Santa Catalina Island, California

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Santa Catalina Island, location relative to the coast of Southern California

Santa Catalina Island, often called simply Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California.

The 74.98 mi²/47,986 acre (194.19 km²) island is located about 22 miles (35 km) south-southwest of San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. The total population as of the 2000 census was 3,696 persons, with almost 85 percent living in its only city of Avalon (pop. 3,127, with another 195 south of the city outside of the city limits). The second center of population is the unincorporated town of Two Harbors, in the north, with a population of 298. The remaining population is scattered over the island between the two population centers. The island has an overall population density of 49.29/mi² (19.03/km²). Most of the island is owned by the Catalina Island Conservancy.

1 History
2 Geology
3 Wildlife
- 3.1 Flora
- 3.2 Fauna
4 Tourism and attractions
5 Camps
6 Education
7 Pop culture and trivia
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

Tourists enjoying the waters off Catalina in 1889

Prior to the modern era the island was inhabited by people of the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe, who also lived in the area of Los Angeles, had villages near present day San Pedro and Playa del Rey, and who regularly traveled back and forth to Catalina for trade. The Tongva called the island Pimu or Pimungna. The Gabrielino/Tongva are renowned for their mining, working and trade of soapstone/steatite which was found in great quantities and varieties on the Island. This material was in high demand and was traded up and down the California coast.

The first European to ever set foot on the island was the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, sailing for Spain. This happened on October 7, 1542. He claimed the island for Spain and christened it San Salvador. Another Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino, rediscovered the island on the eve of Saint Catherine's day (November 24) in 1602. He renamed it Santa Catalina.

During the following 300 years, the island served as home or base of operation for all sorts of visitors, from Russian otter hunters to Spanish smugglers to Chinese pirates. Franciscan monks tried to build a mission there, but failed due to the lack of fresh water on the island. The native population was mostly wiped out during 19th century. Catalina Island experienced a brief period of gold rush in 1860s, but no gold was found, and ultimately those early mining attempts were abandoned. By the end of 19th century, the island was almost uninhabited except for a few cattle herders. At that time, its location just 20 miles from Los Angeles—the city that had reached the population of 50,000 in 1890 and was undergoing the period of enormous growth—was a major factor that contributed to the development of the island into a vacation destination.

The first owner to try to develop Avalon into a resort destination was George Shatto who purchased the Island at the height of the real estate boom in Southern California in 1887. Shatto can be credited with building Avalon's first pier and hotel (The Metropole). His sister-in-law, Etta Whitney, came up with the name "Avalon" which was pulled as a reference from Tennyson's poem "Idylls of the King," which was about the legend of King Arthur. Despite Shatto's efforts, in a few years he had to default on his loan and the Island went back to the Lick Estate.

The sons of Phineas Banning bought the island in 1891 from the estate of James Lick and established the Santa Catalina Island Company to develop it as a resort. Their efforts were set back on November 29, 1915 when a fire burned half of Avalon's buildings, including six hotels and several clubs. World War I also hampered tourism, and the Banning brothers were forced to sell the island.

Avalon Bay around 1910, before the construction of the Casino

William Wrigley, Jr. bought controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919 and devoted himself to preserving and promoting it, investing millions in both needed infrastructure and attractions. In 1921 he sold lots for building in the town of Avalon. The tourism industry was encouraged by the construction of a beautiful Art Deco dance hall, called the Casino, in 1929. Its upstairs dance floor has a capacity of over 6,000 dancers, and sits above the glamourous Avalon Theater, which seats 1,150. While the theater shows movies almost exclusively, it has the capabilities to host theatrical productions as well. The Casino's name derives from a more traditional Italian definition of casino, meaning social gathering place; the building has never served as a gambling establishment.

From 1927 through 1937 pottery and tile were made on the island, and these items are now collectible. The Chicago Cubs, also owned by Wrigley, used the island for the team's spring training from ca. 1920-1950, absent the war years of 1942-45.

During World War II, the island was closed to tourists and used as a military training facility. [1]

Catalina's airport, the "Airport in the Sky" (AVX), was completed in 1946. The 3,250-foot (990-meter) runway sits on a mountaintop, 1,602 feet (488 meters) above sea level. Up until the time of the airport's construction, the only air service to the island was provided by seaplanes.

In 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded the Wrigley shares in the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy that he had helped create. The Conservancy now stewards 88 percent of the island. The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation.

Known shipwrecks in the waters off the island include the Diosa del Mar (33.462770° N 118.491925° W), which was sunk July 30, 1990 near Ship Rock.

For more information on the history of Catalina Island, contact the Catalina Island Museum whose mission is to collect, preserve and share the cultural heritage of Santa Catalina Island.

[edit] Geology

According to Sunset magazine, "Catalina...is a geographic anomaly. Unlike California's other seven Channel Islands, it didn't break away from the mainland, but was formed by the upward heave of tectonic plates."^[1] The island is very rich in quartz and silver, to the point that some beaches on the seaward side have silvery-grey sand.

[edit] Wildlife

[edit] Flora

About 400 species of native plants grow on the island, six of which are endemic and can be found only on Catalina Island. These plants are: Catalina manzanita (Arctostaphylos catalinae); Catalina mahogany (Cercocarpus traskiae); Catalina dudleya (Dudleya hassei); St. Catherine’s lace (Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum); Santa Catalina bedstraw (Galium catalinense ssp. catalinense); Santa Catalina Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus).

These plants may be seen at the Island's Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens.

Avalon Bay is the major bay on Catalina Island

[edit] Fauna

In the waters surrounding the island, there are also lots of fish like garibaldi, Yellowtail, Calico Bass, White seabass, Giant sea bass, Leopard sharks, blacksmiths, opaleyes and many more.

The Island is home to the Catalina Island Fox, an endangered endemic species. In 1999 all but 100 out of 1,300 fox on Catalina Island were wiped out due to a virulent strain of canine distemper. Following a successful recovery program which included captive breeding, distemper vaccinations and population monitoring, the Catalina fox community has been restored to more than 400 individuals—a number deemed by the Conservancy scientists to be a self-sufficient population. However, mysterious, usually fatal ear tumors continue to plague the Catalina fox. Three Catalina Island Conservancy wildlife biologists continue to monitor the population through pit tagging, trapping and inspection.

A herd of American Bison roam, supposedly first imported in 1924 for the silent film version of Zane Grey's Western tale "The Vanishing American." Over the decades, the bison herd grew to as many as 600 individuals. Bison were routinely removed and sent to the mainland to auction. Recently however, another solution was implemented. The Conservancy initiated a scientific study that determined that a herd of between 150 and 200 would be good for the bison, and ecologically sound for the Island. In 2004, the Conservancy partnered with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Tongva (thought to be Catalina's original inhabitants some 4,000 years ago), and the Lakota tribe on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. A hundred bison were relocated "home" to the Great Plains. The Conservancy plans to pursue a similar plan when the bison population exceeds 200 individuals. Although the bison are not native to the Island, they comprise an important role in the cultural fabric of Catalina. Therefore the Conservancy has no plans to remove all the animals from the Island.

[edit] Tourism and attractions

About a million tourists visit the island every year; Catalina is serviced by ferries and the "Airport in the Sky." Ferries depart from Orange County in Newport Beach and Dana Point, while they depart from Los Angeles County in Long Beach, San Pedro, and Marina del Rey. The trip takes approximately an hour and costs $40-60 round trip. Helicopter service is also available from Long Beach or San Pedro.

Most of the island is controlled by the Catalina Island Conservancy, a private nonprofit organization. The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. Through its ongoing efforts, the Conservancy protects the magnificent natural and cultural heritage of Santa Catalina Island, stewarding approximately 42,000 acres of land (88 percent of the island), 50 miles of rugged shoreline, an airport, and more than 200 miles of roads.

Under an agreement with Los Angeles County, the Conservancy has granted an easement to allow day hiking and mountain biking, but visitors must first obtain a permit at the Conservancy's office (on which they declare the parts of the island they intend to visit). Hiking permits are free, whereas bicycle permits are available for a fee (as of 2006, $60 per person annual, $20 per person good for 2 consecutive days, helmets and mountain bikes with knobby tires required).

Two Harbors, the smaller of the island's two population centers

The use of motor vehicles on the island is restricted; there is limit on the number of registered cars, which translates into a 10-year-long wait list to bring a car to the island. Most residents move around via golf cart. Tourists can hire a taxi from Catalina Transportation Services. Bicycles are also a popular mode of transportation. There are a number of bicycle and golf cart rental agencies on the island. Only the city of Avalon is open to the public without restrictions.

The only major road into the backcountry is Stage Road.

The Catalina Island Museum, located in the historic Casino Building, is the keeper of the the island's cultural heritage with collections numbering over 100,000 items and including over 7,000 years of Native American history, over 10,000 photographs and images, a large collection of Catalina-made pottery and tile, ship models, and much more. The museum features dynamic exhibits on this history and also a unique gift store. Programs include walking tours of Avalon, classes for students, gallery docents, lectures, an annual silent film benefit and more.

Glass bottom boats tour the reefs and shipwrecks of the area, and scuba diving and snorkeling are popular in the clear water. The area is famous for the schools of flyingfish and the bright orange Garibaldi which teem in local waters. Bus tours are given of the interior.

While tourists rarely have an opportunity to surf, two beaches on the "backside" of Catalina offer good waves: Shark Harbor and Ben Weston Beach.

Two Harbors is the second, and much smaller, resort village on the island. Located at the isthmus of the island, north of Avalon, it is the primary landing spot for those who wish to tour the western half of the island. It is accessible by boat from San Pedro and by bus or boat from Avalon.

Art Good, host of the Jazztrax Showcase of the Absolute Newest, holds the Catalina Island Jazztrax Festival there each year.

[edit] Camps

Two Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County have camps north of Two Harbors: Camp Cherry Valley, operated by the San Gabriel Valley Council, located two coves north of Two Harbors at Cherry Cove; and Camp Emerald Bay, operated by the Western Los Angeles County Council, further up the coast.

The island contains a YMCA summer camp named Camp Fox, operated by YMCA of Glendale, which holds several summer coed youth camps, a summer girl's camp, as well as a Christian leadership conference in spring. There is also Campus by the Sea, a camp operated by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, located at Gallagher's Cove.

There is also a coeducational camp at Howland's Landing named Catalina Island Camps, which has been there since the 1920s. Catalina Island Camps is home to many camps including Camp del Corazone a camp for kids and counslers with heart disease or defects

Guided Discoveries also runs several camps on Catalina Island providing hands on opportunities to learn marine science and environmental studies to school groups and community groups during school year and summer sea camps during the summer.

Infrared image of Catalina, foliage appears red.

[edit] Education

Children in Avalon attend schools in the Long Beach Unified School District.

There is one K-12 school on Catalina Island: Avalon Elementary School, Avalon Middle School and Avalon High School are all one big K-12 school on one campus. About 800 students attend Avalon schools each year. Thousands of school-age youths travel from the mainland to study at the Catalina Island Marine Institute every year.

The USC Wrigley Institute research and teaching facilities at Two Harbors, maintained by the University of Southern California and named for Philip K. Wrigley, consist of a 30,000 square-foot laboratory building, dormitory housing, cafeteria, a hyperbaric chamber, and a large waterfront staging area complete with dock, pier, helipad, and diving lockers. The facility was made possible by a generous donation from the Wrigley family.

[edit] Pop culture and trivia

In 1936, Ronald Reagan, as a young radio announcer for WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, traveled to Catalina to cover the Cubs during spring training. While there, he took a screen test and was offered an acting role.

In the early 1940s during World War II, Marilyn Monroe, as a young, married woman, briefly lived in Avalon with her first husband, James Dougherty, a lieutenant in the Merchant Marine, who was stationed on the island. Monroe often was a babysitter for neighborhood children.

On May 31, 1950, actor Gregory Harrison was born at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. His father, Ed Harrison, operated a glass-bottom boat sightseeing service on the island. Harrison went on to star in many stage, screen and television productions, including Logan's Run, Trapper John, M.D., Centennial, and It's My Party. In 1980, Harrison and a partner founded an entertainment production company, the Catalina Production Group Ltd., named after his island birthplace.

In 1958, the Four Preps recorded the hit song "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)"; the song reached the #2 position on the U.S. popular music charts.

The 1966 romantic comedy film The Glass Bottom Boat, starring Doris Day and Rod Taylor, was filmed on Catalina Island.

The 1967 teen comedy film Catalina Caper, starring Tommy Kirk, was filmed on Catalina Island. This movie was later featured in episode 204 of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Several scenes from the 1974 film Chinatown, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, were filmed on Catalina, including one showing the Casino.

Actress Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina in 1981 while on a boating trip with husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.

Catalina Island is briefly mentioned in the 1987 movie Lethal Weapon as the place where Roger (Danny Glover) would like to fish with his new boat.

The 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit featured an oft-referenced vacation to Catalina Island as a subject in the failing relationship between Eddie Valiant and Dolores.

In 1982 Descendents released the album Milo Goes to College, featuring a song called "Catalina."

In 1989 actor Chad Allen is seen visiting Catalina Island in the promotional video The Real Chad Allen. Allen is seen visiting Avalon there and also snorkeling off the coast in the vicinity of a sunken ship.

In 1998, actor Phil Hartman was fatally shot by his wife Brynn Hartman, who committed suicide several hours after the murder. The couple's ashes were scattered in Emerald Bay off the coast of Santa Catalina Island as specified in Hartman's will.

In Dan Brown's popular novel Deception Point, published in 2001, there is a reference to sailing off the coast of Catalina.

In 2002, the hit TV show Endurance was filmed on the island.