A few of the other islands
While those of us who love it like to think it’s like nowhere else on earth, Santa Catalina Island is actually part of a chain of eight islands known as the Channel Islands. While Catalina is the only island with a significant civilian population, the other islands are also fascinating. Five of the more northern Channel Islands are all protected in the Channel Islands National Park, while two of the three more southern islands, are under the auspices of the United States military.
Clemente Island, to the Catalina’s southwest, is comparable in size by very different in topography and human habitation. This Channel Island has been completely owned by the United States Navy since the 1930s and is not open for visitation by civilians. On a clear day, you can see Clemente from Catalina’s backside, and you’ll notice that it is very flat in comparison to its more familiar cousin. Like Catalina, Clemente also has its share of endemic species.
The most remote of the Channel Islands is San Nicolas, located almost due west of Two Harbors. Familiar to readers of Scott O’dell’s novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, San Nicolas is about half the size of Catalina Island. It is also currently controlled by the United States Navy and used as a weapons training and testing facility.