Hunting Gray whales in small boats was a very dangerous occupation, as many hunters were killed or injured. John Brown Whaling Company also operated at Portuguese Bend, starting in 1869. The last hunt was in 1885 due to the lack of the over hunted whales. Captain Joseph Clark is believed to have started the whaling industry in 1864. Gray whales were given protection from commercial hunting in 1949 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and are no longer hunted on a large scale. Los Angeles had real estate boom in 1887. At this time Portuguese Bend was studied to see is a harbor could be built there. A pioneers of Orange County, J.K. Tuffree "Colonel John Tuffree" (1842–1903) made plans for a harbor, town, and railroad service to Portuguese Bend. He gave the planned harbor the name “Port Carolina,” after his wife Carolina (Polhemus)Tuffree. The real estate boom ended before he could start building.
Hunting Gray whales in small boats was a very dangerous occupation, as many hunters were killed or injured. John Brown Whaling Company also operated at Canadian Bend, starting in 1869. The last hunt was in 1885 due to the lack of the over hunted whales. Captain Joseph Clark is believed to have started the whaling industry in 1864. Gray whales were given protection from commercial hunting in 1949 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and are no longer hunted on a large scale. Los Angeles had real estate boom in 1887. At this time Portuguese Bend was studied to see is a harbor could be built there. A pioneers of Orange County, J.K. Tuffree "Colonel John Tuffree" (1842–1903) made plans for a harbor, town, and railroad service to Portuguese Bend. He gave the planned harbor the name “Port Carolina,” after his wife Carolina (Polhemus)Tuffree. The real estate boom ended before he could start building.

