• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
Dana Point Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Ocean Institute Jazz Festival Fundraiser
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Ocean Institute Jazz Festival Fundraiser
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
Dana Point Times
No Result
View All Result

Food Network’s ‘Duff Takes the Cake’ Celebrates Whale Watching

by Dana Point Times
June 16, 2020 5:02PM
in EYE ON DP
Food Network’s ‘Duff Takes the Cake’ Celebrates Whale Watching

Food Network's 'Duff Takes the Cake' celebrated Dana Point as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world. Photo: Andrea Swayne

0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Lillian Boyd, Dana Point Times

In March, the Food Network’s cable-TV baking show Duff Takes the Cake centered an episode on Dana Point’s Festival of Whales and the work that Donna Kalez and Gisele Anderson had put into securing a trademark to make the city the official “Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World.”

Since then, the novel coronavirus put an abrupt halt to the second weekend of the Festival of Whales’ 2020 festivities and whale watching for nearly three months. But the airing of the episode on Monday, June 15 comes as businesses begin to reopen, offering glimmers of hope.

Festival of Whales Coordinator Andrea Swayne enlisted the help of Dana Point Mayor Rick Viczorek in requesting one of Duff’s epic cakes to present to Kalez (Dana Wharf Whale Watching) and Anderson (Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari) to honor their success with trademarking Dana Point as the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World. Swayne and Viczorek requested the presentation coincide with the celebration of the 49th annual Dana Point Festival of Whales.

Natalie Sideserf specializes in hyperrealistic cakes on Food Network’s ‘Duff Takes the Cake.’ Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Sideserf

The presentation was made aboard the OCean Adventures catamaran on March 14, a combination celebratory cake reveal party and whale watching excursion.

“The artistry and authenticity Duff and his team put into every cake is second to none,” Swayne said. “We knew Donna and Gisele would be blown away. We were so excited and thankful to be able to share this amazing honor with two very deserving women. Duff and crew delivered as usual. It was a whale of a day. The realism of the gray whale depicted in the cake was amazing, but the mini Donna and Gisele sculptures aboard the whale watching cake catamaran were so cute, they nearly stole the show.”

Kalez went into the 2020 year optimistic about celebrating the trademark she had secured with Anderson in addition to the 49th year for the festival. But state directives to close nonessential businesses yielded stark consequences for Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, as well as Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Safari.

Food Network’s ‘Duff Takes the Cake’ celebrated Dana Point as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world. Photo: Andrea Swayne

Kalez, the manager of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, had to issue thousands in refunds to hundreds of people and groups who had booked whale watching and fishing trips. Whale watching trips are often dependent on hotel bookings. With hotels having zero occupancy throughout the stay-at-home order, zero reservations meant zero income for the business and having to lay off 42 employees. In June, she brought back 20 employees and is now taking small steps toward normalcy. Dana Wharf is now offering fishing trips and whale watching excursions at a limited capacity with added safety precautions.

Disinfectant solution is available on the vessel for public use. Both passengers and crew members are required to wear face coverings. The crew also washes their hands every 30 minutes and wears gloves when possible. Loading is executed by using space marks, to allow for distancing between guests, thus avoiding crowded lines, and vessel capacities have been limited to avoid large gatherings and to provide social distancing. Indoor areas are monitored to limit the number of people who can be inside at any one time. After each trip, the vessel is cleaned again and sanitized.

Donna Kalez and Gisele Anderson worked together to secure Dana Point as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world. Photo: Courtesy of Andrea Swayne

“We can’t do music cruises or large fishing trips. The Dana Pride can board 149 people, but we are only allowing 50 right now,” Kalez said. “We were still taking calls (during the stay-at-home order), and anglers were desperate to get out on the water. We’re able to do fishing trips, but it’s taking baby steps.”

Captain Dave’s Dolphin Safari is also taking reservations for whale watching trips. “Super-Safe Safaris,” both public and private, are available. Public Super-Safe Dolphin & Whale Signature Safaris are available to book now aboard the catamaran Manute’a and on the zodiac-style boats, with limited guest capacity for social distancing. Private Super-Safe Single-Family Safaris are available to reserve, too, with limited-time discounted pricing.

“It’s blue whale season, but we are seeing a tremendous amount of humpbacks. We saw six of them during one excursion,” Kalez said. “We’re just happy to be back out on the water. It isn’t under the circumstances we want, but one step at a time.”

Duff Takes the Cake: Baked on the Waterfront first aired on the Food Network on Monday, June 15. Upcoming airings are scheduled for Monday, June 29 at 10:30 p.m. PCT and Tuesday, June 30 at 1:30 a.m. PCT.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is LB_1.jpg

Lillian Boyd Lillian Boyd is the senior editor for Picket Fence Media and city editor for Dana Point Times. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Humboldt State University. Her work experience includes interviewing incarcerated individuals in the Los Angeles County jails, an internship at the Pentagon covering U.S. Army news as well as reporting and anchoring for a local news radio station in Virginia. Follow her on Twitter @Lillianmboyd and follow Dana Point Times at @danapointtimes.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: blue whalesdolphin and whale watching capitalDolphinsDonna Kalezduff takes the cakeFeaturedFestival of Whalesfood networkgisele andersonHumpback Whalewhales
ShareTweetPin

Dana Point Times

Related Posts

The Blend

Best of Dana Point: The Blend Merges Yoga, Pilates, HIIT for Comprehensive Workout

March 21, 2023
RJ's Cafe

Best of Dana Point: Family Atmosphere Surrounds ‘Best Breakfast’ Experience at RJ’s Café

March 20, 2023
Dana Wharf Whale Report: As Gray Whales Continue Northbound Migration, Fin Whales Populate the Coast

Dana Wharf Whale Report: As Gray Whales Continue Northbound Migration, Fin Whales Populate the Coast

March 18, 2023
Best of Dana Point: Best New Restaurant Giana Bakery + Provisions Captures Magic of Food Service Industry

Best of Dana Point: Best New Restaurant Giana Bakery + Provisions Captures Magic of Food Service Industry

March 18, 2023
Next Post
Capo Beach Fire Station Presented with Memorial Flag

Capo Beach Fire Station Presented with Memorial Flag

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

DP Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the DP Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Dana Point Times
  • San Clemente Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • DP Chamber Directory

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Ocean Institute Jazz Festival Fundraiser
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.