Catalina Glass Bottom Boat and the Buffalo

 To wrap this one up I wanted to go over the last two touristy things I did back on the July 4th weekend. I had never been on a glass bottom boat before. My dad always talked about it. So, I was able to do that this time around. A picture does not really cover the experience so I will link a short video at the bottom of this blog entry that is a few minutes long.

The last thing I did during the afternoon was go on one of the eco-tours they have. I had been on one before, took a lot of video and pictures, but never got around to uploading anything about it. On this tour we were taken to the Catalina Airport which I always find interesting since the runway is very small. We did see some buffalo on the way, but the best pictures I got were on the way back not too far away from the airport.

It is kind of odd seeing bison on Catalina Island. The story is pretty well known though. During the filming of a silent movie in the 1920's about twenty bison were sent to the island as part of the movie. They were kept there and reproduced to as many as five hundred over the years. These days the population is much lower. We were told on the tour they had not reproduced, partly due to birth control, for over a decade. They try to keep the population in check, and in the past have sent extra bison to the Great Plains. However, they were forced to bringing in two new females to keep the genetics and population going. 

This is the same bison from the other picture as we drove by. I was given permission to open up the side part of the eco-tour van to get this picture. One of the young ladies kind of freaked out as I did that. This was during the period that a few attacks had happened in Yellowstone. I am used to dealing with wild animals so I kind of know the distances I need to stay safe, and how quick I would need to close the door. We were completely safe, but from her perspective she probably thought we almost died, and I was reckless. Lol! This bison just moved to the right side of this picture and took off after this picture. 

So, it was a fun trip to Catalina Island. Usually after I go I kind of feel like I do not have to go back, but over time I remember certain things and enjoy one day stops on the island. One thing I should mention is due the drought they were hurting for water. At the restaurant I ate at I asked for water rather than something else, and they asked if I was okay with bottled water. I totally forgot about the situation. Normally, when I ask for water at a restaurant, I do not think much of it, but for people on the island they were suffering due to the drought.

The Glass Bottom Boat Tour (Short Youtube Video)