Page 177 - California Diving and Surfing

he Chumash, who occupied the north- 1937. In 1935, the Norwegian factory ship is used for aircraft carrier training by the
Esperanza caught blue whales as far north Navy. Other branches also use this airfield,
Tern Channel Islands, may have influ- as San Clemente Island. including the United States Coast Guard.
Pilots that use this airfield find it to be one
enced the inhabitants. The skeletons of doz- T he US Navy acquired the island in 1934. of the most demanding airbases in the
ens of men piled, one upon another’ were It is the Navy’s only remaining ship-to- US, known for its high winds and danger-
also noted on San Clemente and San Nico- shore live firing range, and is the center of ous terrain surrounding the runway. The
las. The first European to sight the island the integrated air/land/sea San Clemente airfield is home to the United States Navy
was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542, who Island Range Complex covering 2,620 nm² SEALs training facilities located north of the
named it Victoria. It was renamed by Span- (8,990 km2). During World War II, the island runways.
ish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno, who spot- was used as a training ground for amphibi-
ted it on November 23, 1602, Saint Clem- ous landing craft. These small to mid-sized W ith the best kelp, clearest warmest
ent’s feast day. It was used by ranchers, ships were crucial to the island hopping water, and great structure, San Clem-
fishermen, and smugglers during the 19th that would be required to attack the islands ente is an excellent destination for wide-
century and into the 20th century. In 1835, occupied by the Japanese. It is an active angle underwater photography. Unfortu-
the whaleship Elbe of Poughkeepsie, New sonar base and has a $21 million simulated nately the Navy often closes a large portion
York, under Captain Josiah B. Whippey (or embassy for commando training. There is a of the island, so it is not always diveable.
Whipple), hunted sperm whales as far north US Navy rocket-test facility on San Clem- The southeast corner is dove the most, due
as “St. Clements Island” (San Clemente ente. Some Polaris-program test rockets to the rest being frequently closed for Navy
Island). The American steamship Lansing, as were launched from San Clemente between practice. San Clemente IslandSan Clemente
well as the steam-schooner California, both 1957 and 1960. The SEALAB III project took Island is the southernmost of the eight
anchored in Pyramid Cove, on the south place off San Clemente in February 1969. California Channel Islands. It lies 55 nautical
side of San Clemente Island, to process blue The US Navy uses the island as an auxiliary miles (nm) south of Long Beach and 68 nm
whales, fin whales and humpback whales naval airfield, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field west of San Diego and approximately 25
caught by their “killer boats” (steam-driven San Clemente Island. The main runway miles south of Santa Catalina.
whale catchers)—the former between 1926
and 1930, and the latter between 1933 and