SEA TOURS OF CATALINA ISLAND

Catalina Island, being only 22 miles long and 8 miles wide and over 20 miles off the coast of southern California in the Pacific Ocean affords numerous opportunities to view, interact and learn about the sea life that is native to this region of California. A visit to Catalina Island can include multiple tours that allow guests interactions with wild sea life around the island. Enthusiasts who are only interested in engaging in aquatic activities will find that Catalina offers an abundance of activities centered around the ocean that can easily take a whole weekend. The main sea going activities at Catalina are the sea tours that offer glass bottom boats, submersible sub experiences, snorkeling and whale watching to name a few.

 

The most common and easiest tours that allow visitors of all ages and backgrounds, including families, to engage are the the sea tours on glass bottom boats and submersible boats that depart from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon Bay. Less than a ten minute walk from all of the hotels in Avalon, the Green Pleasure Pier is home to docking's for dozens of boats including a variety of tour operators. There are two main tour operators that operate from the Green Pleasure Pier. They are Discovery Tours and Catalina Adventure Tours. In addition to the sea tours, both these operators offer a variety of land tours throughout the island. The sea tour experience is pretty much the same no matter what tour operator you go with, just with slightly different equipment. For example the Catalina Adventure Tours operate the bright yellow submersible sub that when docked at the Green Pleasure Pier can be seen throughout Avalon where as the Discovery Tours also operates a submersible that is less obvious.

 

The submersible tours offer visitors a chance to observe the Catalina Island sea life up close and personal from the comfortable accommodations of an underwater submarine type vessel. Visitors that have been to Disneyland and ridden the 20 Thousand Leagues under the sea ride will no doubt recognize these vehicles as the identical thing. Upon sitting down visitors will be one on one with their own port window gazing out onto the sea floor.

 

Once the vessel gets going there is a slight rocking motion, but so mild that anyone with severe motion sickness will be find. The tours usually go out to Lover's Cove which is less than a 10 minute ride south of the Green Pleasure Pier (and a five minute walk along Pebbly Beach Road from the main boat terminals) where there are a variety of sea life to observe. On the Discovery Tours vessels the boats captain will deposit buckets of fish food into the water that attracts thousands upon thousands of fish to the vessel. On the yellow Catalina Adventures Tour visitors can press their own button that torpedo's the fish food into the ocean. The sea life on this side of the island are very observant and are very aware that when these vessels flow into this area full of visitors that means food. Before any feeding has begun they will swarm the vessel looking for their next meal. Some of the fish visitors can expect to see are are the Yellow Fin Tuna, Soitted Calico Bass, Opaleyes, rockfish and bat rays to name a few.

 

The large colorful beautiful fish won't be the only eye catching wonder of this undersea garden. The plant life is equally as exotic and exciting as Catalina Island's lush kelp forest pass below with vines stretching thousands of feet. Many of the vines brush along the sea vessels as they pass through adding to the interaction and excitement of the ride. As the vessel navigates its way along the coves, guides point out the various points of interest including the types of fish the vessel is interacting with, fun stories and descriptions and scientific information/facts about the kelp visitors are seeing.

 

During the summer the Catalina Adventure Tours also offers tours at night where the vessels shine bright 18,000 watt spotlights into the nooks and crannies of the coves and expose a whole new array of Catalina sea life that can only be seen at night. These include lobsters, sharks and even an occasional seal. The total length of the submersible tour is around one hour.

 

For those that prefer less cramped quarters and would rather observe the sea life from a distance above the ocean, while enjoying being out on the open water and the sunshine, Catalina Island offers frequent glass bottom boat rides. Like the submersible vessels, both the Catalina Adventure Tours and Discovery Tours offer glass bottom boat tours of the waters off of Avalon Bay and near Lovers Cove. Both tours depart from the Green Pleasure Pier.

 

Catalina Adventure Tours operates the newest glass bottom boat to Catalina Island-the Sea View. Like the submersible tours, the glass bottom boats travel out to Lover's Cove, with guides, who point out all the main points of interest. Near and at Lovers Cove they distribute food around the boat where visitors peering down into the glass bottom can see the thousands of fish through the crystal clear waters interacting with the boat and the food. During the summer the glass bottom boats offer tours and shine a 18,000 watt of light into the ocean floor allowing guests to see a new line up of sea life they would not normally see during the day. Tours on the glass bottom boat typically last between 45 minutes and an hour.

 

 

TWO HOUR COASTAL TRIP

The Catalina Ocean Rafting also offers a two hour coastal trip. This ride takes passengers all around the island's borders and includes a guide that discusses the island's geology and natural history. Some of the highlights along this journey are glimpses of Catalina's famous flying fish, sea lions, harbor seals and bald eagles. The trip covers 20 miles (10 miles along the coastline then another 10 miles off shore where guides search for pods of dolphins).

 

The Catalina Ocean Rafting company boasts over 15 years of tour service and are fully coast guard inspected and licensed.