Tacoma dive shops offer many services to divers. They also offer supplies and training, and specialize classes. Participating in local scuba diving activities such as Earth Day clean-ups is possible. If you are interested in diving and want to learn more, check out Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop, a great place to get started. Learn more about Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop’s services.
Earth Day underwater cleanup
Volunteers from the Tacoma scuba community are joining forces to help the environment this Earth Day. The cleanup will be held at Point Defiance Boathouse in Tacoma. Last year's event removed 810 pounds of trash from the area's waters. This is an ongoing effort that protects marine life and preserves the environment. Scuba diving is an enjoyable hobby that can be promoted and shared with others.
Organisers have planned to have kayakers and scuba diver teams work together to take away fishing gear from Tacoma's waterfront. Divers will then lift the net from the water by using a boatlift. Wounded Warriors will allow some participants to take large pieces of trash or other waste off the water. The organizers are hopeful that the cleanup will save our waterways and provide a unique experience to the community.
Rockfish survey
Scuba divers can help save threatened rockfish species by participating in a community-based rockfish survey at Tacoma SCUBA. This dive is part the Harbor WildWatch citizen science partnership with the NOAA. All divers are welcome to join the survey, and there is no survey experience necessary. The training takes place during the dive brief. Participation in night dives requires certification.
In 1998, WDFW started a multiyear mark-recapture program near Westport, Washington. This project involves a five-year annual release of black rockfish as part of a sport fishing tag-recovery system. These fish were released on pinnacles in the area fished by the Westport charter fishing fleet. This survey involves the placing of two wire tags in the opercular muculature of these fish in order for them to be identified after capture.
Easy exit with only a few pounds trash
Consider the waters near Commencement Beach if you're looking to go scuba dive in the greater Tacoma vicinity. Earth Day volunteers collected 47 pounds worth of trash from the waters. Octopuses, fishing wire, and glass bottles were all part of the garbage. The Marine Science and Technology Center, part of Highline Community College, organized the clean-up. A MaST cleanup in the past removed hundreds upon thousands of pounds of trash around Des Moines.
Observation: Bull sea lion wounded
Tacoma dive group, Washington had the honor of seeing an amazing sight while they were scuba diving. Divers were shocked to see a bull sealion being wounded by an archer. The shark bite left a scar on the eye of the blind animal. Bjorn, who was blind from the shark bite, was taken to Los Angeles' Marine Mammal Care Center where rescuers assisted him in gaining weight. Bjorn is the name of the sea lion, named after a character from "Vikings". This mighty creature is almost 400 pounds in weight and is currently residing at Tacoma Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
This spectacular sight was witnessed by a Tacoma group of scuba divers in October. It was their first encounter with a sealion during a dive. They were so excited to be able to share the experience with other scuba divers. Observations also reveal the playful nature of sea lions. Sea lion puppies tend to be in groups of the same age as their parents and will play with divers in shallow water. The pups love to interact with bubble streams and jump into the water with divers to give them toys.