Catalina Island Wildlife

The Orange Garibaldi, official fish of state of California and abundant along the shores of Catalina Island.

Catalina Island is home to an abundance of natural wildlife, both on land and in the ocean. Not only will visitors to Catalina Island truly feel like they are on an island and wonder how LA is only 22 miles in the distance and not notice, this feel is compounded by the beautiful and diverse natural habitats that reside around the perimeter of the island .  Thousands of species of sea animals and aquatic plant life can be found in the immediate waters that splash into the many coves and beaches. All around visitors will notice a variety of avian life, from California Gulls to Pelicans. Finally Catalina Island is famous for its over 250 buffalo that roam the interior.

Wildlife is evident from the time most visitors depart Long Beach and Orange County by boat. Countless gulls trail the boats looking for a quick treat on the sail out. Once on the island a variety of types of birds can be observed.  These birds include your common seagulls and pelicans. But other wild species that are a cool sight are the Cormoran, California Brown pelicans, tufted puffins, Cassin’s auklets and pigeon guillemots.  Catalina Island is one of many islands that make up a chain over 100 miles long in the Pacific off of California known as the “Channel Islands”. These islands serve as the only breeding locations for many of these species of birds.  The Two Harbors is known to provide so me of the best bird watching opportunities in all of Catalina, however there are plenty of observing points that provide rich glimpses of the avian life through at Catalina Harbor and along the many coves north and south of Avalon.

The surrounding waters that line the entire perimeter of Catalina are known to be some of the most dense in animal life in the world. The waters offshore are ripe for exploration whether it is through snorkeling or boat tours. Gigantic kelp forests grow up to 20 feet tall along the sea floor just off shore. The Orange Garibaldi is a beautiful bright orange/red colored fish (very similar and easily mistaken for your out door pond koi fish) can be seen at Descanso Beach and Lovers Cover swimming near the shore. Visitors taking advantage of a submersible tour or snorkeling will also see the Orange Garibaldi in large numbers. The Garibaldi is the official marine state fish of California and is protected. Other sea animals that are prevalent in the waters off Catalina Island include eels, yellow tail tuna, a variety of rock fish and occasional sea otters. In addition at various points in the year dolphins can be seen swimming close to shore.

One of Catalina Island’s more famous residents are its over 250 roaming buffalo. The stories on how the buffalo arrived on Catalina very, however the general consensus is that they were brought to the island in the 1920s by fledgling Hollywood studio producers looking to use Catalina’s interior as a backdrop to film westerns. To this day no Western’s with buffalo in the background have ever been traced to Catalina Island, however the legacy of the buffalo remain. The island carefully monitors the buffalo population by removing excess buffalo every few years to ranches in South Dakota. Seeing buffalo can be hit or miss. They are known to roam into camp sites on occasion and can be seen on one of Catalina’s many interior tours.

Catalina Island is one of the most beautiful and natural habitats in all of Southern California. Any and all naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts will find a visit to the island to be educating and a relaxing place to observe California wildlife at its best.