By Doug Hansen
It was starting to get dark as we cruised north along the Catalina coastline on our Flying Fish Tour when we started seeing our first flying fish. They propelled themselves out of the water and glided for amazingly long distances, their silvery winged bodies illuminated in our boat's spotlights and the passengers' flashlights. As exciting as this aquatic show was, little did we know that a life-and-death drama, just a few feet away, would be the tour's highlight.
Fast-swimming sea lions had showed up for dinner, their dark, tubular shapes darting through the water alongside our catamaran, unerringly tracking down one fleeing flying fish after another. The drama ended with an unbelievably fast flick of the hunter's head and a mouthful of sharp teeth piercing the hapless flying fish. This went on until the captain mercifully turned off our boat's spotlights and we headed back to port, awed by the spectacle we had witnessed.
Such was our welcome to Catalina's four-day Flying Fish Festival that ushers in the beginning of the island's busy summer season. The festival kicked off on a Thursday afternoon with a food fair followed by three more days of creative events and activities, including a street fair, cardboard boat regatta, sand sculpture, kayak-racing, face-painting for kids and free outdoor concerts.
Since first discovering Catalina Island, my wife and I have been taken with its Mediterranean feel and its rich variety of activities and intriguing history. Our visit to the Catalina Island Museum revealed many surprises about the island's past: Marilyn Monroe lived on the island for one year with her first husband; Ronald Reagan was broadcasting the Chicago Cubs' spring training here when he was called to the mainland for his first screen test (the Chicago Cubs conducted their spring training in Catalina from 1921-'51 because the owner of the team, Phillip Wrigley, also owned the island); the Catalina Island Golf Course is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi; and modern-day sport fishing began in 1889 at the Catalina Tuna Club, the oldest fishing club in the United States.
Located off the coast of Southern California, Catalina is usually reached via ferry boat, although some visitors use a helicopter service or their own plane or sailboat. We took the Catalina Express from Dana Point.
There are only two permanent settlements on this 22-mile-long island — Avalon, with around 3,700 residents, and the much smaller Two Harbors, with only 300 residents. Like most visitors, we landed at Avalon and immediately felt its special island vibe. There are no fast-food restaurants here and few buildings more than three stories tall. We marveled at the myriad golf carts of every description that buzzed around us in all directions (a necessity since traditional vehicles are severely restricted), along with a procession of walkers, joggers and bikers along the waterfront.
Despite being a tourist town, Avalon retains a great deal of charm and authenticity with its colorful homes and shops, the Spanish-style bell tower on the hillside that chimes on the quarter-hour, and a sandy beach in the middle of town that separates the gentle bay water on one side and a row of restaurants, bars and shops on the other.
Generally speaking, Avalon is not a cheap place to visit, but it's also true that with a little effort we found restaurants, hotels and rentals with reasonable prices. Our rental house had a kitchen, so we shopped at the little supermarket and ate at home as well at various restaurants. We used Catalina Island Vacation Rentals to help us find our nice little house in the middle of town and within walking distance of everything we wanted to do.
Avalon is a good place to just relax, but we wanted to be active and explore other parts of the island, too. Some of the options we considered were golf-cart tours of Avalon, Jeep eco-tours into the interior, zip-lining, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, beach lounging, golfing, parasailing or fishing.
Ultimately we chose these activities that we highly recommend. The Nautilus Semi-Submarine allowed us to comfortably observe close-up the undersea world in the nearby marine preserve. I particularly liked the forests of golden kelp plants waving in the clear blue water, highlighted by undulating shafts of sunlight. When we pressed our feeding buttons, sudden bursts of fish food in front of our portholes attracted swarms of bright orange, silver and gray fish with unlikely names like Senoritas, Halfmoons, Garibaldi and Blacksmiths. If you can't snorkel or dive in these waters, then do the next best thing and take this tour.
The Flying Fish Tour with Afishinado provides great views of the coastline in addition to the excitement of watching flying fish and the sea lions that hunt them. Tours are available from May until August.
The Jeep Ecotour by the Catalina Island Conservancy is one of the best ways to see the rest of Catalina Island. Our naturalist guide explained a great deal about the island's unique wildlife and geology, but best of all we were able to get up-close and personal with bison, native foxes and bald eagles, along with remote beaches and hidden beach trails. Bison herds are a famous attraction; the 150 bison are remnants of the small herd brought to the island in 1924 for a film, but they ended up not making it into the movie.
Catalina is known for good but challenging hikes. We spent a couple of hours doing the Garden to the Sky hike that begins in the Wrigley Botanical Garden next to the Wrigley Memorial. It was a moderately strenuous hike, 1.2 miles to the top, but the expansive views made the effort worthwhile. For variety we chose to return via the Hermit Gulch trail, which was very satisfying.
Secluded Descanso Beach, located just a 10-minute walk from Avalon, was another one of the highlights of our visit. We wisely decided to reserve one of the cabanas overlooking the beach and the clear, blue water just feet away from our balcony. All day we luxuriated on our lounge chairs while attentive servers brought us cold bottled water, fruit smoothies and fresh fruit skewers. Alternatively, guests can use the free sandy beach or the beach-side bar with drinks and food. A rental kiosk offers kayaks, stand-up paddle-boards, snorkeling gear and more. This is the place for a day at the beach.
We don't return to places very often, but this was our second Catalina trip in the space of a year. And based on how much we enjoyed both visits, we will be back for more island mojo.
WHEN YOU GO
Catalina Island Visitor Center (located near the foot of the Green Pier): www.catalinachamber.com or 310-510-1520.
This year's Flying Fish Festival will be held May 28-31: www.flyingfishfestival.com.
The Catalina Express ferry boat leaves from Dana Point, Long Beach and San Pedro: www.catalinaexpress.com or 562-485-3300. Don't let fear of seasickness deter you from this trip; the one-hour crossing hasn't been a problem for my seasick-prone self. Parking is a chore at Dana Point, so get there at least 45 minutes prior to departure. Catalina Island Vacation Rentals offers nearly 200 homes and condos: www.catalinavacations.com or 310-510-2276. If you rent a house in town, get one on the north side of the street so you get morning sun and afternoon shade.
Nautilus Semi-Submarine Tour by Catalina Adventure Tours: www.catalinaadventuretours.com or 877-510-2888.
For Jeep Eco-Tour, Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Gardens, or hiking/biking permits: Catalina Island Conservancy, www.catalinaconservancy.org or 310-510-2595
Flying Fish Tour by Afishinados: www.afishinados.com or 310-510-2440. They also do fishing trips, eco-tours, romance cruises, fishing trips and special-event cruises.
Kayak Tour with Descanso Beach Ocean Sports: www.kayakcatalinaisland.com or 310-510-1226.
For details about the hike we took: www.everytrail.com/guide/hermit-gulch-trail-loop.
For the Descanso Beach Club (310-510-7410), Zipline Eco Tour (800-626-1496) and Hermit Gulch Campground (877-778-1487): www.visitcatalinaisland.com. The campground, which is 1.5 miles from the boat landing, rents tents, sleeping bags, pads, stoves and lanterns:
Doug Hansen is a freelance writer and photographer whose photos and articles are at www.hansentravel.org. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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