Media

Check out our videos on our YouTube channel! We update our channel often so be sure to follow us for the most recent videos! All of our videos are taken from our 2-hour public trips. Make sure to have your volume up so you can hear our awesome captain’s narration!

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March 31, 2014

DANA WHARF’S OCEAN ADVENTURE LUXURY CATAMARAN INCREASES
PASSENGER CAPACITY TO 59
Coast Guard approves changes made by master engineer. Significant investment provides customers with more options.

DANA POINT, CA, March 31, 2014. Dana Wharf Whale Watching upgraded it’s 63 ft. custom built Catamaran to accommodate 59 passengers, 10 more than before the upgrades. Coast Guard specifications required a number of alterations that were completed by master engineer Ross Goodcell. “Our charter customers, including hotels, destination management companies, and event planners needed a vessel that could comfortably hold more than 49 passengers, and we listened,” said Donna Kalez, general manager of Dana Wharf.

“The decision to invest time, resources, and money to increase the capacity of the OCean Adventures Catamaran to 59 passengers was easy. Our goal is to continue providing the best vessel options to our customers – be it harbor cruising, whale watching or sightseeing,” said Michael Hansen, owner of Dana Wharf. Goodcell worked with Coast Guard Engineers to bring the luxury catamaran up to spec, with the process taking 6 months and an investment of $70,000.

Custom built for Dana Wharf by Cooper Marine in Florida, Dana Wharf purchased the catamaran in 2008, christened it the OCean Adventures Luxury Catamaran, and immediately began hosting charter events for companies like Microsoft, Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, Oakley, and more.

About Dana Wharf Whale Watching

Dana Wharf is celebrates over 40 years of Whale Watching as the original, family-owned and operated whale watching landing in Orange County and the first operating business in the Dana Point Harbor. Three-generations strong, Dana Wharf was founded by Don Hansen back in 1971.

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September 1, 2007
Contact:

DANA WHARF TO LAUNCH WHALE WATCHING AND SEA LIFE ADVENTURE CHARTERS ABOARD STATE-OF-THE-ART CATAMARAN

DANA POINT, CA – Offering destination management companies and corporate meeting planners a unique mix of ecology, education and excitement, Dana Wharf, the originator of whale watching in Orange County, is launching a new series of naturalist-guided whale watching and sea life adventure charters aboard a brand-new, state-of-the-art, eco-friendly catamaran, the OCean Adventure.

Highlighting each cruise will be informative commentary by certified naturalist Angie Cowan. Cowan observed, “The largest wilderness in the world is just off our shore. The combination of our ecology and marine-life experts and this first-class new vessel will create an unparalleled adventure for our guests.”

Sharing top billing with Cowan will be the 63-foot OCean Adventure, which was designed and built exclusively for Dana Wharf. It accommodates up to 49 guests and features a deli-style galley and full-service bar. Groups that charter the vessel may also contract with their own caterer. Among the catamaran’s many innovations are underwater cameras that enable guests to view ocean inhabitants while they are below the surface and a hydrophone that makes it possible to listen to the calls of the whales and dolphins. To help protect the ecology of the ocean it will be exploring, the OCean Adventure’s advanced-technology engines are significantly quieter and produce 75% fewer emissions than engines from just five years ago. The catamaran’s shape and configuration also guarantee one of the smoothest rides on the open ocean.

While its maiden voyage is a few months away, the OCean Adventure is already attracting the attention of some of the area’s leading destination and event managers. Celeste Pilkington, operations manager of PRA Destination Management, an event producer and logistics firm in Costa Mesa, Calif., stated, “The size of the OCean Adventure is perfect for our clients. It’s small enough for an intimate, personal experience with the naturalists, yet large enough to accommodate a sizable group comfortably.”

Pilkington also noted that Dana Wharf offers the added advantage of a dock that is near the mouth of the Dana Point Harbor. “They can get out of the harbor and into the open ocean in no time,” she said. “That means that guests on board the OCean Adventure will get to spend the maximum amount of time exploring the sea life and interacting with the naturalists.”

Dana Wharf is now accepting reservations for OCean Adventure charters beginning in January 2008 with an introductory rate of $2,450 for a two-hour cruise and $1,025 for each additional hour. Charters will depart from the dock at Dana Wharf, located in the Dana Point Marina at 34675 Golden Lantern. Reservations may be made by calling Dana Wharf Charters at 800-590-9994 or sending e-mail to [email protected].

Dana Wharf is a family-owned-and-operated company that has been offering only the finest whale watching, sportfishing, sailing, and ocean adventures on the California coast for over 35 years. Additional information is available at www.danawharf.com or www.ococeanadventures.com.