The longtime Dana Point Harbor business will remain open throughout construction, with fishing trips, whale watching, cruises, and private charters continuing during the transition.
By Katherine Clements
DANA POINT — Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching will temporarily relocate its operations on Nov. 1, 2026, as construction associated with the ongoing Dana Point Harbor renovation reaches the longtime waterfront business.
Dana Wharf will move from its current office into temporary trailers adjacent to the harbor parking structure, according to an announcement from the Hansen family. Despite the move, the company will remain open and continue operating its fishing trips, whale watching excursions, cruises, and private charters throughout construction.
For the family-owned business, the temporary relocation carries a historical connection. Dana Wharf began operating from a trailer when founder Don Hansen established the company in 1971, while Dana Point Harbor itself was still being developed.
Hansen was 34 when he signed his lease in the harbor. His children, Mike, David and Donna, subsequently grew up around the business and watched the harbor develop around it.
Over the following 55 years, Dana Wharf became a fixture of the harbor’s recreational boating and sportfishing community. Hansen was an early advocate for public whale watching in Orange County and founded the Dana Point Festival of Whales, helping introduce residents and visitors to the whales and dolphins found off the Southern California coast.
The company’s existing office eventually became more than a check-in location, serving generations of anglers, whale watchers, employees and families. Its closure marks a visible change for the business as the broader harbor redevelopment moves forward.
The Hansen family said Don Hansen had spent approximately 25 years awaiting improvements to the aging harbor before his death. Now, the family sees the move back into trailers as a temporary return to the company’s beginnings while preparing for its next chapter.
Although the physical location is changing, the family emphasized that Dana Wharf itself is not closing.
Beginning Nov. 1, customers will instead use the company’s temporary location while operations continue during construction. The business is encouraging customers to continue visiting Dana Point Harbor and participating in its on-the-water activities during the redevelopment.
The transition also comes as the harbor around Dana Wharf undergoes a much larger transformation. The multiyear Dana Point Harbor revitalization includes replacement and redevelopment of aging marina and landside facilities, bringing construction activity to areas that have remained familiar to generations of local boaters and visitors.
For Dana Wharf, that means operating through a period of change while attempting to maintain continuity for customers and its employees.
The company said supporting its employees and crews remains a priority throughout the transition, while continuing the fishing and whale watching operations that have defined the family business for more than five decades.
In an unusual parallel, customers visiting during construction will also have an opportunity to watch Dana Point Harbor change around the business much as the Hansen family did when Dana Wharf first began operating in 1971.
Fifty-five years later, the surroundings may look different — and the office may once again be a trailer — but the boats will continue heading out.
Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching will begin operating from its temporary location adjacent to the Dana Point Harbor parking structure Nov. 1. Fishing trips, whale watching excursions, cruises, and private charters are expected to continue throughout construction.
