Tacoma's dive shops offer divers a variety services. They offer equipment and supplies, as well as full training and specialty classes. Participation in local dive activities such as Earth Day cleanups is also possible. Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop is an excellent place to start scuba diving. Learn more about Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop’s services.
Earth Day underwater cleanup
Volunteers are coming together from the Tacoma dive community to support the environment this Earth Day. The cleanup takes place at the Point Defiance Boathouse in Tacoma. Last year's event removed 810 pounds of trash from the area's waters. This cleanup is an ongoing effort to protect marine life and preserve our environment. Getting involved is a great way to promote your business and meet other people who enjoy scuba.
Organisers have planned to have kayakers and scuba diver teams work together to take away fishing gear from Tacoma's waterfront. After the net has been removed, divers will transport it from the water with a boat lift. Wounded Warriors will allow some participants to take large pieces of trash or other waste off the water. The organizers believe the cleanup will protect our waters and offer a unique experience.
Rockfish survey
Scuba divers can participate in a Tacoma SCUBA-based rockfish survey to help save endangered species. This dive is part Harbor WildWatch citizen science collaboration with NOAA. Divers of all levels are welcome to participate in the survey. There is no need for survey experience. The training takes place during the dive brief. Night diving is permitted for those who are certified.
WDFW began a multi-year mark-recapture study near Westport, Washington, in 1998. The study includes a tag-recovery monitoring system for sport fishing that allows five annual releases of black rocksfish. These fish were released from pinnacles that were fished by Westport charter fishing boats. Two wire tags with codes were placed in the opercular muscles of the fish for individual identification.
You can get rid of a lot of trash in one go
If you're looking for a place to go scuba diving in the greater Tacoma area, consider the waters near Commencement Bay. This Earth Day, 47 pounds of trash was collected by volunteers from the water by scuba divers. The garbage included octopuses, fishing line, and glass bottles. The Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST), a part of Highline Community College organized the clean up. A MaST cleanup previously removed hundreds and thousands of pounds from the water around Des Moines.
Observation of the wounded bull sea lion
Tacoma, Washington divers had the chance to witness an extraordinary sight while scubadiving. The sight of a bull sealion injured by an arrow stunned divers. The animal sustained a shark bite wound and was blind. Afterwards, Bjorn was transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles where rescuers helped him gain weight. Bjorn, the sea lion's name is after a character on "Vikings", is now his new name. This mighty animal, which is nearly 400 lbs in weight, now resides at the Tacoma Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
The dramatic sight was witnessed by a Tacoma scuba diving team in October. It was the first time that the group had ever seen a sea lion on a dive, and they were so excited about it that they gathered in groups with other scuba divers to watch the creatures in action. Observations of the sea lions reveal their playful nature. Sea lion pups often form groups with similar ages and play with divers in water. The pups enjoy playing with divers and jumping in the water to provide toys for them.