Catalina Island – Day Trips

When Capt. Dave and Gisele first met their favorite getaway was Catalina Island. It wasn’t unusual to take friends there either together or on their own boats. As Dolphin Safari grew and their boat was needed for daily trips, they found it more and more difficult to enjoy a trip. Once they purchased Manute’a though, resuming our Catalina Day Trips was one of the first things that Dave wanted to do! With that said, they have created  the ideal one day trip to the Island.

En Route to Avalon

Departure Time: 7:30 AM from Dana Point
We leave early and take a maximum of 30 passengers. On the way over we take our time and do as much whale watching as possible. A straight passage is usually about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but we allow extra time so we can search for the mighty Blue Whales and pods of dolphin that love to play in the ‘Channel’ between Catalina and Dana Point.

With the extra time we allow, we can veer off to come close to these magnificent animals and spend time with them. We might even see some of the schools of flying fish that are only seen around the Island.

Arrival

There are so many things to do in Avalon. We love walking to the Botanical gardens, snorkeling, the glass bottom boat rides, renting bikes or golf carts or just relaxing. There’s plenty of shopping, a tour of the historical casino, great ice cream and lovely restaurant cafes where you can just sit and watch the world go by, feeling as if you’ve been transported back in time to some charming European sea side village.

Journey Home

Departure Time: approx. 3:30 PM from Catalina
The journey home has been some of the best sailing that Dave and Gisele have ever enjoyed. The gentle swells move us along, and the wind is usually at our backs enabling us to make great time with just sails. Of course, if we have to, we’ll turn on the engines, but our goal is to sail as much as possible. It’s a great time to stretch out and take a nap too!