Catalina Islands - Kelp Forest & Sea Lions
Catalina is famous for 3 things:
- Kelp Forests
- Garibadli Fish
- and, five varities of cheese on every meal
The Garibaldi fish itself is famous for 2 things:
- Being the most orange fish in the world
- Being the only fish ever to have invented a biscuit
San Diego to Long Beach, CA : about 100 miles in hire car. Al drove, Esther mis-directed. Took about 3 hrs (how could that have happened?). Long Beach to Catalina: Catalina Express ferry, 1hr, caught it by the skin of our teeth!
Catalina is a quaint tourist island. Very few cars, loads of golf bugies. Is seems to be the retirement / tourist marina for LA (equivalent of Cowes or the Hamble?). Very clean, well kept, e.g. ceramic mosaics on the benches lining the prom. All houses & shop fronts well kept & newly painted. Feels a bit like it’s a backdrop for TV. Can’t move for cafes, restaurants, bars & ice-creameries....
We’re here for the seals, sea lions (but they are very standoffish), kelp forests and garibaldi (the orange ones in the pictures). We’re staying on land for this one, doing a mixture of shore dives & day trips on the dive boat.