Episode 7 - Santa Catalina Island

WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.679 Well, how do you folks, and good morning, afternoon or evening, 2 00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:14.679 wherever and whenever you may be listening. My name is Tim and welcome to 3 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:19.879 one day in so cal. Whether you've lived here your entire life or visiting 4 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.960 from across the world, whether you only have one day in so cal or 5 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.199 one month, I want to share some of the coolest, most fun and 6 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:32.079 most unique things to do right here in southern California, whether that's solo or 7 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:36.840 with friends and family. So join me on my next adventure and hopefully yours. 8 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:49.000 Right now on one day in so cal. Welcome to episode seven of 9 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:55.359 the one day in Socal podcast. It's Friday, September two and I am 10 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.520 recording from beautiful right with California. Visit me on the web one day in 11 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.959 socal dot com, one day in social dot com, for the latest episodes, 12 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:11.319 travelog videos, interactive map, social media links and more. This week 13 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:15.719 I took the treacherous thirty M journey, as the crow flies, across the 14 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:19.680 dangerous waters that is the San Petro Channel. My destination was the mysterious Greek 15 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.920 island of Catalina, and I was carried full selle aboard the former corn table 16 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:30.959 ship turned Athenian Ferry Express jet cat the early morning crossing was clouded by heavy 17 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.959 marine layer clouds. Yet we had fair winds and following seas for the mostly 18 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.519 calm journey, guided by pods of bottle notes and Pacific White sanded dolphins. 19 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:46.760 Catalina appeared almost out of nowhere through the dense fog, a looming dark mass 20 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:51.439 in a blanket of white and gray. Our captain was a skilled mariner family 21 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:55.159 told a great line of officers that achieved victory at the Great Naval Battle of 22 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.680 Sally Nous, and managed to dark us safely to the Hustle and bustle at 23 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:04.519 the at the Avylon, largest city, on Catalina. As soon as I 24 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.520 get boarded straight away I ventured through the beach side markets far up into a 25 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:14.360 protected valley featuring a beautiful botanical garden of Nata plants that was home to the 26 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:20.159 temple of Wrigley, Greek God and Patriot saint of Catalani. I prayed to 27 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:23.680 J W Rigley, thanked him for a safe crossing. The Chicago cubs, 28 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:27.960 of course, and offered him a stick of Wrigley chewing gum hasn't offering for 29 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.400 a safer turn back to Long Beach, hoping for no pirates, Mexican drug 30 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:39.520 cartel banana boats and especially Persian shipping counters. Oh, back to reality. 31 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:44.240 This week I went to Santa Catalian Island, thirty two miles off the coast 32 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:47.520 of southern California. Last month I went for a day excursion, bringing my 33 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:52.400 bicycle to toward the main city on the island, Avalon, and the surrounding 34 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.960 countryside. This week I returned to Catalina to Christ and I returned to scuba 35 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:01.919 diving, a sport I have not participated in for almost ten years now. 36 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:07.319 Santa Catalina Island is part of the Channel Islands in eight island archipelago just off 37 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:10.360 the coast of southern California, from San Diego to Santa Barbara. The Channel 38 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:15.719 Islands, and specifically Catalina, are probably about as close to the Mediterranean that 39 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.639 most of us are gonna get. I haven't been to Greece or the Mediterranean 40 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:23.599 yet, but everything I know about Greece or the men are from pictures, 41 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:28.479 videos and, believe it or not, a video game called assassin's creed Odyssey. 42 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:34.039 Side note, I bought assassin's creed Odyssey on steam specifically for its history 43 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:37.759 mode, which allows you to walk around ancient Greek cities, temples, monument 44 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:43.159 statues, mythology and other treasures and experience them just as they look thousands of 45 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:46.199 years ago. Even the people are walking around dressed as they were walking about 46 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:52.680 their daily business, from nobles to slave. Speaking of historical matters, there 47 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:57.919 are some absolutely fascinating history associated with Santa Catalina and the Channel Islands as a 48 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:03.439 whole. For example, the islands were inhabited approximately thirteen thousand years ago by 49 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:08.800 descendants of the shoemash and Tonga Native Americans, and that's just the folks we 50 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:14.240 know about. The islands provide the earliest evidence of human seafaring in the Americas, 51 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.240 as humans traveled across the channel between Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. 52 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:23.639 The channel islands are also the site of the earliest paleontological evidence of humans in 53 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.720 North America. Believe it or not, the remains of a thirteen thousand year 54 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:31.959 old human being, u the Ar Arlington Springs Man, were found in nineteen 55 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:36.399 fifty nine and, going with the continued theme of Ancient History on Santa Catalian 56 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:42.160 Island, these remains were determined to be the oldest human remains discovered in North 57 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:46.839 America so far, right here in so cal. Now I'm not sure what 58 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:50.279 the climate was like in so call thirteen thousand years ago, but it must 59 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:54.040 have been good enough, like it was in ancient Greece, for people to 60 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:59.040 settle here. Another amazing historic historical story on the Channel Islands was a woman 61 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:02.439 named Wannamer yea. She has better known in history as the lone woman of 62 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:08.160 San Nicholas Island, although she was given the name Wuanna Maria just before her 63 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:13.000 death after being baptized Catholic. Her real name is tragically lost to history. 64 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:19.079 Her tribe tragically was massacred by Russian Sea Otter hunters in in eighteen fourteen and 65 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:24.839 she lived alone on the island, all by herself, until eighteen fifty three 66 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:29.720 before she was found and removed, being taken to mission Santa Barbara. She 67 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:33.279 was the last native speaker of the Nicolino language. Imagine that, eighteen fourteen, 68 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:39.040 eighteen fifty three, all by yourself on an island. Just crazy. 69 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:44.639 I don't think Tom Hanks says anything on that. Scott o'dell's award winning children's 70 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.639 novel island of the Blue Dolphins is based on her true story, a fantastic 71 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:51.920 book I still remember reading in fourth grade. Of This Day. The first 72 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:57.800 European to set foot on the island was the fame Spanish explorer Wander Rodriguez Cabrill 73 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.800 Cabrio. The Spanish the islands for fishing and agriculture, and the U S 74 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:06.319 military used it for training, weapons testing and strategic defensive locations, particularly during 75 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:11.279 World War Two. All these southern islands. Southern Islands were put under military 76 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:15.160 control during World World War Two as a buffer against any potential Japanese attack, 77 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.879 and tourism was halted on Santa Catalina until the conclusion of the war. People 78 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:24.800 still live on Santa Catalina. During that time, but they needed special passes 79 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:29.240 to go to the mainland and back. Essentially, Santa, or say San 80 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:32.319 Clemente Island, was actually used to train the navy's first amphibious assault force in 81 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:38.160 preparation for the island hopping campaigns and eventual victory in the Pacific. And even 82 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:42.160 today the U S Navy Control San Nicholas and San Clement the islands, including 83 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:47.519 navy seal training centers. But the main investors that made Santa made the island 84 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:53.319 what it is today. Was William Wrigley Jr a chewing gum and Chicago cubs 85 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:58.600 fame. After buying out nearly every shareholder of Catalina, Wrigley invested millions and 86 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:02.040 it needed different structure and attract is including the famous Catalan and casino. And 87 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:05.519 we're talking millions back in the twenties. That's quite a bit of change, 88 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:11.199 even for you know, a rich person. Chicago cubs then use the island 89 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:15.920 for spring training between eighteen or between ninete to nineteen fifty one. Since their 90 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.639 owner has such a beautiful island with fantastic around weather, Catalina has been a 91 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:25.600 local hangout for decades, with regularly scheduled steamship service transporting average show and famous 92 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:30.120 celebrity to the island. Maryland Marylyn Monroe lived here for a time, along 93 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:33.959 with other famous golden age of Hollywood actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Norma Shear, 94 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:42.079 Irvin Thalberg, Richard Arlen and Johnny Wisemuller. In nineteen seventy five, 95 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.720 Wriggley son and then current owner Philip Wrigley, neededand on thirty five acres of 96 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:51.519 the land of land to the Catalan island conservancy. A nonprofit land trust that 97 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:58.319 the Wrigley family had it helped set up. This gave control of nearly Catalina 98 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:03.120 to the nonprofit, which still controls the majority of the island today. The 99 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.279 Island is home to five native land mammals, including some that are found nowhere 100 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.519 else on earth, including the island Fox, a subspecies of the California Ground 101 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:16.720 Squirreld, the Cattle Catalan island harvest mouse, the Santa Catalana island deer mouse 102 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.920 and the ornate shrew. American Bison live here as well, but they are 103 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:22.319 not native to the island. They were brought here from the mainland in the 104 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.040 Nineteen Twenties and Nineteen Thirties for a movie. Currently there's a herd of a 105 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:30.079 hundred fifty and they are highly popular with tourists. That can be viewed on 106 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:35.519 tours of the inland countryside. Other native, just say other non native species, 107 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.600 including that live on the island include the Bullfrog, ferirale cats, mill 108 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.399 deer rats and the common starling. The waters surrounding the island are home to 109 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:48.960 California State Marine Fish, the Garibaldi so whether scuba diving store planks standing near 110 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.360 the shore are just getting off the ferry at the port of Avalon, it's 111 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:58.240 virtually impossible to miss seeing these bright orange giant goldfish looking fish in the water, 112 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:05.240 and they are the Garibaldi when you're at the port. If you come 113 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:07.200 to Santa Kenally, take a look down between the docks. They'll be there, 114 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:13.159 I promise. Other marine wildlife include the cow h include the California sheep 115 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:18.519 head, Leopard Sharks, White Sea Bass, yellowtail bat rays, giant Black 116 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:22.720 Sea bass and yes, they are giant Great White Sharks, California Sea Lions 117 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:28.960 and harbor seals. So far I think I've seen all these marine animals in 118 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.159 the ocean except the Grit White. And let me tell you, if you 119 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:37.000 haven't had the chance to see a giant but largely gentle nearly Volkswagen bug sized, 120 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:41.720 giant sea bass appearing out of the Milky Ocean, abyss, you're missing 121 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:50.240 out. It's quite the incredible experience. Santa Catalan island is another unique feature 122 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:52.879 that adds to so CAL's world famous alert. But since it's thirty two miles 123 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:56.159 off the coast of soacal in the Pacific, how on Earth do you get 124 00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:01.000 there? The two main ways to reach Santa Catli the island or by boat 125 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:05.120 or by air. While there is no longer scheduled passenger service to the island, 126 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.279 the modern Santa Catalian airport is open to the public and allows for private 127 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:11.519 and commercial aircraft to land. The airport features restrooms, a restaurant and a 128 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:16.720 gift shop. Passenger helicopter companies can still provide daily, on demand round trip 129 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:22.279 service from various socal cities to Catalina forty nine dollars one way, and trips 130 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:26.480 are much faster at fifteen minutes. That's not a bad price for saving two 131 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:31.320 to three hours of your time when by ship, when you include weight waiting 132 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:37.120 to board, boarding the Lais or Andy Boarding your own private helicopter to the 133 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:41.200 island. Just make sure, and this is a requirement as a listening to 134 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:46.759 this podcast, if you go on the helicopter, Um, basically excursion over 135 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.519 to the island, that you play your journey to the island theme song from 136 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:58.320 theme song from Jurassic Park, and don't forget that dramatic card of the song 137 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:03.399 where you're landing as well. Alright, so soon enough you'll see the island 138 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.120 and make your way to the airport for landing. Correction and the actually the 139 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:11.440 helicopters land over near the SOCAL Edison plan which actually is much closer to uh 140 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:15.919 than if you were taking a private plane over to the island. But if 141 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:20.480 you're not special guest with Dr Hammond or rig or Msterically to Catalina, you'll 142 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:26.799 probably be traveling by sea. Ferry services conveniently available from several ports along our 143 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:31.399 coast and takes between seventy and ninety minutes. Two main ferry companies are Catalan 144 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:35.799 express and Catalan a flyer. Really unique names, Huh, but this isn't 145 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:39.759 your large, slow ship, you know, England to France or Washington State, 146 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:45.559 island hopping ferry style ship you're thinking of. You know those ones that 147 00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:50.120 go like ten. Both cattlean express and Catalan the flyer operate high speed catamarans 148 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:54.279 that can see hundreds of people. They feature airline cabin style seating with large 149 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:58.919 panoramic windows, outdoor and upper deck seating, ample restrooms and a full bar 150 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:05.120 are that also sells soft drinks, coffee and snacks. Catalina Flyer only operates 151 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:07.919 out of Newport beach in central Orange County and often has group on deal. 152 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:11.559 So keep an eye out if you're actually headed to Catalina. cattling express, 153 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:15.279 on the other hand, operates out of more ports, including San Pedro, 154 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.960 Long Beach and data point, with their biggest departure report being long beach. 155 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.559 The experience for both companies as large as the same. They both operate purpose 156 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:26.360 built high speed ferry ships. The most important thing to note on either ferry 157 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:31.240 service is do not buy your tag tickets last minute. It's highly likely these 158 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:35.000 tickets will sell out even weeks before departure, especially on weekends holidays. Then, 159 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.200 in the summer on cattle and express, round trip per person ferry service 160 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:43.440 between Long Beach and avalon cattle INA's main city, including taxes and fees, 161 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:48.480 will cost adults twelve and fifty four seventy six fifty for seniors, fifty five 162 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:54.159 plus sixty eight dollars for children under twelve and six dollars fifty cents per infants 163 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:58.559 under two. Catalina Express also offers a digital upgrades as well. Bringing bicycles 164 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:03.120 are surf or it will cost you an additional seven dollars per item. Or 165 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.440 you can upgrade to the Commodore Lounge, which will cost an additional forty bucks. 166 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:11.200 The Commodore Lounge is kind of like business class. It basically offers lounge 167 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:16.559 lounge seating or it basically offers priority check in and boarding leather trim seating. 168 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:22.240 Their clients a private lounge with more space, complementary beverages and package snacks served 169 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:26.279 by attendance. Then, if you're looking for something really special, it was 170 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:31.080 also the captain's lounge, and that costs an additional hundred and twenty and essentially 171 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:37.679 your own private state room featuring pre boarding, privileges for complementary beverages and plus 172 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:39.759 sheeting. And really, if you're gonna do this, it's best used as 173 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:46.279 a group. As additional fuel accommodate between six s eight passengers. If you're 174 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:48.919 in steerage, like I typically am, expect to be sitting next to strangers 175 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:54.240 packed in like sardines and as they try to basically fill every single seat on 176 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.519 the boat for Calian Express, it should be noted that only two pieces of 177 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:01.919 luggage are permitted and they must be in inches by thirty seven and wait, 178 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:07.320 no more than fifty pounds, excluding one carry on. But if you're diving 179 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:09.159 on Cattlein as I did, you know that's not gonna fly. So they 180 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:13.200 will I to bring an additional dive tank and weight belt or bag in addition 181 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:18.360 to the maximums. Let's have a quick chat about Cattlean Flyer now, because 182 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:22.399 they only operate out of Newport beach, so you're less likely to be taken 183 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:28.960 this ferry, but it should still be considered between Cattlean a express and flyer. 184 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:31.440 I actually found that Cattlean a flyer is my favorite way to go, 185 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.559 and one thing that sets the flyer apart from the express was the fact that 186 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:39.480 the captain and crew were only all too happy to point out marine life on 187 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.919 the crossing over. At least on my trip that was the case. I 188 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:46.279 think some of Em ploy the employees work out a Davy Jones locker next door 189 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:48.759 which does well tours and deep sea fishing, so expect them to point out 190 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:52.080 some of the bigger marine life cruising through the channel, and that includes bottlenof 191 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:58.200 dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Pacific white sided dolphins, rizos dolphins, gray wells, 192 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:01.519 blue whales, fin whales, mean wells and, if you are especially 193 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.240 lucky, and tragically most of us are not, Orcas, also known as 194 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:11.000 killer wells. Um It's a smaller company with a crew based on one ship, 195 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:13.240 so it felt a little more intimate. I also enjoyed their offerings at 196 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.919 snack bar a little better personally. And, best of all, they are 197 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:22.639 actually a little cheaper. Round trip per adult is seventy eight dollars. Seniors 198 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.919 are sixty plus at seventy three dollars, children three to twelve or sixty one 199 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:28.519 dollars, infants under three or fourteen dollars, and you can bring bicycles on 200 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:31.799 board for twenty dollars. And, most importantly, like I mentioned, they 201 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:37.440 do often have group on deals which cuts the price almost in half, so 202 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:39.000 keep an eye out for that. If you're looking to go to Catalina, 203 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:43.480 be advised there is no special lounge or stateroom on the cattle in a flyer. 204 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:46.559 For additional cost, though, the cattle in a flyer flyer can and 205 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:52.159 often does see six people. So you know, prepared a board with the 206 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:56.080 expectation that you're going to be packed. I guess slade, can you know 207 00:15:56.120 --> 00:16:00.360 six hundred people on board. It's also highly advised to arrive about an hour 208 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:04.480 four, departure even earlier if you want first choice and seating. If you 209 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.759 arrive thirty minutes or even forty minutes before departure. You may you may not 210 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:12.960 get to see what you want because there's gonna be a huge line. Also, 211 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:17.320 if you're gonna bring a bicycle, make sure you go to the window 212 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.080 and check in. They have to give you a special little tag. I 213 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:22.159 waited in line. I I out there about an hour early and I waited 214 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.399 in line and UH, some guys coming around and he was like, Hey, 215 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:30.080 you gotta go go back to the window and get a tag or you 216 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.759 can't board. So I lost my place in line. I went to the 217 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:37.279 very back Um, and that sucked. So, if you're bring a bicycle 218 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:41.000 to catal into the bike around, make sure you go straight to the window, 219 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:44.879 um, even if you already got your tickets on your email. Um, 220 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.559 and then get get this this dumb little tag. It hangs from your 221 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:52.879 handlebars that looks like you can just buy it on Ebay for fifty cents and 222 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.679 uh, you'll be able to save your spot in line that way. Um. 223 00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:02.519 Now, regarding the crossing between the mainland inside of Catalina, I also 224 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.720 like to sit outside and enjoy the ocean, but it can really be chilly 225 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:08.279 on early morning crossings, even in the summer, and certainly in the winter. 226 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:11.519 So if you want to see inside one of the main cabins, you 227 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:17.039 will definitely want to arrive early. Even when I went last week, there's 228 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:19.799 people with hoodies on and jackets because it was just the wind was just kind 229 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:25.519 of made it cold. Um some seats inside actually have tables, you know, 230 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:27.200 where it's easier to enjoy a drink or a meal, and these are 231 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.319 usually taking the quickest. So again, get here early. If you want 232 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:34.480 one of those seats. On the Catalan Express and flyer, you'll need to 233 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:40.039 line up with your luggage and board. On the express there's a particular storage 234 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:42.119 room as soon as you board where you will store your bigger luggage, in 235 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.519 my case scuba diving equipment. On the Flyer, we stored most of our 236 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:49.440 big items, including bicycles, in an open space area inside the boat, 237 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.400 towards the front. So in my case I had a bike store it all 238 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:55.440 the way at the front where it was kind of there was no seats, 239 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:00.480 just like an open space area. Boats usually leave promptly at the designated departure 240 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.599 times and you'll usually enjoy a many harbor tour on your way out to see 241 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.279 especially if you're departing out a long beach. If you're departing out along beach 242 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.759 on one of these trips, do you not miss the famous historical Ocean Line 243 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.880 or Queen Mary? You'RE gonna want to be seated on the right side of 244 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:17.440 the boat to get the best of you, but you'll, you'll, you'll, 245 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:19.559 you'll basically go by pretty closely to the Queen Mary. You get to 246 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.720 see an odds glory. Um. The Queen Mary actually was recently bought by 247 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:27.799 the city a long beach after several failed attempts by private companies to commercialize it, 248 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.720 and it's currently undergoing expensive renovations. I'm really curious what Long Beach is 249 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.680 gonna do to try to make it profitable. But I absolutely hated what some 250 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:41.119 of these companies did to the ship. They didn't damage it or destroy it 251 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:44.799 or or ruin it in any way, but they just had stupid things like 252 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.240 like, okay, I don't know if you I don't know if you guys 253 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:52.240 believe in ghosts or not, um, but they had like a haunted tour 254 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.640 but it was, how would I explain it? It was like you got 255 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:59.440 to go down to the bottom where the boilers were and everything but it was. 256 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.960 It was almost like it was like being at Universal Studios or not scary 257 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:08.359 farm or something. Those kind of jump scared little things where they would put 258 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:14.839 like led flashing lights of of scary things going on, or or you'd be 259 00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:18.039 walking in a dark hallway and they'd have these little strings hanging from the ceiling 260 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.720 that that would hit you and scare you. Jump. Scary stuff that you 261 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:25.359 would expect out of the theme park, not a not a noble crew, 262 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:30.960 you know, rolling majestic steamer Um like the Queen Mary. But anyways, 263 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:33.799 uh, we'll get around and doing a podcast on the Queen Mary once they 264 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:38.279 open again, as we will do a podcast on will watching the right to 265 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:41.319 stat of Cantalina takes seven or ninety minutes, as I explained, and that 266 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.519 just depends on which port you are leaving from. If you're leaving from Long 267 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:48.359 Beach, it's about seventy minutes H Dana point you're looking at close to ninety 268 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:52.440 Mintes a little bit farther away. So on last month's trip to cataline and 269 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.039 my intentions were to explore the island from its largest city, avalon, and 270 00:19:56.119 --> 00:20:00.799 the immediate surrounding countryside. When I went back this week it was strictly a 271 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:06.680 scuba dive off the renowned Casino Point Dive Park. So I'll be dividing this 272 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.400 episode up by experience of if you are walking or biking around or if you're 273 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:12.920 coming here to dive. I'm assuming most of you guys are coming to walk 274 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:18.279 and bike and explore and maybe take a tour Um, but those of you 275 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:19.440 coming to scuba dive that haven't been there yet, you know, I got 276 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:22.480 a little section in here for you as well. And, by the way, 277 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:26.440 you could certainly do both. Number on the Strip. You can scuba 278 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:30.039 dive in the morning and explore the the city and take take a tour. 279 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:33.519 You know, in the afternoon, after arriving on Catalina via the ferry, 280 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.079 you can easily make the quarter while walk the quarter Mile Walk along the harbor 281 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.799 into the business district of town. Catalina easily caters to tourists, with a 282 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.799 dizzy amount of shops, restaurants, attractions, tours, rentals and other things, 283 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.400 depending on what you're interested in. You could certainly spend a few days 284 00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:53.319 on the island exploring everything there is to do. There are a few beaches 285 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:57.559 around avalon where you can set up for a beach today and just relaxed after 286 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:03.519 the ocean, including south each Middle Beach, step beach and the Disconso Beach 287 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.480 Club to the north, really unique names. Huh, south, middle and 288 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:12.200 Step Uh. CATTLEAN's beaches, particularly particularly around Avalon, aren't going to be 289 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:17.519 like the huge, wide open sandy beaches that you're probably thinking of Um, 290 00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:21.960 such as Venice or Huntington's UH. These beaches here are pretty short between the 291 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:25.880 water and the concrete walkways and don't feature very much sand and factors, often 292 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.599 rocks. Um. South beach and Middle Beach are also located along the harbor, 293 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:32.319 so you're do. You won't be an endless ocean horizon, but a 294 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:36.880 wide variety of boats and yachts. Lover's cove to the south also has a 295 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:41.240 lot of rocks. Those some great star Queen Um. But the beach is 296 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:45.519 literally step away, steps away from dining, supplies and rentals at nearby vendors. 297 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:48.519 It's also roped off to keep boats out, so you can be rest 298 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.759 assured that you're protected durned, swimming and other water activities. When I went 299 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.599 to cattle in a month ago, I brought my DPM imports at fifteen electric 300 00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:00.759 bike. This beastly one thousand watt motor carried near on the island for at 301 00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:04.559 least twenty miles, but just barely when it came to the surrounding steep hills 302 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:08.759 around avalon. If you are bringing your own bicycle, expect to work out 303 00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:12.119 whether electric or not. You won't necessarily have to bring your own bicycle, 304 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.319 however, because Catalina actually offers a wide variety of rentals be a wide variety 305 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:22.119 of shops. This includes a variety of bicycles, electric bikes and golf carts. 306 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:26.000 In fact, you probably will not see more golf carts in one spot 307 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:30.240 in your entire life than right here in Avalon. Golf carts are the primary 308 00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:34.839 way around for both tourists and resident and really it kind of asked to the 309 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:38.559 laid back resort style vibe you get here. You can have tab rent you 310 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:42.440 can have tame rentals by the hour or for the day, and there's plenty 311 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:47.920 to explore, both an avalon and the surrounding countryside, which offers incredible views 312 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:51.200 of the Pacific and, on a clear day, views of mainly in Los 313 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.319 Angeles and Orange County. On the flip side, you can often see Catalina 314 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:56.839 from the mainland in clear days, from socals endless stretch of beaches, or 315 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:03.720 from the San Gabriel Mountains and the angels national forests. Um. Really the 316 00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:07.759 mountains cop front on the island kind of jet up pretty quickly, you know, 317 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:12.119 to uh, I think, sixteen or eight feet, so it's really 318 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:17.079 steep and once you get up there the views are just wow. Like I 319 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:19.480 said, this is about as close as you're probably you really do you feel 320 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:23.279 like when you come here? You feel like you are in Greece and you 321 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:29.160 just landed on a Greek island in the Mediterranean, and it really does feel 322 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:32.599 like that. The climate is the same, a lot of the architecture is 323 00:23:32.599 --> 00:23:37.440 even the same to some point, UM, although there's kind of a Mexican 324 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:40.559 theme, a little bit to it, you know, uh, tile and 325 00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:44.599 everything else, but it really does feel like like you just traveled to another 326 00:23:44.599 --> 00:23:48.720 country when you come to Catalina. Um. But back to reserving. Just 327 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:53.079 like the tip on reserving early, this absolutely applies to rentals on this island, 328 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:59.039 which usually sell out on each day. Book early, weeks, early 329 00:23:59.079 --> 00:24:03.000 as possible. Trust me on this, but we know things happen. If 330 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:06.240 you can obtain a rental because you booked last minute. We've all been there. 331 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:08.880 Some vendors. Some vendors do rent on a first come, first serve 332 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:12.799 basis. So if that's you, you know, take a look on the 333 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:18.640 websites of some of these rentals and see if you can get a spot on 334 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.799 the ferry as close to the door, extra door, as possible. By 335 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.559 the way, most ferries exit on the left side at the port, most 336 00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:29.279 of them, not all of them, um. So maybe you want to 337 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:32.400 ask the crew and and secure a seat as quick as possible as you can 338 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:36.880 run over there and grab your rental. Otherwise considered rent consider renting an electric 339 00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:41.480 bicycle on the mainland and paying extra to transport it over Um. You can't 340 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:45.079 beat that having your own bike. If you plan on exploring the countryside at 341 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.640 all, you will certainly have to have an electric bicycle to give you the 342 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:52.759 extra power ups deep pills. I think the only exception to this is if 343 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.359 you're a torty France medalist. They get out medals in Torty France. I'm 344 00:24:56.359 --> 00:24:59.920 actually not sure, but you basically need to be in the Olympics or some 345 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.079 thing if you want to climb these hills because it is a workout. These 346 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:07.960 hills are steep and you will be huffing and puff and I sure was on 347 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:11.000 pedal assist five on my thousand water electric bike. Granted, I'm pretty out 348 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:15.839 of shape these days, but still, wow, lots of calories burnt. 349 00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:21.000 There are fruit. There are a few rental shops in Avalon and example, 350 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.279 pricing for cattle on e biking. Um, if you want to run an 351 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:27.400 e bike, it basically costs. It varies, but you might get one 352 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.480 for fifty dollars for a two hour rental, sixty five dollars for a half 353 00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:36.000 day and eighty dollars for a full day. You can easily explore, I 354 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:38.680 want to say, most of the sites within two hours or maybe a half 355 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:41.720 day rental. But if you want to explore every nook and cranny open to 356 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.799 you, the full day rental and maybe what you're looking for, golf court 357 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:48.079 golf carts, naturally, are going to be much more expensive a two hour 358 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:52.960 four personal golf cart rental from Cattalian Island Golf Carts, for example, because 359 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:56.359 a hundred twenty bucks. But there's no quicker way and an easier way to 360 00:25:56.359 --> 00:25:59.640 get around and zip through some of the small streets and make your way at 361 00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:02.599 all the play as you want to go and see. So give and take 362 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:04.759 on the pricing. It all depends on who you're at with and what you're 363 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:10.119 in besides rentals, most of Avalon and its main attractions are easily within walking 364 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:15.039 distance. Probably the only exception to this is the wriggley memorial botanical gardens and 365 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:19.920 because that's definitely a hike, about two miles uphill. Luckily, though, 366 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:25.359 there is a shuttle operated by the Catalian island conservancy and that can take you 367 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:29.759 around a different points, including the Wriggley memorial botanical gardens, and back to 368 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.839 town. The FERRES. Two Bucks each way, not a bad deal to 369 00:26:33.880 --> 00:26:37.279 get up to the wriggley memorial. There are also taxis on the island that 370 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:40.559 could whisk you away on demand to wherever you want to go. So, 371 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:42.799 overall, plenty of transportation options for you to choose from, even on a 372 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:49.039 small seaside town island. Speaking of the Mirgley Memorial, this is definitely a 373 00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:55.200 cannot miss attraction. Located in a sheltered valley about two miles from Avalon, 374 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:00.559 this botanical garden features acres of Channel Island nata plants, SOM of which are 375 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:03.880 found nowhere else on earth, and they're right here for you to view. 376 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:07.200 When I went here, I honestly felt like it was a quest like from 377 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:12.640 an RPG, or that that Greek example that I gave at the very beginning 378 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:17.359 this podcast. It really felt like I was on a pilgrimage to the temple 379 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:21.839 of Wrigley. I was just joking about the Greek God and Patriots State of 380 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:25.519 Catalan at the beginning of this episode, but that's honestly how it felt when 381 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:29.799 I made the Strip. There's one main path that leads past the garden straight 382 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.359 to the regular memorial, but if you have a sense of adventure like me, 383 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:37.839 take the side path to the left that snakes through the garden, crosses 384 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:41.400 over bridges, with you ducking down in many forests and along hillsides before you 385 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:47.240 finally reach the temple. It's not really a temple. I guess it's a 386 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.799 memorial, but once you arrive at the Wrigley Memorial you'll climb another set of 387 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:55.200 marble steps up to the wriggley memorial itself. Most of the memorial is built 388 00:27:55.279 --> 00:28:00.440 with native building material from the from Catalan island. They actually did a rock 389 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:03.559 quarry over it's actually a dive site over on the far south end of the 390 00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:10.000 island, southeast, and that quarry is still there and it's a lot of 391 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:11.960 that stuff landed in the ocean and it makes for, you know, a 392 00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:17.640 lot of tracks, a lot of animals and and reef Um. Once you 393 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:21.680 get to the top of the Wrigley Memorial you'll be rewarded by the journey with 394 00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:26.079 an amazing view of the valley, the city of Avalon and the Pacific Ocean 395 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:29.279 and the distance stretching out to the mainland. It's probably one of the best 396 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:33.160 seats in the house. Tickets to the Wrigley Memorial and botanical gardens are ten 397 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:36.920 dollars for adults, five for children five to twelve, eight for seniors fifty 398 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:42.400 five plus are eight bucks for students thirteen years to college with I d after 399 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:45.759 you're making your way down from the Wrigley Memorial, the day is just getting 400 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:51.240 started. Any tour or any tours of trips outside the city of avalon proper 401 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:56.000 will require permission for the Catalana Conservancy. There are a lot of trails criss 402 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.960 criss crossing the island, but the longest, it's a Trans Catalina trail, 403 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:03.160 a thirty went five mile long trail that transverses the island from south to north, 404 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:06.720 or vice versa. There are many tours and things to do on and 405 00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:10.160 around Catalina and I'm just gonna list off a couple of them here, most 406 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:15.960 of them Um starting with starting with the tourist because, just in case you 407 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:18.240 you want to do one of these things, I want to keep you informed. 408 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:25.559 So, keeping the mind that the vast majority of Catalina is wild and 409 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:30.880 open countryside and that the countryside itself is operated by the Catalan conservancy, you 410 00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:36.000 can't simply walk or drive into the back country without permits or being part of 411 00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:40.000 a tour. Hiking permits, luckily, though, are free based on availability, 412 00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:45.960 but donations are requested. The conservancy also offers guided tykes and tours, 413 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:52.039 particularly around the Wrigley Memorial and its botanical gardens. Bike in the back country 414 00:29:52.039 --> 00:29:53.759 requires a mountain bike and a pass. To obtain a bike pass, you 415 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:57.359 will have to join the Catalan conservanty as a member, which starts at thirty 416 00:29:57.400 --> 00:30:03.119 five bucks. The CATALANA conservacy operates an ECO tour in open air jeeps that 417 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:07.480 will probably probably be the closest thing to drastic park. You're gonna experience Um 418 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:11.079 with the acception of maybe a jeep tour in Hawaii, but you'll gain access 419 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:15.720 to a naturalist, naturalist lad tour that will feature a trip to Catalina. 420 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:19.200 Uh Well, you're on Catalian a trip to parts of Catalina Um that few 421 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:25.000 really get to see. We're including secluded beaches on the west side. Along 422 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.559 the way. You'll learn the history, see unique plants and wildlife, some 423 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:30.079 of which exist nowhere else on earth, and you'll also likely have a chance 424 00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:36.359 to see some of the famous Catalina Bison. So no going all the way 425 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:41.039 yellowstone for that. Come right over the CATALIAN seum. Two hour tours or 426 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:45.680 eighty nine dollars. Three hour tours or a hundred thirty nine dollars. It 427 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:49.400 tours the story Catalan a casino, the huge icon round building that sort of 428 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:56.680 looks like a colosseum, cost thirty adults, thirty one for seniors and children 429 00:30:56.759 --> 00:31:00.599 two to eleven and, uh well, thirty five, thirty one, also 430 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:04.079 for children two to eleven and to and under a free. That's kind of 431 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:14.519 weird prices on one UM. Eighty two, sixteen there's a cattle and a 432 00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:18.599 tild tour that that allows you to basically create your own cattle inspired tile and 433 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:22.839 take them home as a souvenir. Prices Eight, sixteen for adults. There's 434 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.359 a bison specific expedition where you'll take a basically a tour of the back country 435 00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:30.119 looking for the fame bison, along with other wildlife such as foxes and eagles. 436 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:33.960 Um. There's also a Kayak tour to frog rock towards the sixty five 437 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:37.079 bucks for adults, Forty Nine for children, and they last two and a 438 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:41.599 half hours, including orientation and gear fitting. Did you know that fish can 439 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:47.480 fly? Did you know that fly fish called the surrounding waters of cattle in 440 00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:51.480 a home? You could take a fifty minute tour on a purpose built boat 441 00:31:52.119 --> 00:31:57.039 to find and observe these fish. Prices are for adults and discounts for seniors, 442 00:31:57.079 --> 00:32:02.559 active duty military and children are available if you prefer. You can also 443 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:06.480 get a golf cart tour of Avalon and the surrounding areas, as opposed to 444 00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:09.319 running out your own golf court. I will say it's nearly impossible to get 445 00:32:09.319 --> 00:32:13.519 lost in Avalon, but if you want to learn the history of INS and 446 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:16.480 outs of this part of the island with a guided tour. Um, this 447 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:22.960 might fit your bill. I observed several guided tour stop basically where I was, 448 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.720 at the Casino Point Dive Park in between dives, and the tour got 449 00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:30.119 explaining the park and the diving and basically what was going on in general. 450 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:34.400 Um. If you want to stay closer to the ocean, however, there 451 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:37.799 are plenty of things to do. There are semi submersible submarines and glass boats 452 00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:43.680 that offer forty five minute tours of the ocean below prices for adult, children 453 00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:46.160 three through eleven, senior Fi plus and veterans or act duty military as. 454 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:52.079 You also get to see marine life and kilt forest from the depths below without 455 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:54.680 getting wet, and, being what I know about as a dier off the 456 00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:58.759 coast of Catalan, I will say you will see, you will actually get 457 00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:00.920 to see marine life. They do kind of hang out in the Kelp and 458 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:06.279 pretty close to the surface and uh, you'll probably get your money's worth out 459 00:33:06.279 --> 00:33:08.839 of those tours. There's a zip line course here that features five separate zip 460 00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:12.880 lines along with an obstacle course in the sky. Duration is two hours and 461 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:16.559 fifteen minutes and costs a hundred forty eight dollars and forty nine cents. It's 462 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:20.240 weird to have some of these prices include the stands. I know it's probably 463 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:23.480 because of the Catalina basically admission tax and a couple of the different La county 464 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:28.880 taxes, but it's just weird that they don't just round it up. parasailing 465 00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:32.839 will cost you sixty nine for a six foot flight and seventy nine dollars for 466 00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:37.319 it for an eight hundred foot flight for anyone six and up. But if 467 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:40.440 you're terrified of heights you can simply ride along on the boat for bucks. 468 00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:46.440 Guided snorkeling off the coast of the Casino Point Dive Park is sixty dollars for 469 00:33:46.519 --> 00:33:51.359 two hours. With so much to do on Catalina, there are plenty of 470 00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:54.039 overnight options available to you, from camping to quaint dead and breakfast is too 471 00:33:54.680 --> 00:34:00.160 full service four star hotels. Camping is available on Cattlinga through permit by the 472 00:34:00.200 --> 00:34:04.359 cattle in a nature conservancy. There is a large campground near Wrigley Memorial and 473 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:07.519 Botanical Gardens, as well as a dozen and so backcountry campsites, some of 474 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:10.679 which are located in near Coes on the secluded western side of the island. 475 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:15.960 Campsite prices vary based on location in timing, so check with the Nature Conservancy 476 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:20.880 for the latest prices. And, as always, you surely know the running 477 00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:24.639 theme on the podcast here by now. Book early. If you are doing 478 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:29.960 anything in so cal, including pitching a tent on a primitive, secluded island 479 00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:36.239 campsite, you know pretending your Tom Hanks in castaway, book early for that 480 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:42.159 experience. Regarding dining, I have dined at three locations and Catalina so far, 481 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:45.119 technically four, but I cannot remember the first place I eat for the 482 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:49.519 life of me, so we're just gonna go with three. The first place 483 00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:53.119 I ate at was original Jack's country kitchen, which is right. All these 484 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:59.199 places are right on the main boardwalk, basically by the beach um in town, 485 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:05.000 but original Jack's country kitchen offers breakfast and lunch options. On last month's 486 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.239 trip I had a cheeseburger FRY, soda and a bottle of water, which 487 00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:12.480 ran me thirty five dollars and seventy cents, including tip. On this week 488 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:16.079 scuba diving trip, I dined at L Galium Gallium, which is a sailing 489 00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:21.639 ship themed restaurant Um. I had the Irish Nachos, two traditional TAP Burgers, 490 00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:24.920 or just tat Burger Fry, soda and a bottle of water, and 491 00:35:25.079 --> 00:35:31.760 this, with tip, ran me fifty four and two cents. Finally, 492 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:35.880 no trip to Catalian island is complete without a trip to scoop's ice cream, 493 00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:39.519 whose motto is you can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream, 494 00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:44.519 and that's pretty much the same thing. They have a large variety of ice 495 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:49.679 cream and and Gelato and they offer it and, I guess, a variety 496 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:53.440 of options. You can have cups, cones, Waffle Bulls, Um this. 497 00:35:53.679 --> 00:35:57.719 This location, though, is so popular that they usually have a line 498 00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:02.559 out the door and basically down the boardwalk to get in, but definitely worth 499 00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:06.760 it. Fantastic ice cream. So probably some of the best you're gonna have. 500 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:12.119 Um Ice Cream here averages about five or six bucks of scoop. Scoop's 501 00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:15.320 ice cream also features a variety of popular starbucks licensed coffee if you are a 502 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:21.360 starbucks addict. Um. So on Catalina. Catalina is an incorporated city in 503 00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:25.480 Los Angeles County and has a full time, year round basically people living here, 504 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:30.920 as well as weekenders or people that just have rental homes. As such, 505 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:37.119 it has a full service grocery store, hardware store, Sheriff's Department, 506 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:42.639 Substation, Fire Department, so cal Edison, water desalination, de Stalinization and 507 00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:45.880 power plant, trash pickup and or other normal city operations that keep the island 508 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:52.559 in safe, tip top shape for both resident and tourist the lake. WHO. 509 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:55.159 All right, so, as previously stated, this week I returned to 510 00:36:55.199 --> 00:37:00.239 Catalan Catalan island to scuba dive. Get a little cotton mouth here after the 511 00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:06.800 thirty six minutes in the podcast so far, but nothing shot of water can't 512 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:14.320 fix. All right. So scuba diving. There's plenty more too. Um. 513 00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:16.199 There's plenty more to scuba diving than I can go over in a single 514 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:21.679 podcast. That's why there's a whole course on it, but I'm gonna go 515 00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:24.559 over some basics. Um, allow me, if you will, to start 516 00:37:24.559 --> 00:37:28.400 by going over some of the equipment we use in scuba diving real quick, 517 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:30.599 since I we'll be talking about scuba diving jargon for the rest of the podcast 518 00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:37.239 here. So first there's your mask. The mask creates an air pocket in 519 00:37:37.239 --> 00:37:39.760 front of your eyes, which allows them to see clearly underwater. Your Snorkel 520 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:44.280 is also part of your equipment and, even though you're using compressed air to 521 00:37:44.360 --> 00:37:47.159 breathe underwater, if you surface and have a long swit swim back to the 522 00:37:47.199 --> 00:37:51.880 beach or boat um it can be helpful to save air or you might be 523 00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:54.960 just low on air, so having the Snorkel Handy will let you basically just 524 00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:58.599 swim on the surface back to where you need to get where you need to 525 00:37:58.599 --> 00:38:02.360 be. Your BC, which stands for buoyancy control device, is a large 526 00:38:02.519 --> 00:38:07.639 vest or life jacket shaped backpack. This holds a lot of your gear, 527 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:10.320 such as your tank regulator, pressure gauges, dive weights and other items such 528 00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:15.119 as flashlights and dive knives. Most importantly, though, your B CD fills 529 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:19.719 up with air on demand from your scuba tank or releases air from its bladder 530 00:38:19.760 --> 00:38:22.800 at the push of a button, so that you can obtain that all important 531 00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:29.400 neutral buoyancy. Neutral buoyancy means that you neither sink nor sand when underwater, 532 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:34.119 but you can basically control going up or down or side to side by pointing 533 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:37.400 yourself in the direction you want to go and kicking with your fins. Your 534 00:38:37.400 --> 00:38:40.039 Scuba tank is attached to the B C d. These come in a variety 535 00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:44.599 of sizes and material as well as different air types such as oxygen and nitrous. 536 00:38:45.159 --> 00:38:47.320 Attached to your scuba tank are a series of air tubes lovingly called the 537 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:52.400 octopus. These feature your main regulator, your backup a regulator, a connection 538 00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:55.960 for your BCD to receive air and a gauge that, at minimum, will 539 00:38:57.000 --> 00:39:00.039 display how much air you have. Most cages, how here are part that 540 00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:04.800 are part of a typical octopus set up. Include other information such as depth, 541 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:08.480 depth gage, compass and even dive computers built right in. Depending on 542 00:39:08.519 --> 00:39:12.880 where you are diving, you might also wear a wetsuit, wet suits coming 543 00:39:12.920 --> 00:39:15.159 different thickness, going all the way up to a dry suit for diving and 544 00:39:15.199 --> 00:39:21.119 freezing conditions. If diving in tropical locations, such as my favorite tropical location 545 00:39:21.119 --> 00:39:25.159 in the Bahamas, you'll often need just the pair of swim trunks. Typically, 546 00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:29.480 off the coast of so cal, we dive in seven millimeter thick wet 547 00:39:29.559 --> 00:39:31.360 suits. In the summer we can often get away with three millimeter, five 548 00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:37.480 millimeter, depending on ocean temperature. Um so in the winter, gloves and 549 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:42.199 a hood in addition to your wet suit become necessary. As humans, we 550 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:46.760 really aren't designed to swim through the water like mermaids Um so we wear fins 551 00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:50.880 would help you propel quickly through the water, as long as you learn to 552 00:39:50.960 --> 00:39:54.119 kick right with them. There's a there's a method of the madness, essentially, 553 00:39:54.320 --> 00:39:59.239 on how to propel yourself through the water with fins. Fins. Most 554 00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:00.679 people do it wrong with first time, but you're usually taught in an open 555 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:05.800 water class how to do it properly, because we naturally float in water. 556 00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:08.719 On top of the B C D wet suit and compressed air which all which 557 00:40:08.719 --> 00:40:13.079 float, divers actually have to put on dive weights for the ability to go 558 00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:15.480 below the surface. Dive weights need to be fine tuned to the diver and 559 00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:20.039 their equipment. I, for example, have a pack or have to pack 560 00:40:20.119 --> 00:40:23.039 on a healthy thirty two extra pounds of weight before my head will actually sink 561 00:40:23.039 --> 00:40:28.840 below the waves, and sometimes more. Weights are usually attached to a quick 562 00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:31.079 RELEA stight belt or inserted into a B C D itself with a quick pull 563 00:40:31.159 --> 00:40:34.880 mechanism to dump your weights in the event you need to get to the surface 564 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:39.400 now for survival and deal with the potential decompression sickness later. Um, that 565 00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:43.400 that could be a little intimidating too, because when you're walking on the surface, 566 00:40:43.599 --> 00:40:45.559 let's say you're on a dive boat and you put on all your equipment, 567 00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:52.199 you are heavy. You would just like you feel like you a if 568 00:40:52.239 --> 00:40:53.760 you if you never dove before and you're wearing all this. It's like putting 569 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.840 on a ton of weight and getting ready to jump in the water. What 570 00:40:57.880 --> 00:41:00.199 do you think is gonna Happen? It's like, uh, it's like the 571 00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:04.920 mafia put some cement shoes on you. It's about to dump you over the 572 00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.719 side. You're you're gonna think, you know if you probably until the first 573 00:41:09.719 --> 00:41:13.719 time you go on a pool the train. You'RE gonna think I'm gonna sink 574 00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.480 all over the bottom, I'm gonna drown. That's not the case at all. 575 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:20.039 All that extra the B C d, The wet suit, your body, 576 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:22.920 your tank, it's actually gonna float you up. It's heavy on the 577 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:30.400 surface. Once you get in the water it's incredible weightlessness. Um, but 578 00:41:30.760 --> 00:41:35.119 worst case scenario, if the weights are holding you down and you need to 579 00:41:35.159 --> 00:41:37.880 get to the surface, most divers, and you should be doing this, 580 00:41:38.239 --> 00:41:45.119 have basically quick release ability. Basically the ability to dump the weights in a 581 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:47.639 hurry and get to the surface, which could cause medical problems later, but 582 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:53.079 obviously oxygen comes first in this case. Um also, I consider a good 583 00:41:53.119 --> 00:42:00.800 dive nice absolutely mandatory equipment on any dive. But a dive knife is not 584 00:42:00.880 --> 00:42:06.280 there to fight off jaws or Russian spits, NAS divers and filtrating Laguna Beach. 585 00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:09.000 The dive knife of the dive knife is there to cut your way out 586 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:14.639 of an otherwise fatal situation, such as fishing line. Fortunately, I have 587 00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:17.400 never been stuck in a fishing line underwater, but I have been caught up 588 00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:22.000 and kelt before. Luckily for me, Kelp is easily to it is easy 589 00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:24.440 to break off and for yourself. As much as I hate destroying kelp when 590 00:42:24.480 --> 00:42:29.679 I can't easily untangle myself, it beats fighting in underwater and potentially panicking over 591 00:42:29.719 --> 00:42:35.199 it. Finally, there's a trusty dive watch, probably one of the most 592 00:42:35.199 --> 00:42:39.159 expensive items on the scuba gear here. This device displays a number of important 593 00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:43.519 data points during your dives, such as your depth, water temperature, dive 594 00:42:43.559 --> 00:42:46.119 time and Dyel time, which is how long you should die before needing a 595 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:51.519 safety stop before reaching the surface. To prevent you from getting a decompression, 596 00:42:51.519 --> 00:42:55.320 sickness and more Um, optional accessories include cameras, flashlights or done se Gere, 597 00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:00.280 etcetera. Now, scuba diving is not for everyone. I know many 598 00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:04.519 people have a fear of open water or being dozens of people of the surface 599 00:43:04.679 --> 00:43:08.239 with your only lifeline being a high pressure gas cylinder under back. Some people 600 00:43:08.280 --> 00:43:14.440 fear sharks or other potentially dangerous sea life in the ocean. I know if 601 00:43:14.440 --> 00:43:17.559 you search for shark attacks diver or diver fights off shark on Youtube right now 602 00:43:19.320 --> 00:43:23.400 there are plenty of videos that seemed to reinforce this notion that the film jaws 603 00:43:23.480 --> 00:43:28.840 was simply a public service announced me by Steven Spielberg to give back to the 604 00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:36.559 community and save as many lives as possible. Well, it's not. Jaws 605 00:43:36.679 --> 00:43:45.239 is a complete, full, complete h work of fiction. Most of you 606 00:43:45.280 --> 00:43:51.079 probably know that. But Um, that movie terrorized the whole generation of people 607 00:43:52.440 --> 00:43:55.280 and maybe that's why scoopad hyping take off. Until you know, much later. 608 00:43:55.960 --> 00:44:01.639 Um, but if you haven't googled shark attacks diarry yet, when you 609 00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:07.480 do, I want you to notice something about virtually each video you're witnessing. 610 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:12.920 What are the divers doing when the shark comes out and starts acting aggressive? 611 00:44:13.880 --> 00:44:15.719 And I don't mean what are the divers doing something wrong? I mean what 612 00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:22.280 sub activity in diving are they participating in? Are they allegedly diving to explore 613 00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:29.239 coral or documentcy life, or are they spear fishing? The answer is spear 614 00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:36.639 fishing. I have watched dozens and dozens and dozens of these videos and almost 615 00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:40.440 in every single video they were spear fishing. Now, spear fishing creates some 616 00:44:40.519 --> 00:44:45.400 blood in the water, obviously, and that sharks have just an absolute incredible 617 00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:50.079 sense of smell for blood Um, which is why you know when you're when 618 00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:53.519 when people are fishing for shark or they're they're trying to attract sharks for whatever 619 00:44:53.559 --> 00:44:58.440 reason, that they're a chum in the water and that brings the sharks out 620 00:44:58.440 --> 00:45:04.079 pretty quick Um. So the sharks are drawn to the fish and the blood 621 00:45:04.760 --> 00:45:07.840 and they're not trying to kill the diver. They just want an easy lunch 622 00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:13.280 of fish. That means the shark is not attacking the human, is it? 623 00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:16.360 Yes, there are exceptions, as always, but while you're at it, 624 00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:20.320 why don't you search for some of the other so called bloodthirsty killers in 625 00:45:20.360 --> 00:45:23.199 the ocean. Um, search for, I don't know, search for divers, 626 00:45:23.239 --> 00:45:28.639 ones with great white shark or diving with killer wells. You might be 627 00:45:28.679 --> 00:45:31.039 surprised at how gentle these creatures really are when they are not confused as to 628 00:45:31.079 --> 00:45:34.719 whether you are a, let's say, a surfer around on the surface and 629 00:45:34.760 --> 00:45:38.639 an all black wet suit, looking like a seal or something else. Um. 630 00:45:38.679 --> 00:45:42.960 The few attacks that do occur often mistaken identity, as most sharks typically 631 00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:46.000 have poor eyesight. Seriously, folks, Steven Spielberg, for always being scared 632 00:45:46.119 --> 00:45:50.639 the crap out of a lot of people. Um, and we as divers 633 00:45:50.679 --> 00:45:52.639 have a lot of work. Did you show people that it's safe to get 634 00:45:52.679 --> 00:45:55.639 into the water? Keep in mind I'm not a marine biologist. Feel free 635 00:45:55.639 --> 00:45:59.960 to fact check the fall on this podcast. Do a couple of Google searches 636 00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:02.440 so or Youtube video searchs if you want. Um, I think you'll find 637 00:46:02.440 --> 00:46:07.239 it's accurate. Granted, also, I'm a fairly new diver with only twenty 638 00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:10.559 dives under my weight belt, but I've met plenty enough senior scuba divers, 639 00:46:10.599 --> 00:46:15.840 including the famous Doctor Bill Bushing, to know that scuba diving, if the 640 00:46:15.840 --> 00:46:20.960 proper training and precautions are calculated. Is a very safe sport. All that 641 00:46:21.079 --> 00:46:24.920 said, things can and do go wrong, just like any equipment dive. 642 00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:30.239 Equipment does fail or other hazards in the water can create problems. And just 643 00:46:30.360 --> 00:46:35.800 like any scenario or training, UM, when you do an open water dive 644 00:46:35.840 --> 00:46:39.159 classroom or beyond, you will go through training scenarios and what to do if 645 00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:43.719 things do go wrong. For every problem that can occur, there's always a 646 00:46:43.719 --> 00:46:47.159 solution in this in the in scuba diving, for starters, the overwhelming vast 647 00:46:47.199 --> 00:46:52.119 majority of scuba divers use the buddy system, and that includes me. This 648 00:46:52.159 --> 00:46:55.119 solves the vast majority of problems immediately because you have a buddy there that can 649 00:46:55.119 --> 00:47:00.719 help you untangle you Um, give you some spare air get to the surface. 650 00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:06.119 Um Buddy system is very important. Some people do practice solo diving, 651 00:47:06.599 --> 00:47:14.480 but I would say us do do buddy diving. So if you're regulator regulator 652 00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:20.639 fails. So if you're regulator fails, the part that divers put in their 653 00:47:20.679 --> 00:47:23.760 mouth to breathe oxygen, then you have a backup regulator of standard equipment on 654 00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:30.400 the octopus. If your oxygen tank stops giving oxygen for some freak accident. 655 00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:35.159 Reason, you share used in the buddy system with your your buddy spare regulator. 656 00:47:35.840 --> 00:47:38.880 If something happens to you in the water where you become incapacitated or, 657 00:47:38.960 --> 00:47:42.840 like I said earlier, you get stuck in some kind of line, uh, 658 00:47:43.039 --> 00:47:45.320 your buddy is trained to bring you to the surface or cut you free. 659 00:47:46.039 --> 00:47:50.679 Patty, along with other dive training organizations, prepare each diver with the 660 00:47:50.679 --> 00:47:54.519 basic skills needed in the classroom and a pull before they cut you loose in 661 00:47:54.559 --> 00:47:59.960 the ocean. For example, if you're if your mask floods with water, 662 00:48:00.119 --> 00:48:02.400 as mine typically does, with a mustache, you'll learn how to clear the 663 00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:08.400 mask and do it underwater. It's easier than you might think. If your 664 00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:12.519 regulator gets knocked out of your mouth, let's say your buddy accidentally kicks it 665 00:48:12.840 --> 00:48:15.880 out while he's trying to swim away from you and it swings behind you where 666 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:19.480 you can't reach. And Trust me, when you have all this gear on, 667 00:48:19.639 --> 00:48:22.360 the B C D and everything, you cannot reach behind you. So 668 00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:28.199 if that regulator reaches behind you, or let's just say swings behind you, 669 00:48:28.639 --> 00:48:31.280 uh, it's not a death sentence. There is a process for leading to 670 00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:35.920 your side and retrieving it with a scoop method and it works every time. 671 00:48:37.159 --> 00:48:39.360 There's also a whole host of utter underwater dive signals you'll learn, since you 672 00:48:39.400 --> 00:48:44.719 can't talk underwater. Thumbs up means it doesn't mean you're good, it means 673 00:48:44.880 --> 00:48:47.599 let's go to the surface. The okay symbol with your thumb and index finger 674 00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:52.440 means you are good. Other underwater communications include danger, something is wrong. 675 00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:58.320 How much air do you have, or the all important out of air need 676 00:48:58.400 --> 00:49:02.719 to share. In the end, only you can make that determination if it's 677 00:49:02.800 --> 00:49:07.440 right for you or what you're comfortable with. ME, for example, I 678 00:49:07.480 --> 00:49:14.679 will absolutely never, ever, not for fifty dollars or otherwise, ever cave 679 00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:21.679 dive ever, and I also won't dive any further than a fet, preferring 680 00:49:21.760 --> 00:49:25.559 to stay usually around sixty FT in most cases. Um in either situation, 681 00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:30.239 I am just not comfortable with not having immediate access to the surface should I 682 00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:34.559 need it. And those do you think that I'm crazy for scuba diving. 683 00:49:35.159 --> 00:49:37.559 I feel the absolute the same way about those that cave dive. No offense 684 00:49:37.639 --> 00:49:42.800 you cave divers out there at all, but sometimes going, you know, 685 00:49:42.920 --> 00:49:45.840 in a cave for miles and miles on end, with no hope or recourse 686 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:47.840 if something goes wrong in the middle of a dive. That's just not for 687 00:49:47.960 --> 00:49:52.599 me. That first time I jumped off a boat in the sixt of open 688 00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:58.920 water with nothing but a classroom and Um, with nothing but classroom and eight 689 00:49:58.920 --> 00:50:02.039 foot poll time. Um, I was really intimidated, for sure. It 690 00:50:02.119 --> 00:50:06.239 was just one of those barriers that you have to one of those fears you 691 00:50:06.280 --> 00:50:09.480 have to face and overcome, man and you can do it and people do 692 00:50:09.519 --> 00:50:14.599 it every day. But once you do it there's often no going back. 693 00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:20.000 Um. Scuba diving is a magical experience, especially if you are interested in 694 00:50:20.039 --> 00:50:23.960 marine biology or ocean or oceanography. Keeping in mind seventy percent of our earth 695 00:50:24.039 --> 00:50:29.880 is water. By not scuba diving you're kind of reliated tot of the Earth 696 00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:34.840 during your time here. When you really think about it, have you ever 697 00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:38.440 wanted to fly? I think we've all thought about that or might have had 698 00:50:38.480 --> 00:50:45.400 a dream or two on flying or having the ability to fly. Scuba diving, 699 00:50:45.400 --> 00:50:50.880 the best way I can describe it is like flying. As mentioned earlier, 700 00:50:50.880 --> 00:50:55.280 one important skill scuba divers have is to master neutral buoyancy by calculating the 701 00:50:55.280 --> 00:51:00.000 correct amount of weight to take with you, along with the buoyancy of other 702 00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:02.039 items. So there's your body, what suit and B C D or Boy 703 00:51:02.079 --> 00:51:07.280 and C control device. You Literally Obtain Zero gravity or, as we call 704 00:51:07.320 --> 00:51:13.559 it in scuba diving, neutral buoyancy. With futral buoyancy mastered, I can 705 00:51:13.639 --> 00:51:16.440 fly around or a reef, through a Kelp forest or along with other fish. 706 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:22.119 Um. Scuba divers are largely trained to leave aquatic life alone, but 707 00:51:22.199 --> 00:51:25.320 sometimes curious aquatic life will come out and play with you. This is especially 708 00:51:25.320 --> 00:51:31.480 true of California Sea Lions and even more true of young California Sea Lion pups. 709 00:51:32.599 --> 00:51:37.079 There is a Popular Sea Lion Rock at short distance out in the ocean 710 00:51:37.119 --> 00:51:42.760 that divers often like to swim to. That usually features sea lions swimming and 711 00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:45.199 going about their day. The young PUPS and the sea lion colony are often 712 00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:49.760 very curious about divers, and we'll even come out and play with you. 713 00:51:49.800 --> 00:51:52.440 By the way, this is off of the coast of Laguna Beach, I 714 00:51:52.440 --> 00:51:59.440 believe, Crescent Bay Um. And by play I mean they'll try to steal 715 00:51:59.480 --> 00:52:02.559 your stork or your fin, swim away and turn back towards you with an 716 00:52:02.639 --> 00:52:07.679 end's mouth. Yes, there have been documented cases of sea lions pups trolling 717 00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:10.800 divers like this, but they're not trying to drown you, they're just trying 718 00:52:10.800 --> 00:52:15.400 to play. They're literally playing with you. Um. Then the big intimidating 719 00:52:15.400 --> 00:52:20.480 bull jumps in the Water and inspects you and your entourage. Usually he's just 720 00:52:20.519 --> 00:52:23.119 making sure his pups are okay. Once he determines you're not a threat, 721 00:52:23.159 --> 00:52:27.039 you know, usually all right, you know, tell us the kids to 722 00:52:27.199 --> 00:52:29.559 be back home before the street lights come on, and jumps back up and 723 00:52:29.519 --> 00:52:32.239 it takes a nap. But occasionally he'll get in your face and start barking 724 00:52:32.280 --> 00:52:36.760 underwater. He won't attack you, but he'll kind of give you a hint. 725 00:52:36.840 --> 00:52:38.719 Hey, maybe maybe you should go explore another part of the reef, 726 00:52:38.760 --> 00:52:42.760 you know. And Uh, I'm kind of annoyed with you guys in the 727 00:52:42.800 --> 00:52:45.800 area right now. So you know that means it's time to head out and 728 00:52:45.880 --> 00:52:50.800 leave his offspring alone for the day. It just depends on what the bull 729 00:52:50.800 --> 00:52:54.039 wants. He's in charge, not you. It's his it's his colony and 730 00:52:54.119 --> 00:52:59.719 his reef. Um. Now I am a patty open water diver. However, 731 00:52:59.840 --> 00:53:02.480 however, because it's been so long since I last dove, I did 732 00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:07.159 take part in something called Patty reactivate, which basically let you go through the 733 00:53:07.159 --> 00:53:10.400 basics again in an online course and then work on skills in a pulse so 734 00:53:10.440 --> 00:53:15.559 that you are comfortable jumping back in the ocean. This was very important as 735 00:53:15.599 --> 00:53:19.199 there was definitely a few skill skills I was resting on that I needed to 736 00:53:19.199 --> 00:53:22.400 remember, as any of US would be after ten years. The most important 737 00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:28.239 skill at scuba diving is not to hold your breath, but arguably the second 738 00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.800 most important skill is not to inflate your B C d going back to the 739 00:53:30.840 --> 00:53:37.199 surface win resurfacing. If you add air to your BCD, you'll start to 740 00:53:37.280 --> 00:53:40.280 rise faster and faster before shooting up like a rocket at the end as there 741 00:53:40.360 --> 00:53:45.639 is less weight from the water above you. This is a horrible situation, 742 00:53:45.679 --> 00:53:51.239 not because you're trying to imitate a Paul Levin, but because of decompression sickness, 743 00:53:51.360 --> 00:53:53.119 or the bends, as its nickname, especially if you've been on a 744 00:53:53.159 --> 00:53:59.639 deeper dive. Um, the bend is definitely a serious medical uh. Sometimes 745 00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:04.400 am to see that really you need to get to a hospital and, more 746 00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:10.199 more importantly, a decompression chamber to basically get you back to normal. Um, 747 00:54:10.239 --> 00:54:14.199 I'll let you google decompression sickness if you want to know more about that. 748 00:54:14.239 --> 00:54:17.519 But it does happen to divers all the time who are ascend too quickly. 749 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:25.199 So so as a train diver you're trained to release their from your BCD 750 00:54:25.280 --> 00:54:29.079 slowly as you have stand to the surface. Once you're reach the surface, 751 00:54:29.159 --> 00:54:31.599 you can fill your BCD with there to help keep you a flow. So, 752 00:54:31.679 --> 00:54:36.760 all that said, thanks for hanging with me through my mini Scuba class. 753 00:54:37.840 --> 00:54:40.760 And I'm not an instructor, so do not this is all just for 754 00:54:42.079 --> 00:54:46.000 entertainment purposes. But let's talk scuba diving and specifically, and finally, diving 755 00:54:46.039 --> 00:54:53.400 off side of Carolina Island. Now, what's officially known as the Casino Point 756 00:54:53.480 --> 00:54:59.400 Dive Park and known to diving veterans all over southern California as the Doctor Bill 757 00:54:59.480 --> 00:55:04.360 Bushing Ive Park, is an underwater dive park located off the coast of Catalina 758 00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:07.199 on the north side of Avalon. The Dive Park is called the Casino Point 759 00:55:07.239 --> 00:55:12.719 Dive Park because it's located next to the world famous casino building that we talked 760 00:55:12.719 --> 00:55:17.400 about a little earlier. Um, basically, if you if you Google Catalina, 761 00:55:19.800 --> 00:55:23.239 almost every picture will have the casino building in it, the big round 762 00:55:23.280 --> 00:55:29.519 building cow looks like your colisseum from Rome. Um. The dive park was 763 00:55:29.559 --> 00:55:32.679 first established in nineteen sixty two and it's the first nonprofit underwater dive park in 764 00:55:32.679 --> 00:55:37.519 the country, if not the world. It has a few features that make 765 00:55:37.519 --> 00:55:40.440 it special and draws divers not just from all over the southwest but really around 766 00:55:40.440 --> 00:55:46.119 the globe. I've met people from Australia here and I've seen people from England 767 00:55:46.119 --> 00:55:52.519 here. UH, just incredible. The park has a concrete and metal handrail 768 00:55:52.519 --> 00:55:55.159 staircase that allows you quick and easy access to the water, so you don't 769 00:55:55.159 --> 00:55:59.400 have to fight the surf like you wouldn't the beach dive Um. It's also 770 00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:02.599 buoyed off with rope to keep boats and other non non human powered vehicles out 771 00:56:02.599 --> 00:56:07.400 of the out of the area is to protect the divers and snorkelers. The 772 00:56:07.440 --> 00:56:09.719 park is about two point five acres in size and is as deep as ninety 773 00:56:10.239 --> 00:56:15.039 which is large enough to do several dives without covering the same area more than 774 00:56:15.119 --> 00:56:19.920 once. Further, because it's on Catalina and off the mainland, abundant sea 775 00:56:19.960 --> 00:56:23.280 life likes to flock to this area um because of the low surf and pllution 776 00:56:23.320 --> 00:56:28.800 free environment. Water temperature ranges from seven to seventy four degrees in the summer 777 00:56:28.800 --> 00:56:31.800 and fifty five to fifty nine degrees in the winter, and visibility is some 778 00:56:31.840 --> 00:56:36.599 of the best. And so califern diving because of the dive park and has 779 00:56:36.639 --> 00:56:39.800 strict laws on the taking a fish and other animals. Plants and marine life 780 00:56:39.800 --> 00:56:45.880 flock to this park in huge numbers, including giant Kelp forests. There there's 781 00:56:45.880 --> 00:56:49.599 a little bit of something for everyone here and many students come to the dive 782 00:56:49.679 --> 00:56:53.800 park as their first really as their first dive, as you know, to 783 00:56:53.840 --> 00:57:00.480 get certified as new open water divers. From Mysterious Kelp forest to rocky outcrops 784 00:57:00.519 --> 00:57:04.119 the sandy bottoms, there really is something for all skills and abilities here. 785 00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:09.320 Now we we dive not just to experience the magic of flying underwater but to 786 00:57:09.400 --> 00:57:15.719 see ocean life, and there is a fantastic sampling of what you might see 787 00:57:15.719 --> 00:57:20.760 anywhere and so cal off the coast if you're diving. Giant Kelp is one 788 00:57:20.800 --> 00:57:24.440 of the fastest growing plants on earth and it's so abundant here in areas it's 789 00:57:24.440 --> 00:57:31.159 no wonder groups of them are called and nicknamed Kelp forests. Um If you 790 00:57:31.159 --> 00:57:35.000 ever look up photos of Kelp forests you'll see what I mean. It's just 791 00:57:35.159 --> 00:57:39.480 it's almost like a fairytale, magical experience, just swimming through a giant Kelp 792 00:57:39.559 --> 00:57:45.239 forest with fish everywhere. Speaking of fish, if you OFFICI will see here 793 00:57:45.280 --> 00:57:50.079 include the Garabaldi that we talked about earlier, which is the giant goldfish looking 794 00:57:50.679 --> 00:57:57.039 fish that is the state of California's official marine at Mammal, not mammal animal. 795 00:57:57.960 --> 00:58:01.960 You also see Kelp Bass, which blend in almost perfectly with Kelt Senorita 796 00:58:02.000 --> 00:58:07.280 fish, sheep, had OPALI, blacksmith molluks, nudi branches, Angel Sharks, 797 00:58:07.320 --> 00:58:12.199 Bat Ray's Guitar Fish, Halibut, lobsters, abalone, octopuses, Moray 798 00:58:12.239 --> 00:58:16.320 eels and Leopard Sharks. The largest ficial she here is the star of the 799 00:58:16.360 --> 00:58:22.559 dive park itself, the giant Black Sea bass. Giant Black Sea bass can 800 00:58:22.599 --> 00:58:25.280 get to over eight ft long and weigh as much as five sixty two pounds 801 00:58:25.400 --> 00:58:30.079 and kilt forest giant sea bass. Giant Black Sea bass usual the Apex Predator. 802 00:58:30.960 --> 00:58:35.440 I was fortunate enough to see a giant Black Sea bass on my eighth 803 00:58:35.480 --> 00:58:39.239 dive, which was here at the dive Park Um in two thousand twelve. 804 00:58:40.320 --> 00:58:45.079 There's even four shipwrecks here and an underwater underwater plaque honoring the father of scuba 805 00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:52.800 diving, Jacques Cousteau, who invented the Acoalon, which is essentially the first 806 00:58:52.880 --> 00:58:59.480 open circuit scuba dive device. Scuba is short for self contained underwater. Bring 807 00:58:59.519 --> 00:59:05.320 the apple, by the way. Scuba self contained underwater breathing apparatus. If 808 00:59:05.360 --> 00:59:07.960 you're not sure you would like scuba diving, I would try to look for 809 00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:14.599 a Tri Scuba program near you. Most Organizations Scuba later organization organizations offer some 810 00:59:14.719 --> 00:59:17.719 sort of some form of this in one way or the other, and basically 811 00:59:17.719 --> 00:59:22.519 it allows you to try scuba diving in the safety of a pool with well 812 00:59:22.559 --> 00:59:27.239 trained dive Masters and instructors to see what it's like to be underwater and breathe 813 00:59:27.239 --> 00:59:29.880 and see if you're comfortable with it and if you would have fun doing it 814 00:59:29.920 --> 00:59:35.440 in the ocean. Um this certainly won't Allie to dive in the ocean by 815 00:59:35.480 --> 00:59:37.719 doing the Tri Scuba program but it will give you a feel for if it's 816 00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:42.679 something you want to pursue and you know, help you save money because if, 817 00:59:42.719 --> 00:59:45.639 obviously you're buying all the expensive equipment and gear and training and then you 818 00:59:45.639 --> 00:59:50.840 get to the ocean you're like, I'm not doing this, then you can 819 00:59:50.880 --> 00:59:54.199 figure it out and the try scuba program instead of out in the ocean. 820 00:59:55.639 --> 01:00:01.039 Uh, if you are certain you don't want to scuba dive Um but don't 821 01:00:01.079 --> 01:00:06.079 mind swimming in the ocean, the dive park is wide open to snorkelers as 822 01:00:06.119 --> 01:00:09.199 well. A shop near the dive park rents out masks, snorkels and fins 823 01:00:09.519 --> 01:00:14.719 so that you can swim around. Because the water is so clear around the 824 01:00:14.719 --> 01:00:19.199 dive park on most days you'll be able to look down on basically everything that 825 01:00:19.239 --> 01:00:22.360 I can see when I scuba dive, all the flora and fauna that we've 826 01:00:22.360 --> 01:00:28.280 talked about so far above um or from above. When I went to the 827 01:00:28.280 --> 01:00:30.800 dive park this week there were actually more snorkelers than divers, which I thought 828 01:00:30.840 --> 01:00:35.800 was pretty cool. And even though I had a diving equipment went diving. 829 01:00:36.280 --> 01:00:38.639 After I was finished diving, I went snorkeling for a while just for fun. 830 01:00:39.639 --> 01:00:43.679 The dive park is well patrolled by a veteran divers, most of which 831 01:00:43.719 --> 01:00:47.320 are CPR and riscue certified and lifeguards and firefighters frequent, frequently stopped by, 832 01:00:47.440 --> 01:00:52.119 so it's very safe and if something goes wrong, help is usually steps away. 833 01:00:52.039 --> 01:00:57.800 Last thing I want to mention about the Casino Point Dive Park is is 834 01:00:57.840 --> 01:01:01.079 that, basically I support a grass streets effort to rename the dive park from 835 01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:06.440 the Casino Point Dive Park to the Doctor Bill bushing dive park. And here's 836 01:01:06.480 --> 01:01:09.079 why. I've heard about this man, the myth, the legend from various 837 01:01:09.079 --> 01:01:14.000 dive community veterans, but I actually got to meet him between dives one and 838 01:01:14.079 --> 01:01:17.880 two on my first visit to the Casino Point Dive Park. Doctor Bill bushing 839 01:01:17.960 --> 01:01:24.400 unfortunately passed away in December from cancer, but he was essentially a living legend 840 01:01:24.400 --> 01:01:29.880 in the dive community. He produced a video podcast series called dive drive with 841 01:01:29.960 --> 01:01:32.960 Dr Bill, which is still available on his website, star thrower dot com 842 01:01:34.639 --> 01:01:37.599 s t a R T H R o w e r Dot Org. Correction, 843 01:01:37.639 --> 01:01:43.559 Dot Org, starthrower Dot Org and u. He was considered a really 844 01:01:43.559 --> 01:01:47.719 a world renown dive expert. His doctor it wasn't in medicine but marine ecology 845 01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:52.400 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he was also an undergraduate 846 01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:58.400 of Harvard University. I mean this guy have been scuba diving for so long, 847 01:02:00.039 --> 01:02:02.639 in fact before scuba diving was even really a thing, and his only 848 01:02:02.679 --> 01:02:08.480 instructions when he got in the water was one line, don't hold your breath. 849 01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:15.400 He dove and film not just with diving pioneers like Richard C Murphy, 850 01:02:15.480 --> 01:02:21.239 Dr Sylvia Earle, Dr Milton loved, Dr Guy Harvey and Marine Artists Wiland, 851 01:02:21.719 --> 01:02:27.119 but even the son of the father of diving off together, Um Jean 852 01:02:27.719 --> 01:02:34.119 Jean Mitchell Zakasto, Sekasto. Sorry, I'm trying to I don't speak French, 853 01:02:34.159 --> 01:02:37.760 Rabel, but his son, the father of diving. He lives in 854 01:02:37.800 --> 01:02:43.119 Santa Barbara, uh, the father of modern diving, and he was really 855 01:02:43.159 --> 01:02:45.880 good friends with them and always went diving with him all the time. I 856 01:02:45.960 --> 01:02:51.280 just checked his before this podcast. I checked Dr Bills Um dive lot record, 857 01:02:51.320 --> 01:02:57.159 which numbers living thirty six hundred dives, the vast majority of which were 858 01:02:57.199 --> 01:03:00.760 in Catalian Island, and the vast majority of that we're at the dive park 859 01:03:01.159 --> 01:03:07.400 where I went. He literally, not figuratively, literally, devoted his entire 860 01:03:07.440 --> 01:03:10.840 life through the ocean, specifically between organisms and their environment, environmental management and 861 01:03:10.880 --> 01:03:15.400 the ecological restoration of regions impacted by human activity. The least we can do 862 01:03:15.440 --> 01:03:21.239 to honor Doctor Bill is renamed the Casino Point Dive Park to the Doctor Bill 863 01:03:21.280 --> 01:03:25.119 bushing dive park, where he would have dove thousands of times. Um, 864 01:03:25.159 --> 01:03:29.639 where he did dive thousands of times and he would have dope dove thousands of 865 01:03:29.679 --> 01:03:32.119 times more if he if he had the ability to. At this point. 866 01:03:32.719 --> 01:03:37.079 Um, he was there all the time. He educated thousands of divers, 867 01:03:37.119 --> 01:03:39.440 from students to veterans, on its shore. Uh. Photos will be on 868 01:03:39.440 --> 01:03:43.599 the website, by the way, one in scale dot com. Um, 869 01:03:43.639 --> 01:03:49.239 I'll have photos of him and uh, of me getting to meet him. 870 01:03:49.360 --> 01:03:54.519 Um. So final thoughts here on my most recent trip to Catalina. If 871 01:03:54.519 --> 01:04:00.239 you live in socall and you have not visited yet, it's absolutely worth at 872 01:04:00.320 --> 01:04:03.400 a day trip of your time. But you can easily stretch out of Catalina 873 01:04:03.440 --> 01:04:06.760 trip into a few days. If you don't live in so callenda just visiting, 874 01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:11.199 you can add Sata Sada, Catalina Island, to your itinerary for a 875 01:04:11.280 --> 01:04:15.039 day. Uh. Boats usually leave out there first thing in the morning. 876 01:04:15.079 --> 01:04:17.000 They come back in the evening or if you want to come back earlier in 877 01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:20.679 the afternoon, you can spend a whole day exploring, you know, this 878 01:04:20.800 --> 01:04:26.039 unique treasure off our coast. And there really is something for everyone here. 879 01:04:26.360 --> 01:04:29.119 Really, I know I say that a lot, but it's true. Here 880 01:04:29.480 --> 01:04:32.119 it's hiking, camping, backpacking, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, boating, 881 01:04:32.119 --> 01:04:38.679 shopping, exploring on golf cars or bicycles, museum adventure. So give 882 01:04:38.719 --> 01:04:43.599 it a consider, all right, folks. Well, one last thing here. 883 01:04:44.000 --> 01:04:45.960 As always, I kind of trying to like to give a hint of 884 01:04:45.039 --> 01:04:49.960 where I'm going next week. Um, I know we were a little Hollywood 885 01:04:49.960 --> 01:04:55.400 heavy, so I'm happy to report that we're not. I'm not going back 886 01:04:55.400 --> 01:04:59.400 to Hollywood. Yeah, anyways, but I am one another little road trip 887 01:05:00.079 --> 01:05:03.719 and uh, I'll let this Pan Piano rendition of this famous song give you 888 01:05:03.719 --> 01:05:08.320 a little hint and we'll see you in episode eight. Thanks a lot for 889 01:05:08.360 --> 01:05:11.960 listening, guys, and thanks for putting up through my little scuba diving class. 890 01:05:12.159 --> 01:05:15.719 I know I could have just basically run through what the dive park was 891 01:05:15.800 --> 01:05:20.000 like and everything else, but Um, for those of you out there that 892 01:05:20.079 --> 01:05:25.159 are have considered scuba diving or thought about it. Um, I want to 893 01:05:25.199 --> 01:05:29.000 give you a little few basics on basically what I thought before I did it, 894 01:05:29.400 --> 01:05:31.679 what it was like to do to learn it and basically now, what's 895 01:05:31.679 --> 01:05:35.000 it like to go do it? Um, if you want to fly, 896 01:05:38.199 --> 01:05:42.079 that's one way to do it. That's it feels like you're flying when you 897 01:05:42.119 --> 01:05:45.840 go underwater and you obtain neutral buoyancy. All Right, folks, I'm gonna 898 01:05:45.920 --> 01:05:49.960 let this piano rendition give you a hint of where I'm going next. See 899 01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:55.840 you next week in episode eight and uh, see you on my road trip, 900 01:05:57.280 --> 01:06:54.760 oh by now. Thanks for listening, folks. Please visit the website 901 01:06:55.119 --> 01:06:59.800 one day in socal dot com and if you enjoyed this podcast, consider it's 902 01:06:59.800 --> 01:07:01.480 just I mean, feel free to leave me tips and Info on how I 903 01:07:01.519 --> 01:07:11.840 can improve. Thanks again. Back the blue, M H