DANA POINT : County’s Research Vessel Due Saturday

The county’s first ship dedicated to educating the public about marine environment will cruise into the Dana Point Harbor on Saturday.

The Orange County Marine Institute’s newest acquisition, a 70-foot vessel named the Sea Explorer, will be dedicated to ocean research, and will be used to take the public on educational cruises throughout the year.

Institute officials expect the Sea Explorer to arrive about 11:30 a.m. To help acquaint the public with the ship, marine exhibits, talks about the ocean environment and tours of the institute will take place between noon and 2 p.m. The marine institute is at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive.

Over the past year, the institute has taken steps to broaden its education program.

For the first time last summer, field study trips at sea were enhanced with video equipment that showed the ocean floor and helped participants communicate directly with research divers.

The organization also started a night program called the Bioluminescene Night Cruise that acquainted cruise-goers with glowing undersea creatures.

However, the institute had to rent ships in order to conduct the cruises.

“That limited us, particularly during the summer because charters we rented the vessels from do most of their business on the weekends,” said Dan Stetson, the institute’s director of maritime affairs.

With the coming of the Sea Explorer, institute workers won’t have to lug heavy, sensitive research equipment on and off the boat constantly, Stetson said.

The vessel began its trek to Dana Point from Florida almost six weeks ago. The institute plans to renovate the ship to accommodate its research and public outreach programs.

Navigation and marine mammal study stations will be installed on the upper deck for the benefit of visitors. An on-board laboratory will be fully equipped with video microscopes, running seawater and dissection tables.

The institute will also convert the boat’s main salon into an underwater viewing theater where live videos of underwater activities will be played.