At Sea Level : Inflatable Crafts Afford Adventurers a Whale’s-Eye View of the Mammals

If you’re going to go whale watching, M’lou Dietzer believes there’s only one way to do it. Hop in your own inflatable boat and head out to sea.

“We have viewed whales from the larger boats,” says Dietzer, “but being down low, practically at their level, is different. You really feel like you are part of their life.”

That is why last Sunday , Dietzer, who lives in Santa Ana, hitched up her boat and towed it down to Dana Point Harbor, where she joined about 15 other vessels in the 13th annual whale-watching tour for inflatable-boat owners. The trip, sponsored by a Costa Mesa boat company, draws participants from as far as Palmdale and San Diego.

“We’ve gone out with the group five times,” says Dietzer, “and many more times on our own. It is nothing but a thrill.”

The excursion is one of several adventurous trips designed for an informal club made up of inflatable-boat owners such as Dietzer, a 62-year-old retired professor from Cal State Fullerton. The trips are organized by Diana and Scott McIntosh, owners of Port-A-Marine, and began as a way to keep inflatable-boat owners in touch with each other and to demonstrate that you can do a lot of “big boat” things in an affordable, portable boat.

“We have never had any problems whatsoever,” says Diana McIntosh. “This is an ideal trip for families because it is not a real rough trip. We go out of Dana Point because the whales cut the point real close there, and we don’t have to go very far offshore.”

Although inflatable boats can range in size from eight to 24 feet, the minimum size allowed for the whale-watching excursion is 12 1/2 feet, according to McIntosh, who with husband Scott will take to the water in an 18-foot vessel. The maximum size of a California gray whale is about 50 feet, and such a creature may weigh more than 30 tons.

“We are right down on the water level with them in these little boats,” McIntosh says, “and it is quite an awesome feeling, especially when the whale comes up close. There is nowhere to run, and once you get over that initial shock, you just sit back and enjoy it.”

Jack Mertz, a representative of the American Cetacean Society, agrees that seeing whales from a small boat is thrilling.

“And it is absolutely safe, if you follow the advice,” says Mertz, who for the past several years has helped prepare the boat owners for their close-up view of the migrating mammals. “The inflatables are definitely the way to go if you’re going to see the whales because you are right down in line with them.”

But Mertz, a marine biologist who teaches at Orange Coast College, reminds boaters not to get within 100 yards of a migrating whale. And under the Marine Mammal Protection Law, harassing whales is illegal.

“You should parallel their course and go at approximately the same speed,” Mertz says. “Never attempt to corral a whale. And if you approach one head on, you should stop, because you are not sure which direction he is going.”

It is best to approach whales slowly from behind and maintain a constant speed, he advises. “You shouldn’t increase and decrease the speed, because whales are terribly sensitive to sounds under water, so any change in pitch of the engine makes a great deal of difference to the whale.”

Diana McIntosh says that by following Mertz’s advice, boaters involved in the Port-A-Marine excursion almost always spot a whale or two. “We always divide up into small groups so that we don’t pile up on one whale,” she says. “And we’ve been successful in following whales as long as two hours without spooking them.”

Throughout the trip, boaters maintain radio contact with each other, and if one groups spots a whale, someone relays the information to the others.

“We always see interesting things,” says M’lou Dietzer. “We went out to see the whales once and found ourselves in a group of well over 100 dolphins. They came out of the water and spun around two or three times, and we were right in the middle of them. That was really memorable. And on one trip we saw a flying fish that actually flew into one of the boats.”

Dietzer, who went whale-watching Sunday with boat partner Bill Marquis, says the trip is successful because it is so well-planned.

“We spend all day the day before getting the boat ready,” she says. “The preparation is quite extensive because we check it over and make sure we have safety lights, life vests, tow rope, water, compass, radio and an ample supply of gasoline.”

People who participate in the inflatable-boat trips are avid boaters, according to Diana McIntosh, who says that the store’s most popular excursion is a summer cruise to Catalina, a journey more commonly made in boats much larger than an inflatable dinghy.

“There is nothing dangerous about this (whale-watching) trip at all. It is not nearly as exciting as going to Catalina in an inflatable.”

Boat Show.

Hundreds of boats will be on display during the 37th Annual Southern California Boat Show, Friday through Feb. 7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Show hours are 1 to 9 p.m. on weekdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $7 for adults, with children under 12 admitted free.

The show is sponsored by the Southern California Marine Assn. in Orange. For information, call (714) 633-7581.

Catalina Cruises.

The Orange Coast College Sailing Center is offering weekend cruises to Catalina aboard the college’s flagship, Alaska Eagle. Since the boat was donated to the college more than 10 years ago, OCC students have sailed the vessel more than 80,000 miles, including 18 Pacific crossings.

Catalina weekend trips are planned for this Saturday, Feb. 20, March 6 and March 13. Cost is $225. For information, call the Sailing Center at (714) 645-9412.

Boating Classes.

Two 13-week safe boating courses, one for power and one for sail boaters, will be held beginning Tuesday at Tustin High School, 1171 El Camino Real, Tustin.

Sponsored by Flotilla 15-4 of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the classes will be from 7 to 9:30 p.m. each Tuesday. The powerboat class meets in Room 200, and the sailboat class meets in Room 222.

Both courses will cover boat handling, navigation, weather and communications. There is no charge for the classes, but there is a charge for materials. For information, call Robert McGurer at (714) 870-6018.

Sailing Convention.

A daylong series of workshops covering everything from engine maintenance to coastal navigation will be offered during the fourth annual Women’s Sailing Convention Feb. 6 at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive in Corona del Mar.

The event, which is open to all women interested in sailing, is being sponsored by the Southern California Yachting Assn. in conjunction with BOAT/U.S. and the U.S. Sailing Assn.

“This event will provide women from all over Southern California with an occasion to meet many other women sailors,” according to organizer Gail Hine.

The convention fee is $50, which covers all workshops, lunch, dinner and handouts. For information call (714) 730-1797.