Santa Catalina Island is located 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles, California. It is more commonly called Catalina Island and is known for its active boating community. It is generally a very rocky island with about 4,500 people inhabiting it. The majority of the population is scattered between the island’s 2 harbors located at the island’s isthmus.
Catalina’s climate closely resembles a mild warm-summer Mediterranean climate. The record high occurred on July 6, 2018, with a temperature of 105 °F and the record low occurred on January 11, 1949, with a temperature of 29 °F. The average precipitation is recorded to be about 13.73 inches per year.
Catalina Island was never connected to California’s mainland and therefore has always lacked original terrestrial life. Any wild or plant life had to have made their way over several miles of open ocean. As of today, there are about 50 endemic species that can only be found on Catalina Island and nowhere else in the world. Most of the island is controlled by the Catalina Island Conservancy, a private nonprofit organization. Their mission is to steward its lands through a balance of conservation, education, and recreation.