The Wreck of the Cuba

Introduction

There are eight islands located off the coast of southern California which comprise California's Channel Islands. These are divided into two separate groups: the Northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands), and the Southern Channel Islands (Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands). The four Northern Channel Islands, plus Santa Barbara Island, fall within the boundaries of Channel Islands National Park.

The Northern Channel Islands visually represent a seaward extension of the Santa Monica mountain range. Current scientific evidence suggests that these islands probably have not been connected to the mainland by a landbridge at least since the Pleistocene Ice Age which began about one and a half million years ago. It is known, however, that about 18,000 years ago these northern islands were connected to each other as one large island which scientists call Santarosae. With various rises in sea level, Santarosae eventually became the four separate islands as we see them today.

The first life forms arrived on Santarosae by various means, including air flotation, flight, sea water flotation, swimming, and accidental rafting. Through time and in isolation, many of the plants and animals now living on the Northern Channel Islands have evolved into endemic

species, subspecies or varieties.

Man on the Northern Channel Islands

Human occupation of the Northern Channel Islands has gone through four major phases: the prehistoric (Indian) era, the Spanish era, the Mexican era, and today's American era.

It is not known when the prehistoric human occupation of the Northern Channel Islands began. Radiocarbon dates

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