independence from the middle east was sought by increased domestic drilling. We now know this was a mistake, because increased drilling and corresponding increased oil-use added to global warming.

Like a small city on stilts, an oil rig platform contained everything needed to sustain an ocean habitat. As a natural extension of this concept, some believed oil rigs could be converted to fish farms and others thought they could be converted to hotels .

Where there was one oil rig, there were bound to be others. Here, another oil rig could be seen beyond Gina to the north.