In 1925, a Hollywood film crew transported 14 buffalo to Catalina Island as part of the production for a movie called The Vanishing American. When the moviemakers finished work and returned to the mainland, they left the buffalo behind. Today the descendants of this marooned herd still can be seen. They roam throughout interior portions of Catalina that are covered with twisted trees and clusters of prickly pear, cholla and sage. These undeveloped areas of the island also feature dramatic cliffs that plunge down to the crashing waves of the Pacific. During a surface interval between dives on a recent visit to Catalina, I met a young co-ed named Marin who experienced an encounter with the buffalo while touring the island with a guide from the Catalina Island Conservancy. "I really wanted to see the buffalo," she explained, holding up her camera. "My mom just gave me this for my birthday. I wanted to get a picture and send it back to her." She recalled how her guide, Paul, radioed a few friends around the island and was told where a large herd had been spotted that morning. As their Jeep rounded a parched knoll, a group of brown mounds morphed into a herd of 40 buffalo grazing on a prairie carpeted with wildflowers. "Disregarding Paul's warning to stay in the Jeep, I started walking closer to the herd. I was in pursuit of the perfect shot," Marin says. "I grew more confident as the buffalo continued eating. The herd seemed completely oblivious to my presence. "I was still quite a distance from the herd when I heard this noise - snort! I lowered my camera and heard it again - snort! "I slowly turned to see a large male buffalo leering down from an eight-foot knoll directly behind me. I was standing between the large bull and his herd. My mind said 'run,' but I remained paralyzed." Pausing for dramatic effect, Marin then told how the buffalo soon lost interest and ambled by to join the herd. "When it was all over, I realized that I didn't take a single picture," she concluded with a laugh.