A few weeks ago we announced the death of one of the great members of our fishing community. Now that the dust has settled, we thought it best to have a brief history of Don and his impact on the Southern California fishing community.
As BD Outdoors contributor Gary Graham said.
The Legend of Don Hansen / April 10, 1934 – January 5, 2022
Donald Keith Hansen was born in Iowa City, Iowa on April 10, 1934. By 1940, Hansen’s family had moved to San Clemente, California, a small development overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Questions were asked whether Don or the Pacific Ocean were the luckiest as their futures had been linked for almost eight decades. I would answer that they were both better at being part of each other. Don has spent his life advocating and promoting public access to sport fishing and whale watching, earning a reputation as an international magnet for marine recreation. His leadership never slowed down. His humor never dulled and his concern never ceased.
His ethics, integrity, ideas, vision and insight have earned him a place at the tables of many community and government organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and in state, county and local arenas. cities. He decided to do what was right and reasonable, allowing him to become a “Influencer Extraordinary” long before the descriptive term was coined.
His future began with a red cart when 12-year-old Don started hauling fish from the San Clemente pier to the parking lot for anglers who fished on the small fleet of sport fishing boats that offered fishing trips on the waters off the Pacific coast.
Upon reaching high school, Don had managed to convince one of the captains to allow him to become a pinhead, which eventually led to him becoming a paid deckhand, working during his summer vacation at the ‘school. At 18, he graduated from high school and volunteered to join the Coast Guard just before World War II broke out.
A Korean War veteran, his tour of duty lasted four years, two of which were on Guam. Don enjoyed his time in the Coast Guard and often attended Memorial Day services held in San Clemente and Dana Point each year.
Upon his return from duty, he began attending classes at Orange Coast College and earned his captain’s license at the age of 23.
He began his new career as a captain, running the Mustang, a charter boat, for Bob Miller at his hometown wharf, and eventually worked for Nelson Cook at San Clemente Sportfishing.
He captained or helped build every boat in the San Clemente Sportfishing fleet over the next decade, which ultimately led to his buying the company in 1966.
His day began at the unholy hour of 4 am. He would help retrieve the boats, fill them with fuel and bait, sell the tickets, then direct one of them to San Clemente Island or another fishing hotspot. He oversaw and operated a fleet of four different anglers during this time, averaging 10,000 anglers each season from the San Clemente Pier for the next 25 years.
He rarely took a day off. And, remembering, he confirmed: “I enjoyed every minute.”
Meanwhile, realizing an opportunity to use his fleet to share the beauty of whales and dolphins, Don and his friend Phillip Grignon (a San Clemente High School teacher) began using the boats to take local students to watch the majesty of whales at sea. .
However, when he heard that Dana Point Harbor was starting construction, he took the initiative to move his business there.
Affection for his home and the San Clemente Pier was an important consideration, as was his involvement in that community for over a quarter of a century. However, moving to Dana Point offered too many opportunities for his successful business to ignore.
For example, Dana Point Harbor would offer a ready supply of diesel for boats, constant and close access to bait, and the security of loading customers from the dock in a protected harbor rather than unloading them during risky and unpredictable swells. against an open sea. pier.
After moving to the new Dana Point Harbor in 1971, he founded Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, becoming the originator of whale watching in Orange County.
The start-up of the whale-watching industry kept its fleet busy during the off-season. He also created the Dana Point Festival of Whales to celebrate the migration of gray whales and other cetaceans (whales, dolphins or porpoises) along the Southern California coast. Don was delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Festival in 2021. It is currently the longest running festival of its kind in the world.
The 51st Annual Dana Point Whale Festival in 2022 will be dedicated to honoring Donald “Captain Don” Hansen.
Hansen was thrilled to introduce his daughter Donna and son Mike to the family business and treasured what they and their employees (some of whom have worked at Dana Wharf for over 30 years) have accomplished together.
The business has grown to include sport fishing and whale watching at Dana Point and Oceanside Harbor. Under Don’s watchful eye, the Hansen team has continually been active in charity work, volunteering and helping the community, just examples of its philosophy.
He has served as vice president of the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC), president of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, chairman of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, and a member of the boards of numerous other organizations, including his local hospital.
“The word ‘served’ does not do justice to the decades he spent in each position and the efforts he made for the betterment of the family, the fleet and the community.” …Ken Franke, President, Sportfishing Association of California (SAC).
Don has received numerous awards and words of recognition over the years – a few recent highlights include the Coastal Conservation Association of California (CCA CAL) highest honor, the 2021 Anthony Hsieh Conservation Award, in recognition of decades of tireless work and dedication to improving California sport fishing and making angling accessible to everyone.
Don loved his fleet and spent his life advocating and promoting public access to sport fishing and raising awareness of the awe-inspiring whales and dolphins his fleet and passengers saw daily off Dana Point. His leadership never slackened, his humor never dulled and his concern never ceased.
He is survived by his children: sons David Hansen (Kelly), Michael Hansen (Deanna), Jeff Jonas (Elizabeth); daughters: Jenifer Gressett (David), Jane Graff, Donna Kalez (Mark); and grandchildren: Zac Hansen (Talia), Sean Hansen, Jake Graff, Jason Graff, Alexis Persons (Blake), John Gressett, Erik Gressett, Shannon Herrera (Christian), Shane Hansen, Christine Jonas, Bennett Jonas, Cameron Jonas, Tess Jonas, Julia Kalez and Emily Kalez.
Don loved his family intensely and was proud of them all. Her 15 beloved grandchildren were the lights of her life.
I saw a video of “Don’s 86th Surprise Drive-by Covid-19 Parade” 4-10-2020; he sat in a folding chair in his driveway in socks, as car after car of friends and family passed with happy birthday signs and calling out love greetings. Don shouted thank you to each vehicle, always with a smile on his face, never showing impatience. Although he yelled once or twice that he was ready for his food!
Far too soon, his friends and loved ones had to meet again. About a thousand attended the celebration of his life held on January 29, a year later, at the Ocean Institute, Dana Point, and 300 on the boats for the burial at sea.
Don Hansen, “Influencer Extraordinary”, touched many lives before he left this earth and changed the path many have taken. It was easy to believe in him because Captain Don cared and he let you know.
