Don Hansen, credited for bringing whale watching to Orange County and as the first to start a business in the Dana Point Harbor, is being recognized for his impact and commitment to giving the public greater access to life in the ocean.

An 8-foot memorial sign will be added in Hansen’s honor – he died last month at age 87 – on Dana Point Harbor Drive just off Pacific Coast Highway, the City Council decided this week.

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“It’s just overwhelming, but it’s also such an honor to have the city recognize him and have his legacy continue,” said Donna Kalez, Hansen’s daughter, who, with her brother Micheal Hansen, operates the Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching business started by her father. “It’s so beautiful, he drove that road into the harbor every day. It’s so meaningful; we can’t thank the city enough.”

The sign, decorated in sparkling blue with a whale tail, will be unveiled during this year’s 51st Festival of Whales, an event Hansen started.

“He’s important to past residents, current residents and to those going forward. Everything he’s done is important to Dana Point,” Mayor Joe Muller said about city leaders’ desire to find a way to honor Hansen and his contributions.

The Festival of Whales, which typically draws tens of thousands and includes a parade also started by Hansen is scheduled for next month and will be dedicated in its founder’s honor.

The Ocean Institute will hold the opening ceremony on March 4, the parade through the harbor is on March 5 and the weekend’s events will include whale-watching trips, a street fair, an art show and a concert at Baby Beach.

Hansen, who operated a sportfishing company that he later thought to use to take people whale watching, giving life to that industry in Orange County and giving people an experience on the water few otherwise had access to, was also recently remembered in a celebration of life on Jan. 28 at the Ocean Institute.

At the memorial, Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett also talked about renaming a street in the harbor in Hansen’s name. But, in collaboration with the Dana Point Harbor Partners – which is leading a $330 million renovation of the harbor – Bartlett announced on Friday, Feb. 18, that instead a harbor plaza will bear his name. She said that would be meaningful to Hansen’s family and benefit harbor visitors who could learn about his contributions.

“Don Hansen was synonymous with whale watching and sportfishing in Dana Point,” Bartlett said. “His passion for sharing his love of the ocean and these amazing creatures with residents and visitors alike put Dana Point on the map and left an indelible mark on our community.”

The plaza, a popular gathering area where people wait to board whale watching boats and the Catalina Express, will be dedicated, along with a plaque detailing Hansen’s legacy, later and incorporated into the harbor renovation. The area is bordered by Hansen’s Dana Wharf business and Frisby Cellars, Jon’s Fishmarket and Waterman’s Harbor.

Kalez said she and her family “love” the location of the plaza.

“Our family wishes to thank Supervisor Bartlett for her constant support to make sure that our dad’s memory is meaningful and ensures that his legacy will live on forever through the Hansen Plaza,” she said.

Hansen had been instrumental in pushing for the harbor renovation along with other longtime harbor merchants, Bob Mardian of the Wind & Sea Restaurant and Jim Miller of Coffee Importers.

Bartlett said Hansen prodded her over the years about wanting to see progress on the revitalization. The county inked its deal with the developer group, that has taken over the harbor’s lease from the county,  in 2018.

“It is important that visitors know the story of Don Hansen, and that much of what they see today in the harbor would not exist without him.” Bryon Ward, president of Burnham-Ward Properties and part of Dana Point Harbor Partners, said.

Another unrelated change at the harbor does include a street name.

In December, the county Board of Supervisors approved a name change for a 750-foot segment of Golden Lantern that crosses over Dana Point Harbor Drive.

The portion leading into the harbor will become Harbor Way.