Franko’s Map of Avalon Underwater Park & Fish Identification Card

Side 1 shows Franko’s Map of Avalon Underwater Park. This wonderful map has a special spirit about it because it is dedicated to the late Aaron Stark, who’s picture appears on the card. Aaron loved Avalon Underwater Park, and spent much time taking divers down amongst the lovely kelp forest and virtual aquarium there. Aaron’s photo is courtesy of his dad, as arranged by Catalina Scuba Luv. The map is shows the park boundaries along The Casino breakwater, with deepening blues indicating increasing depths. The depth data is courtesy of Franko’s own observations, as it has been proven that the government charts are wrong! The breakwater and Casino layout are actually from an aerial photograph, courtesy of the Santa Catalina Island Company. Dive spots within as well as nearby are shown, including the wreck of the Sue -Jac, and the wreck of the Valiant. A second photo inset shows a huge black sea bass along side a diver. This amazing photo is courtesy of Catalina Divers Supply, which has a rental spot right at the underwater park, as well as a dive shop on Avalon’s Green Pleasure Pier. Both of Avalon’s dive shops helped in the research and information to create this map, including buddy diving with me and giving me air. A third inset on the map shows a tiny map of Avalon and Avalon Bay, for reference. Avalon Underwater Park is dived by thousands of divers every year, including a very large number who make this beautiful spot their very first dive.

Side 2 is Franko’s Santa Catalina Island Fish Identification Card. Included is an array of over four dozen Santa Catalina Island kelp forest creatures amongst a swirl of blue water and kelp. The variety includes the California State fish, the Garibaldi, and many of the most commonly seen fish and invertebrates in and around Avalon Underwater Park. There is a male and a female sheephead, a sleek blue shark, a beautiful leopard shark, several different rockfish and perch. The fisherman’s favorites including white sea bass and yellowtail are shown. The bat ray , and a beautiful giant sea bass, also known as the black sea bass are both visitors to the Avalon Underwater Park, and thus must be depicted. Invertebrates include ochre seastars, strawberry anemones, a hiding spiny lobster, and the colorful Spanish shawl, which wears its frilly gills on it’s back. There is even a bird - the sleek cormorant descending into the depths, hunting for prey, and out-swimming the fish.