Eleven people on a whale watching charter were assisted by the Coast Guard and local agencies July 12 as the 50’ catamaran began taking on water 7 miles south of Dana Point Harbor, Calif.
The vessel Manute’a, operated by Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, was making way toward Dana Point Harbor when watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach received a 6:20 p.m. distress call from the crew, reporting flooding.
The Dana Point Harbor Patrol and Orange County Sheriff’s Department were monitoring VHF Channel 16 and immediately responded to assist. The Coast Guard assumed command of the mission, issued an urgent marine information broadcast, and launched a response boat from Station Los Angeles while diverting the Coast Guard 154’ fast response cutter David Duren.
The cutter’s small-boat crew, along with the partner agency vessels, arrived on scene, assisted with the flooding by using dewatering pumps, and helped safely transfer all 11 passengers to another charter vessel operated by Captain Dave’s. The charter operators were able to safely transit the Manute’a back to port under the vessel’s own power with no other assistance needed, Coast Guard officials said in an updated news release July 14.
The Manute’a offers passengers a unique point of view on whale watching trips, with its underwater viewing pods that allow passengers to view whales and dolphins swimming near the boat. First installed in 2009, the transparent 6’x3’ viewing panels are constructed with bulletproof glass, according to the company’s website.
