San Nicolas Island

San Nicolas ( engl. San Nicolas Iceland ) is one of the southern group of the California Channel Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Administratively, the island is part of the Ventura County, but it is managed by the United States Navy.

Geography

San Nicolas has a length of nearly 15 km, a width of up to 5.53 km and an area of ​​58.93 km ². The island has no permanent population, but hold up to 200 people ( Marines and salaried ) on her on. San Nicolas reaches a height of 203 meters above the sea. The island upstream from the West is the popular with divers rock Begg skirt 90 m from the sea ground, and reached a height of 4 meters above the sea.

History

The Mexican researcher Sebastian Vizcaino was the first light-skinned, who discovered the island on 6 December 1602 and gave it the name of La Isla de San Nicolas.

From San Nicolas allegedly 1957-1973 numerous sounding rockets of the U.S. military have been started.

The island was also known by Scott O'Dell's books "Island of the Blue Dolphins " and " The abandoned boat at the beach ." In them the story of an Indian girl is told that is left alone on the island and must similarly ask, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, all the dangers of the wilderness there.