At a Glance

The 4ever Wild reported hitting a rock and taking on water about 12:30 p.m.The crew purposely grounded the 60-foot catamaran on a small island near Seattle.All the passengers were safely transferred to rescue boats.

More than 40 people were rescued from a whale watching boat that grounded on a small island Thursday afternoon after taking on water in Puget Sound, Coast Guard officials say.

The crew of the boat, a 60-foot catamaran named 4ever Wild, , about 10 miles northwest of Seattle, the Coast Guard said.

Crews from the Coast Guard, Naval Air Station Whidbey and a Joint Resource Center out of Victoria, British Columbia, were helping with the rescue.

The Coast Guard said 41 people were taken off the boat, which is registered out of Vancouver, British Columbia, and operated by Eagle Wing Tours. Four crew members remained on board to help with salvage operations.

The first report of a problem came about 12:30 p.m. PDT. Passengers were aboard a Coast Guard boat and , Coast Guard spokeswoman Amanda Norcross told the Seattle Times.

CTV News Vancouver reported that and began taking on water.

The whale watching tour company dispatched two boats to take passengers back to Victoria.