Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 48 ratingsA look back at the events and people—famous and forgotten—that shaped Newport Beach. Follow on Instagram (newport.in.the.rearview.mirror).
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Episodes
38: The Secrets of Collins Castle
March 01, 2024 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBFor more than 50 years, the Collins Castle stood sentry over Newport Harbor. The concrete mansion once rivaled the stately Balboa Pavilion—five years its junior— for the attention of boaters on the bay. Located on tiny Collins Island, which is one of three islands that make up Balboa Island, the castle was built by Balboa Island's original developer, W.S. Collins, in the early 1910s and has been a part of Newport Beach lore ever since.
37: The Case of the Missing Beach in West Newport
December 06, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBFor decades, the beach in West Newport would occasionally disappear when storm waves stripped away the sand. In the 1930s, one storm wiped out the beach and sent several homes to Davy’s Locker. A later storm wiped out all the oceanfront houses between 50th and 55th streets. The sand returned for a few decades, but in the early 1960s, the West Newport beach started to disappear again – and this time, Mother Nature wasn't giving the sand back. So solutions were offered – almost all of them ...
36: The 9 Lives of the Castaways
October 05, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBThere’s no chunk of land in Newport Beach that’s more historic and has been more malleable than the Castaways. Its chameleon-like ability, enabled by its prime location overlooking the bay and ocean, has given the Castaways nine distinct lives–some historically critical, others largely forgotten, some lasting millions of years, others gone after less than a decade. The one thing they have in common: they are all fascinating.
35: The Prophet Who Predicted and Saved Newport Harbor's Future
September 01, 2023 07:00 - 11 minutes - 7.91 MBIn 1909, W.S. Collins wanted to massively increase the footprint of his Balboa Island development. The land extension would have cut the width of Newport Harbor's main channel by more than half. In those days, the federal government had final approval of any plans for the harbor, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent Captain D.E. Hughes to assess the situation. In just 960 words, he delivered a masterpiece of a report (part love letter, part manifesto) that amazingly predicted the futur...
34: How Junior Lifeguards Became a Rite of Passage for Newport Kids
July 11, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBIn 1984, the first swim test required to join Newport Beach's new junior lifeguard program drew all of three kids. Today, that number has soared to more than 1,500. In an insightful, revealing and occasionally emotional interview, Reenie Boyer–the pioneering female lifeguard and architect of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards–talks about the origins and evolution of the most successful youth program in city history.
33: How Tragedy and a Russian Forged the World's Greatest Lifeguard Department
June 17, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBThe rock-solid foundation for Newport Beach's prized lifeguard operation goes back more than 100 years, forged in tragedy and a Russian immigrant’s belief in 1923 that a city lifeguard department–a rarity in those days–could prevent the frequent drownings that had been occurring in Newport Beach for a half-century, ever since 1870, the year a “new port” was established. In just a few short years, the Russian, Antar "Tony" Deraga would single-handedly remake Newport Beach lifeguards into on...
32: Newport Beach's J.J. Moon — The Greatest Surfer Ever Created
March 23, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBJ.J. Moon was more Paul Bunyon than Kelly Slater. The surf hero of the 1960s was the alter ego of Ned Eckert, a very average weekend surfer–and still a Newport Beach resident, by the way–who enthusiastically embraced a practical joke played on him in 1964 by some world’s best surfers and ran with it until he became a near mythical figure sitting atop the surf world. It’s true that J.J. Moon may have not been the world’s greatest surfer, but he did pull off the biggest hoax in the history o...
31: Extra! Extra! The Rise and Fall of Newport Beach's Newspapers
March 03, 2023 08:00 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBNewport Beach’s rich journalistic history dates to 1870, only a few days after a “new port” was established in Upper Newport Bay and the Los Angeles Star reported the news. Over the years, many local newspapers have come and gone, almost all making some kind of mark on the city. This episode looks at the long line of newspapers that have tried to capture the city's heart (and advertising dollars) and takes a deeper dive into the success of the Daily Pilot, Newport's G.O.A.T publication. Spec...
30: Scouts' Honor — The Rapid Rise and Fall of Jamboree Town
February 11, 2023 21:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBWhen the 1953 National Boy Scout Jamboree came to town, the event created an insta-city of 50,000 Scouts and their leaders in the rolling hills of what's now Newport Center/Fashion Island, Big Canyon and Eastbluff. Guest interview: Don Webb, former Newport Beach council member and mayor who attended the Jamboree as a 14-year-old Scout.
29: Lido Isle — The Island No One Wanted
January 18, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBFor more than six decades beginning in the 1880s. Lido Isle went through a series of owners (most of whom got the island basically for free) and failed developments before—in the latter part of the 20th Century—it turned into some of the most coveted real estate on the West Coast.
28: What's in a Name? The Stories Behind the Naming of 50 Newport Landmarks
January 06, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBEver wonder how a Newport Beach road, school, park, surf spot, canyon or even an offshore rock formation got its name? There's a sadness to the fact that the name's meaning--which was so obvious back in the day--has been lost, something only after a few decades. Time is a thief, and it quickly robs us of the knowledge of such things as why a ravine in Corona del Mar is called Buck Gully, how Jamboree Road got its name or who was Apolena of Apolena Avenue fame, one of the only streets on Ba...
27: A Brief History of Newport's Smallest Islands — Bay, Harbor, Newport and Linda
November 21, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBHow many cities in California can say they are home to eight islands? Just one: Newport Beach. We take a look at the histories of the eight residential islands in Newport Harbor: Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, Collins Island, Bay Island, Lido Isle, Newport Island, Harbor Island and Linda Isle.
27: A Brief History of Newport's Eight Islands (Part 1)
November 21, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBHow many cities in California can say they are home to eight islands? Just one: Newport Beach. We take a look at the histories of the eight residential islands in Newport Harbor: Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, Collins Island, Bay Island, Lido Isle, Newport Island, Harbor Island and Linda Isle.
27: A Brief History of Newport Beach's 8 Islands (Part 1)
November 21, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBHow many cities in California can say they are home to eight islands? Just one: Newport Beach. We take a look at the histories of the eight residential islands in Newport Harbor: Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, Collins Island, Bay Island, Lido Isle, Newport Island, Harbor Island and Linda Isle.
26: Growing Up in Newport with John Wayne as Your Dad
October 28, 2022 07:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThe most famous Newport Beach resident of all time? That's easy. John Wayne. When he lived in Newport in the 1960s and 70s, the Duke, as he was called, reigned as the world's most famous movie star. In this episode, the Duke's youngest son, Ethan Wayne, talks about growing up in Newport Beach with an American icon as a father.
25: Secrets of the Balboa Pavilion
September 30, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBCompleted in 1906, the Balboa Pavilion on the Newport Harbor bayfront is Newport Beach’s oldest, most historic, and most beautiful building, beloved by artists, photographers, locals and visitors alike. It’s the city’s version of the Eiffel Tower. But for being so famous, much of the 100-plus-year history of the pavilion has been long forgotten. Until now. In this episode, we reveal 12 amazing secrets of the pavilion’s long reign as the queen of Newport Beach.
24: The 20 Worst Ideas in Newport Beach History (Part 3)
September 02, 2022 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBA sea captain's decision in 1870 that resulted in countless deaths at the entrance to Newport Bay over the next half-century. A decades-long attempt to turn Newport Harbor into a commercial port. A short-sighted agreement in 1928 to place the Orange County Airport on the banks of Upper Newport Bay. Newport Beach, in one form or another, has been around for more than 150 years, and over that time, there's been some terrible ideas floated, and some even implemented. In the final installment ...
23: The 20 Worst Ideas in Newport Beach History (Part 2)
August 12, 2022 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBTrying to develop Corona del Mar in the early 20th Century. Planning for Fashion Island to be an indoor shopping center. Proposing to jam 80,000 residents (for context, Newport's population today is about 87,000) into the Newport Coast. Newport Beach, in one form or another, has been around for more than 150 years, and over that time, there's been some terrible ideas floated, and some even implemented. In the second installment of this three-part episode, we count down the 12th to the 7th wo...
22: The 20 Worst Ideas in Newport Beach History (Part 1)
July 29, 2022 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBA race-car track on Balboa Island. Surfboard licenses. Tearing down the China House. Newport Beach, in one form or another, has been around for more than 150 years, and over that time, there's been some terrible ideas floated, and some even implemented. In the first installment of this three-part episode, we countdown the 20th to the 13th worst ideas in Newport Beach history.
21: How Newport Beach Became the Kitty Hawk/Woodstock of Hang Gliding
July 14, 2022 07:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBOn a sunny day in the spring of 1971, a ragtag group of adventures gathered on a Newport Beach hilltop to participate in the first hang-gliding meet in modern history. A front-page story in the Los Angeles Times and an eight-page spread in National Geographic magazine about the rickety flying machines and their pilots captured the imagination of readers around the world and launched the sport of hang gliding.
20: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Bridges Edition
June 09, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBThe mostly forgotten, rich history of the many bridges of Newport Beach, beginning in 1889.
19: The Seven Architectural Wonders of Newport Beach
April 05, 2022 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBLegendary architect and Corona del Mar resident Ron Yeo counts down the seven best examples of architecture in Newport Beach.
18: The Dirty Old Wedge: The World's Most Dangerous Bodysurfing Wave
March 01, 2022 09:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBAt the end of the Balboa Peninsula, the Wedge is internationally recognized as the world's best (and most dangerous) bodysurfing spot. In this episode, learn: How the Wedge was created by a manmade accident in 1936. Why no one dared to ride the Wedge for decades. Why bodysurfing at the Wedge faced extinction twice. How a rag-tag group of bodysurfers formed the Wedge Crew and has ruled the break for more than 50 years (all while wearing just Speedos). How bodysurfing the uniquely dangero...
17: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Origins Edition (Part 2)
January 07, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this pop quiz on Newport Beach's origins, you’ll be tested on: Why Newport Landing (Newport’s Plymouth Rock and first port, which is on the site of what’s now the Lower Castaways) became a ghost town virtually overnight after a successful 18-year run. What ingenious method did Newport’s pioneers use to widen and deepen the entrance to Newport Bay in 1876. (It's mindboggling!) How the McFadden brothers, Newport’s founding fathers, selected the site for their oceanside wharf (eventually...
16: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Origins Edition (Part 1)
December 24, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBThis multiple-choice test covers the earliest days of Newport Beach history. The six questions are: Despite explorers and merchants sailing off the coast of California beginning in the mid-1500s, why was there no mention of Newport Bay in the historical record for 300 years? (The answer will surprise you.) Why in 1870 did Capt. Samuel S. Dunnells decide to turn into Newport Bay and search for a "new port" despite ample warnings that the inlet was too dangerous. (The answer is not what yo...
16: Pop Quiz on Newport History (Origins Edition, Part 1)
December 24, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBThis multiple-choice test covers the earliest days of Newport Beach history. The six questions are: Despite explorers and merchants sailing off the coast of California beginning in the mid-1500s, why was there no mention of Newport Bay in the historical record for 300 years? (The answer will surprise you.) Why in 1870 did Capt. Samuel S. Dunnells decide to turn into Newport Bay and search for a "new port" despite ample warnings that the inlet was too dangerous. (The answer is not what yo...
16: Pop Quiz on Newport History, Origins Edition (Part 1)
December 24, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBThis multiple-choice test covers the earliest days of Newport Beach history. The six questions are: Despite explorers and merchants sailing off the coast of California beginning in the mid-1500s, why was there no mention of Newport Bay in the historical record for 300 years? (The answer will surprise you.) Why in 1870 did Capt. Samuel S. Dunnells decide to turn into Newport Bay and search for a "new port" despite ample warnings that the inlet was too dangerous. (The answer is not what yo...
15: The Coastal Freeway: A Postscript
November 30, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.54 MBEpisode 14, "The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster that Almost Destroyed Newport," has generated some amazing responses on social media. Some expressed disbelief at how close Newport was to having a freeway (12 lanes at its widest) run through the center of town. Others simply wanted to thank the Freeway Fighters and others who thwarted this plan more than a half-century ago. And finally, we heard from some Freeway Fighters and their family members who provided first-hand recollections ...
14: The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster Almost Unleashed on Newport
November 13, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBIn 1970, the Newport Beach City Council and California Department of Highways signed an agreement to build a coastal freeway—12 lanes wide in places—that would run through the heart of Newport and include a five-level interchange at MacArthur Boulevard and East Coast Highway. The route had been decided upon, funding was in place, and the Coastal Freeway appeared to be a fait accompli. But then, the Freeway Fighters of the Harbor Area came to the rescue.
14: The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster Almost Unleashed on Newport
November 13, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBIn 1970, the Newport Beach City Council and California Department of Highways signed an agreement to build a coastal freeway—12 lanes wide in places—that would run through the heart of Newport and include a five-level interchange at MacArthur Boulevard and East Coast Highway. The route had been decided upon, funding was in place, and the Coastal Freeway appeared to be a fait accompli. But then, the Freeway Fighters of the Harbor Area came to the rescue.
13: Dora Hill: Newport's First Female Mayor, Greatest Reformer and Killer of Bal Week
September 01, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBIn 1954, Dora Hill, housewife and grandmother, reluctantly entered the Newport Beach City Council race just 10 minutes before the filing deadline and unexpectedly won in a landslide. Garnering the most votes in city history, the victory surprised even her husband, who only agreed to her run for office because he was convinced she would lose. At her first council meeting, she was appointed the city's first female mayor. For the next four years, Mayor Hill would led a reformation of Newport ...
12: Pop Quiz on Newport Beach History (v4)
August 05, 2021 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.49 MBIn our fourth, multi-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history, find out: Why you would find horses on the beach at between the the late 19th Century and the 1930s. What was the castle on Collins Island converted to in the 1940s. Who were the previous tenants of the Mariners Mile building (a classic in Southern California modern architecture) now occupied by the upscale A'marees boutique. What were three things that Newport Beach could "crow" about, according to a Los Angeles Times articl...
11: Newport Nuggets: Three Short Stories Lost to History
July 01, 2021 23:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBNewport Beach history is littered with fun, weird, amazing and/or mindboggling stories that are too thin to make into an entire episode, but too good to pass up. In "Newport Nuggets: Three Short Stories Lost to History," we explores a trio of tales from the early part of the 20th Century: Newport Beach's first doctor and the Spanish Flu pandemic. The summer camp on Little Balboa Island for orphans and children whose parents couldn't take care or them. The popular retreat lasted 30 years (...
10: The Ferry Godfather: The Legend of Joe Beek and the Balboa Island Ferry
June 10, 2021 21:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBJoe Beek is known as the Father of Balboa Island and operator of the Balboa Island ferry for a half century (his family still runs it after more than 100 years). But he was so much more than that. Here's just some of his feats: He was Newport's first harbor master; he marked the bay's channels, built the channel-marker buoys himself, and, in 1923, climbed jetty rocks to place warning lights at the harbor entrance . He served on the city library's first Board of Trustees. He served in Wor...
9: Pop Quiz on Newport Beach History (v3)
May 13, 2021 22:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBThe Corona del Mar jetty is in the process of getting a much-needed makeover. The tattered, 12-foot-wide boardwalk running 750 feet from Pirate's Cove to the rock section of the jetty is getting a new coat of cement, and more boulders are being added on the harbor side so they'll be at the same level as the boardwalk. The work now being done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers caused me to look at the Corona del Mar jetty with fresh eyes. And I couldn't believe what I saw (and wondered why...
8: How David Slayed Goliath and Saved Upper Newport Bay
May 04, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBFrank and Fran Robinson, an unassuming couple who moved to Newport Beach in 1962, learned about the already-approved plans to turn the Upper Newport Bay—also known as the Back Back—into a massive development of extended shorelines, homes, a marina, businesses, and a waterskiing and rowing venue. Even though the dredging had already begun, the Robinsons decided to take on the Irvine Company, one of the largest land developers in the country, to preserve for the public one of California larges...
7: Newport's First (and Grisliest) Murder
April 06, 2021 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBOn the morning of May 23, 1896, a 38-year-old man known as Fisherman Pete was found dead on the floor of his 10x12 shanty, about a 100 yards south of McFadden Wharf (now the Newport Pier). The right side of his head had been crushed, 40 gashes and cuts marked his body, and a number of his fingers had been chopped off. It was Newport Beach’s first murder. It also was the grisliest homicide ever in Newport Beach and maybe all of Orange County. But remarkably, historic crime had been lost to ...
7: Newport's First Murder (1896)
April 06, 2021 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBOn the morning of May 23, 1896, a 38-year-old man known as Fisherman Pete was found dead on the floor of his 10x12 shanty, about a 100 yards south of McFadden Wharf (now the Newport Pier). The right side of his head had been crushed, 40 gashes and cuts marked his body, and a number of his fingers had been chopped off. It was Newport Beach’s first murder. It also was the grisliest homicide ever in Newport Beach and maybe all of Orange County. But remarkably, historic crime had been lost to ...
7: Fisherman Pete and Newport's First Murder (1896)
April 06, 2021 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBOn the morning of May 23, 1896, a 38-year-old man known as Fisherman Pete was found dead on the floor of his 10x12 shanty, about a 100 yards south of McFadden Wharf (now the Newport Pier). The right side of his head had been crushed, 40 gashes and cuts marked his body, and a number of his fingers had been chopped off. It was Newport Beach’s first murder. It also was the grisliest homicide ever in Newport Beach and maybe all of Orange County. But remarkably, historic crime had been lost to ...
6: Pop quiz on Newport Beach history (v2)
March 19, 2021 15:00 - 7 minutes - 5.45 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): Which Newport Harbor island was allegedly won in a high-stakes poker game by a Hollywood celebrity? Note: The seller was a hard-betting horse-racing aficionado, which gives some credence to the popular legend. What was the original use of the El Cholo restaurant building in Corona del Mar? If you don’t know, this will surprise you. What area of Newport Beach did a may...
6: Pop quiz on Newport Beach history (No. 2)
March 19, 2021 15:00 - 7 minutes - 5.45 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): Which Newport Harbor island was allegedly won in a high-stakes poker game by a Hollywood celebrity? Note: The seller was a hard-betting horse-racing aficionado, which gives some credence to the popular legend. What was the original use of the El Cholo restaurant building in Corona del Mar? If you don’t know, this will surprise you. What area of Newport Beach did a may...
6: Pop Quiz on Newport Beach History (v2)
March 19, 2021 15:00 - 7 minutes - 5.45 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): Which Newport Harbor island was allegedly won in a high-stakes poker game by a Hollywood celebrity? Note: The seller was a hard-betting horse-racing aficionado, which gives some credence to the popular legend. What was the original use of the El Cholo restaurant building in Corona del Mar? If you don’t know, this will surprise you. What area of Newport Beach did a may...
5: The Day They Tried to Wipeout the Wedge
March 12, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.66 MBIn a traitorous act to bodysurfers, Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Bob Reed asked the City Council in 1962 to permanently close the Wedge because the world's most dangerous bodysurfing spot was, well, too dangerous. The council voted 6-1 to approve the new ordinance to ban bodysurfing at the Wedge. But at the next City Council meeting, where the ordinance would get a required second reading (usually a formality), bodysurfers turned out en masse to prevent the proposed ban from becoming law. H...
5: The Day They Tried to Wipeout the Wedge (fun-sized episode)
March 12, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.66 MBIn a traitorous act to bodysurfers, Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Bob Reed asked the City Council in 1962 to permanently close the Wedge because the world's most dangerous bodysurfing spot was, well, too dangerous. The council voted 6-1 to approve the new ordinance to ban bodysurfing at the Wedge. But at the next City Council meeting, where the ordinance would get a required second reading (usually a formality), bodysurfers turned out en masse to prevent the proposed ban from becoming law. H...
4: Where the Buffalo Roamed in Newport Beach
March 04, 2021 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBWe take a visit to Newport Beach's quirky, beloved, doomed-from-the-start and (by today's standards) wildly politically incorrect Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch. Guest: Author and local historian Duncan Forgey who fondly recounts attending a birthday party at the Buffalo Ranch as a 9-year-old.
3: Pop Quiz on Newport History (v1)
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): What eyesore did the City Council nearly approve in 1956 that would have been just off the coast of Newport? What year were Corona del Mar's parking issues first brought to City Hall? Who was Bob Henry, the namesake of the park on the Castaways bluff? What amazing find did workers uncovered on the banks of the Back Bay during the construction of the Newporter Inn ...
3: Pop quiz on Newport history (v1)
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): What eyesore did the City Council nearly approve in 1956 that would have been just off the coast of Newport? What year were Corona del Mar's parking issues first brought to City Hall? Who was Bob Henry, the namesake of the park on the Castaways bluff? What amazing find did workers uncovered on the banks of the Back Bay during the construction of the Newporter Inn ...
3: Pop quiz on Newport history (No. 1)
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBA five-question, multiple-choice pop quiz on Newport Beach history. Here are the questions (no Googling before listening): What eyesore did the City Council nearly approve in 1956 that would have been just off the coast of Newport? What year were Corona del Mar's parking issues first brought to City Hall? Who was Bob Henry, the namesake of the park on the Castaways bluff? What amazing find did workers uncovered on the banks of the Back Bay during the construction of the Newporter Inn ...
2: Newport Beach's Greatest Storyteller
February 02, 2021 13:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBIf Newport Beach had a Mount Rushmore, Judge Robert Gardner would be on it. Among his legacies: Pioneering bodysurfer, groundbreaking judge and master storyteller whose tales of early Balboa provide the best (and most entertaining) account of the city's early days. Guest: Nancy Gardner, the judge's daughter.
1: Killer Whale Captured Alive in Newport Harbor!
January 21, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBIn 1961, a wayward killer whale named Wanda was trapped in Newport Harbor by Marineland dolphin hunters, earning her the dubious distinction of being the first orca in the world to be taken into captivity. The sensational story, which has had a tragic international legacy of more than 50 years, is a largely forgotten chapter in Newport Beach history.