This is the first time Scooby-Doo shows any aggression toward another animal. In all previous series, he is kind and friendly toward not only cats but others such as mice, gophers, chicks, etc.
Plot and character elements are recycled from other Hanna Barbera projects written by Glenn Leopold, including The Curse of Kataluna (an unfinished work), Eclipse (1996), and The Pirates of Dark Water (1991) which had a pirate ship named Maelstrom.
This film marks the first time someone besides Casey Kasem voices Shaggy. Reason being, Kasem refused to provide the voice of Shaggy if he would not be vegetarian like himself (Shaggy eats crayfish in this movie). Instead, Shaggy is voiced by Billy West.
Adrienne Barbeau was an early scream queen beginning with her first movie: the similar ghost-themed cult classic The Fog (1980). She was also in Swamp Thing (1982), which has a similar bayou setting.