Channel Islands of California

The Channel Islands of California (English Channel Islands of California ), and Santa Barbara Islands, are a group of eight islands, which are upstream of the coast of southern California. The island waters are known for their abundance of marine animals. The name of the Channel Islands refers to the Santa Barbara channel, which runs north between the islands and the mainland.

The eight islands are:

San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Anacapa and Santa Barbara make up the Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, to which access for tourists is limited. San Nicolas and San Clemente are controlled by the U.S. Navy restricted area. As only one of the islands of Santa Catalina is permanently inhabited.

The Channel Islands are home to the island gray fox, an endemic Fuchsart, one of the smallest fox species in the world. This species has evolved from the North American gray fox and is a typical form of Inselverzwergung dar. years ago about 30000-12000 lived on the Channel Islands of California further evidence of Inselverzwergung, the pygmy mammoth (Mammuthus exilis ), an extinct species of the family elephant with a shoulder height of 1.20 untill 1,80 meters.

The surrounding seas are also protected and form the "National Marine Protected Area of the Channel Islands " (Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary ). It is one of the richest marine areas in the world. In the large kelp beds over 1000 different species are native. In addition to the seaweed include different types of plankton, mussels, crabs, sea snails, seahorses, wrasse, groupers, rays, sharks, sea urchins, octopus, starfish, anemones and sponges. This biodiversity make the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary to a first class diving area for cold water dives. The abundance of fish environment favors the occurrence of large whales as well as the Northern colonies of the four species of seal elephant seal, California sea lion, Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal shear.

History

The earliest human occupation, which is carried across the sea must be, has been dated to 13000-11300 Before Present.