"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function."
Dr. Albert A. Bartlett
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| Snorkeling in Catalina |
The history of the island indicates that the
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the Island knowing then as
Pimugna or Pimu. Then during the European exploration era, the Spaniards discovered the island and declared their subordination to the Spanish empire in October
1542. The explorer
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on the island and he named it San Salvador after his ship.The subordination of the island moved to Mexico in 1602 after they declared their independence from the Spanish Empire . The Island was rediscovered by another Spanish explorer,
Sebastián Vizcaíno, on the same day of St. Catherine day and so he renamed the island to St. Catherine and the the name evolved over the years till it settled to Catalina.
The native residents of the island were completely gone by the end of the 1800s. Later, it was used as a camp site for
American, Russian, and Japanese Otter and Seal hunters. Also, due to the short distance from California, illegal
Chinese immigrants' smugglers used it for their smuggling purposes.
The island now is considered a resort community owned mostly by the
Catalina Island Conservancy. It has more than 20 hotels and Yacht clubs all over the island. Other landmarks includes the Casino and the museum. Enjoy this five min. video that will take you to the important stops of Catalina (
Select Here)
