Last year after the coronavirus pandemic began, residents on Catalina Island found themselves isolated beyond what you'd think living on an island would be. In part five of the Catalina Island Comeback Series, KFI's Corbin Carson examines how being cut off from the mainland was actually helpful for many during the last year.
Some of the clearest waters in the world can be found in and around Catalina Island and hard core divers took advantage.
"The first couple of months was a ghost town because they shut off transportation unless you were an essential worker," Catalina Divers Supply Catalina Divers Supply owner Christy Lins said.
Lins, who also owns Catalina Taxi & Tours says her main job is working as an accountant for many of the island's homeowners and their businesses. While many of those businesses weren't able to make it through the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic, after the vaccine was released, tourists began coming back.
"The hardest part was the not knowing when it was going to end and how you were going to fair," Lins said. "Most of this island is small business and local mom and pop and I've seen several of my clients that haven't survived through, and it's sad."
Listen to part five of Corbin's report here: