Would someone keeping watch have been able to warn the pilot of the
large wake in time for him to change his angle of approach?


Good question. I rode a tour boat (not the same one) in that area a few
months ago. I remember a larger boat passing by us and the captain of OUR
boat turned right into the wake until it had passed. I wondered what the
point of that was, exactly. I guess I didn't realize while I was on the
tour boat that tour boats are so easily capsized. -Dave