Afishanado

I had the recent opportunity to celebrate a milestone on a 7,000 year-old-island; one of California's coastal gems called Santa Catalina. This beachy little getaway, whose indigenous people were known as"Pimuvit," is an old favorite for the So. Cal crowd and a place where everything is coming up fish. But, in a good way. With only an hour flight to Long Beach and another hour aboard a ferry whose employees are more than happy to serve you a spicy Bloody Mary, you can easily be transported to "Island Time" with a vibe much like the Hawaiian islands. But, without the semi-longish flights.


We arrived just in time for Catalina's 52nd Annual Art Festival where there were many gifted artists peddling their "snake oils" with everything from oil on canvas to a dentist's hand carvings of marine life in sterling silver. There, we met and instantly connected with the Harbor Master and his family over super fresh sashimi. The couple later offered us the preferred method of transport around the island: a complimentary golf cart! With a terrain quite like San Francisco, we were in luck. From this vantage point, we were able to locate an entire deer colony (they are overpopulated on the island); catch the zip liners who were all screaming above us on the eco-tours from the sky and then plot our underwater adventure from Lover's Cove.

We soon learned why Catalina boasts the top 6th place to snorkel in the world. You don't have to go very far from the Cove to experience an underwater dream where you are completely surrounded by marine life, especially if you bring a small packet of fish food from the dive shop. But, be prepared to shut down two of your greatest senses, i.e., your sense of smell and your hearing. Aside from the rush of schools of fish which sound a lot like tiny little motors zipping by, this adventure is really all about the eyes.

We first spotted a charming example of California's picture worthy sea lion bobbing up and down in the water and doing little somersaults while she was chasing a glass bottom boat. Then, after gearing up with not one, but two wet suits which gear was recommended by a very young-James Taylor-looking-hippie-dude-with piercing-blue-eyes and referred to himself as a local "Islander," we flopped over some largish pebbles and rocks in our snorkeling gear. We then were able to wade out into the great Pacific's near hypothermic waters and were ready to submerge. Immediately met by a large school of fish who eagerly greeted our arrival, the fish were ready for a snack to be provided by the humans. I note that these fish are more like begging dogs, their natural hunting instinct dulled by continued quick fixes of hardened food.

We kept going into warmer patches followed by freezing cold bursts of stillness under water and being intertwined by fleeing kelp. In this graceful underwater garden, an entirely different world awaits you as do the most interesting of fish. After swimming through ribbons after ribbons of large amounts of concentrated kelp beds, we were really started to flow through living color: bright turquoise, vibrant orange, lustrous sapphire blue and deep emerald green. Opaleyes; Garibaldis (California's state fish); Blacksmiths; Popeye Catalufas and Halfmoon fish. They were all there; swimming within centimeters of their human visitors.

All of these fish got a bit carried away, especially when my husband decided to call a "feeding frenzy." After being bombarded by countless schools of fish all at once, I became a little skiddish and was ready to rally. We then swam out a little more until we were surrounded by boats and more and more kelp.


Later, and back on land and rinsed of all the salt water, we headed to the favorite and most recommended of weekend spots by tourists and locals alike: Steve's Steakhouse. It was indeed a place for the carnivorous. As it also turns out, it was the key venue for some of best raw oysters on the half shell to be had on the West Coast (among some other fresh fish, of course.)

In short, loads of adventures await the adventurous on this ancient and tiny island as well as the the not-be-be-missed fresh catches of the day. Catalina certainly falls within the easily missed of destinations. But, its slow-paced, friendly and easy way will ensure that more visitors come to find all that this unique island has to offer.