Swimmers who cross the English Channel talk of the beautiful view of France, especially as the sun is setting or rising as they head into Cap Gris Nez. Molokai Channel swimmers talk about the cresting swells of the Pacific Ocean as they struggle to sight off of Sandy Beach and the Blow Hole of eastern Oahu. In the Tsugaru Channel, swimmers look for the low-lying land of Hokkaido as they are whisked parallel to shore by strong currents. The Cook Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, the North Channel, the Rottnest Channel, the Isle of Jersey and Robben Island all have their iconic views from sea level.

Terra firma never looks so good from the perspective of a marathon swimmer who has been struggling against the elements for hours.

The aquatic adventurers all relish the challenge and the allure of battling Mother Nature in their chosen channel swims. They internalize the often overwhelming feelings of accomplishment when they approach the shoreline.

After they earn the right to call themselves channel swimmers, each swimmer celebrates in a different way. With food, with celebration, with friends.

Of all the major channels in the world of contemporary marathon swimming, there are definitely some unique inhabitants that occasionally greet swimmers from a distance on Catalina Island.

In 1924, 14 buffalo were brought to Catalina Island in order to film the motion picture, The Vanishing American. After the film was shot, the buffalo were allowed to live off the land on Catalina.

Over the decades the buffalo multiplied and the current herd is managed by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Catalina Island. The Conservancy aims to to maintain a healthy herd of buffalo in balance with the island’s natural resources so visitors can see them roaming free and thriving in a natural environment.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source