Watchers have a whale of a time

Elia Powers

Bill Scott has a business deal that’s hard to beat. The Newport Beach

resident and fishing boat captain promises passengers on his

whale-watching tours that if they don’t see any of the giant marine

mammals, the next tour is free.

That has happened only twice out of about 10 runs this season, but

Scott wants to make sure riders get the most out of their experience.

“This tour is about observation,” he said. “And what good is that

if the whales aren’t around?”

Helga Meehleder, a former Orange County resident who recently

moved to Massachusetts, said she appreciated the goodwill.

“It was a great tour, even though we didn’t see any whales,” she

said Thursday, one of the sunniest days since whale-watching season

began just before Christmas. “[Scott] did his best to keep us

interested.”

An avid boater, Scott has led the tours through Fun Zone Boat Co.

for the past 12 years. He takes up to 45 passengers on “Reveille,” a

50- by 17-foot sportfishing boat that makes daily, two-hour-plus runs

from Newport Harbor to Dana Point and back.

The tour costs $16 for adults and $11 for children younger than

12. It is free for children 5 or younger.

Fun Zone Boat Co., at the end of Palm Street on the Balboa

Peninsula, gives tours every hour, seven days a week from 11 a.m. to

4 p.m. during winter months. Narrated harbor tours and dinner cruises

are among those offered.

Scott’s tours run from late December through mid-April, which

coincides with whale-watching season.

He said thousands of whales migrate south during the winter

months, looking to mate off the coast of Mexico. Gray whales,

anywhere from 35 to 45 feet long, are the most common ones spotted on

his tours.

“You have to be watching closely, because the whales only come up

for a few seconds at a time,” Scott said.

The tour normally goes 10 miles in either direction from the

Balboa Peninsula, though the exact route depends upon the time of

year, he said.

A handful of whale-watching tours are available this time of year,

and the companies work together to provide information about the best

spots for sighting the mammals, he said.

“This isn’t a contest,” Scott said. “We’re here to help each other

out.”

For more information, call Fun Zone Boat Co. (949) 673-0240.