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Archival Photo Courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
It begins tomorrow with a variety of activities including the Taste of Avalon where restaurants gather in the middle of town and dole out $1 or cheaper samples of their best dishes.
The festival also marks the official start of the flying fish season. "The flying fish are kind of like the swallows of Capistrano," explained Donna Harris of the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. "They come when the waters warm up, between May and September."
For 80 years now, Catalina has been a hub for flying fish sightings. They mainly come out at night and are best seen on a tour boat with a spotlight. The fish actually "fly" through the air, some as high as 30 to 40 feet that can also glide as far as a quarter mile. "We have the largest flying fish in the world and are the only place in North America that offer tours," Harris said.
Old Flying Fish Postcard | Courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
Those who can't make this weekend's festivities can catch tours throughout the summer until September.
This month also marks the 80th anniversary of the city's architectural icon, the Avalon Casino, which is actually a movie theatre originally built for talkies in 1929. On the second floor is one of the largest circular ballrooms in the world. The theatre is open year-round, but the festival will hold special events at it on Saturday.
A complete schedule of the weekend's events can be found here (scroll down).
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Zach have you been getting your flying fish facts from Huell?
They do not "actually fly through the air." They glide.
And there certainly ain't no way one can climb 40 feet out of the water and travel through the air for up to a quarter mile.
Their elevation is four feet - five, maybe six tops -- and overachieving ones can glide for 100-120 yards.
Hey Will,
First of all, I used the word "glide," but I can see how my first use of "fly" can be confusing (and I've added quotes around fly to clarify, thank you!).
Secondly, I got my facts straight from the people on Catalina who organize the festival. I had to ask about three times to make sure I was hearing them correctly. "Quarter mile, for real?" They said yes, some can.
Even Newsweek's Budget Travel cites the same fact:
http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2009/05/this_weekend_the_fish_will_fly.html
And the OC Register:
http://headlines.ocregister.com/travel/festival-25994-fish-catalina.html
The folks at Wikipedia, too, for what it's worth:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_flyingfish
Almanac:
http://www.almanac.com/question/oneanswer.php?questionnumber=13267
I guess we'll all believe it when we see it!
Yes, I have always wondered about those flying fish statistics too. I grew up sailing back and forth to Catalina. Most fish jump quickly, like shooting stars, but I’ve counted out a few “flights" at 5 and 6 seconds, pretty impressive in and of itself.
And watch out...
from the “Catalina Islander” police blotter:
Rescue 6 and Baywatch were called to assist a person with an eye injury. The patient was struck in the eye by a flying fish while on a tour boat.
Quarter mile, my fins. Them there Avalonians must be smoking crack.
"Zach have you been getting your flying fish facts from Huell?"
LOL, I watched that episode!
"Quarter mile, my fins."
On a windy night it could be possible.
I don't discount the possibility. I do wonder how they arrived at that measurement.
From a zoological perspective I suppose anything is possible and hypothetically there could be a literal "perfect storm" of meteorological conditions that might catch and carry a poor flying fish a quarter-freakin' mile through the air.
But think about it: the amount of time it would take to travel that distance the fish would be half dead from oxygen deprivation by the time it re-entered its natural element. And don't nobody tell me they've been clocked gliding at 100 mph!
PS. Elise is right, their ability to exit the water is a method of not getting eaten.
Wait. Are those things the women are holding in the photo above the actual fish??! That's awesome!!
You wonder about what kind of natural selection led to the developement of those wings.
Are they insectivores?
My guess is to evade predators in the water, and for the sheer fun of it.
Actually the record of a quarter mile was wiped from the books after it was discovered that the "flying" fish used steroids.
I can confirm that flying fish do fly pretty far, but I doubt I've seen any fly farther than a 100 yards or so. I've seen thousands while working at sea and even the really big ones stay aloft for no more than 10-15 seconds.
As for whether they fly or glide, they do flap their fins at a high rate. I'd call it limited flying.