San Clemente Island

Coordinates: 32°55′15.13″N 118°30′55.96″W / 32.9208694°N 118.5155444°W / 32.9208694; -118.5155444

Map of Channel Islands

Satellite image of San Clemente Island

San Clemente Island or SCI is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy,^[1] and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is 21 nautical miles (39 km) long and contains 147.13 km² (56.81 sq mi) of land. The island is officially uninhabited as of 2000 U.S. Census.^[2]

History

Archeologists have found traces of human occupation on the San Clemente Island dating back 10,000 years, a remarkable figure for an island 55 nautical miles (102 km) out to sea, but consistent with results on other Channel Islands.

Later inhabitants left trade materials from the northern islands and from the mainland, including Coso obsidian from the California desert. It has not been established what tribe the recent inhabitants belonged to, although the Tongva, who are well attested from Santa Catalina Island, are the most likely candidates. The Chumash, who occupied the northern Channel Islands, may have influenced the inhabitants.

The island was named by Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino, who spotted it on November 23, 1602, Saint Clement's feast day. It was used by ranchers, fishermen, and smugglers during the 19th century and into the 20th century.

In the 1920s and 1930s the factory ships Lansing^[3] and California^[4] anchored off San Clemente Island, processing blue and fin whales, among other species, caught by their steam-driven whale catchers.

The city of San Clemente in Orange County, California is named after the island.

View from space of Southern California coast, showing Santa Catalina Island (closer to mainland) and San Clemente Island (farther from mainland).

Navy base

The U.S. Navy acquired the island in 1934. It is the Navy's only remaining ship-to-shore live firing range and is the center of the integrated air/land/sea San Clemente Island Range Complex covering 2,620 nm² (8,990 km²).

It is an active sonar base and has a $21 million simulated embassy for commando training.

There is also a U.S. Navy rocket-test facility on San Clemente. It is situated at 32°55′N 118°30′W / 32.917°N 118.5°W / 32.917; -118.5. Some Polaris-program test rockets were launched from San Clemente between 1957 and 1960.

The U.S. Navy also uses the island as an auxiliary naval airfield: Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island. The main runway 23/05 is used for carrier training by the Navy. Other branches also use this airfield, including the United States Coast Guard. Pilots that use this airfield find it to be one of the most demanding airbases in the United States; it is known for its high winds and dangerous terrain that surrounds the runway.

The airfield is also home to the United States Navy SEALs training facilities located north of the runways.

Fauna and flora

The San Clemente Island Loggerhead Shrike is an endangered species that the Navy is taking steps to protect. The San Clemente Island Fox is an indigenous species. Feral goats roamed the island for centuries, reaching a population of 11,000 in 1972, when their effect on indigenous species was realized. By 1980 the population had been reduced to 4,000. A plan for shooting remaining goats was blocked in court by the Fund for Animals, so the goats were removed with nets and helicopters. The San Clemente Goat is a recognized breed of domestic goat. The coves around the island are visited by divers attracted by the abundant sea life, including sea lions, lobsters, hydrocoral and kelp forests.

The flora of the island includes some plant species found nowhere else in the world. These endemic species include the wildflowers San Clemente Island brodiaea, San Clemente Island woodland star, and San Clemente Island Indian paintbrush, and the shrub San Clemente Island bushmallow. A unique subspecies of toyon, ssp. macrocarpa, also grows here,^[5] as do two rare subspecies of the royal larkspur.^[6]

Gallery

Sunrise at Pyramid Point, San Clemente Island	Bluebanded Gobies, San Clemente Island	California Moray Eel, San Clemente Island	Kelp forest and sardines
Giant Black Sea Bass, San Clemente Island	Giant Black Sea Bass, San Clemente Island	Sea Fan, San Clemente Island	Hermissenda Nudibranch, San Clemente Island
Bat Ray in kelp forest, San Clemente Island	Spanish Shawl nudibranch	Swell Shark, San Clemente Island	Swell Shark closeup

External links

• San Clemente Island
• San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike
• Rocket launches at San Clemente

References

1. ^ http://www.scisland.org/
2. ^ It is estimated, however, that the number of military and civilian personnel on the island numbers at least 300 any given time. Block Group 2, Census Tract 5991, Los Angeles County
3. ^ California Fish and Game, Fisheries.
4. ^ Keyes (1939)
5. ^ C. Michael Hogan, (2008) Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg [1]
6. ^ Center for Plant Conservation: Delphinium variegatum ssp. thornei

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