Dana Point has the Ocean Institute, an amazing science-based non-profit organization, that is dedicated to educating the community through programs. You will find the array of sea life well-documented in this living museum. The Pilgrim replica tall ship is based off of Richard Henry Dana, Jr. journey mentioned in his novel Two Years Before the Mast. Dana shared, “On board the Pilgrim, everything went on regularly, each one trying to get along as smoothly as possible; but the comfort of the voyage was evidently at an end… After two years’ hard service, they had seen the worst, and all, of California;—had got their cargo nearly stowed, and expected to sail in a week or two, for Boston. We spent an hour or more with them, talking over California matters, until the word was passed—’Pilgrims, away!'” You can read more about their voyage on the Pilgrim webpage.
— Field Notes —
Ocean Institute
March 30, 2018