Tacoma dive shops offer many services to divers. They offer equipment and supplies, as well as full training and specialty classes. You can also take part in local scuba diving activities like Earth Day cleanups. Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop is a great place for beginners to learn about diving. Learn more about Buzzing Scuba Dive Shop’s services.
Earth Day underwater cleanup
Volunteers from Tacoma's scuba community have joined forces to clean up the environment on Earth Day. The cleanup will take place at Point Defiance Boathouse, Tacoma. The cleanup took out 810 pounds last year. This effort is ongoing to preserve marine life and the environment. Getting involved is a great way to promote your business and meet other people who enjoy scuba.
Organizers are planning to have scuba divers and kayakers work together to remove discarded fishing gear from the Tacoma waterfront. Divers will lift the net out of the water using a boat elevator once it is removed. 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 in the Harbor WildWatch citizen-science collaboration with the NOAA. The survey is open for all divers. No experience or qualification required. Training takes place during the dive brief. The participant must be certified to take part in night diving.
In 1998, WDFW started a multiyear mark-recapture program near Westport, Washington. This study involves a sport fishery tag-recovery monitoring system that involves five annual releases of black rockfish. These fish were released on pinnacles in the area fished by the Westport charter fishing fleet. To determine the individual identity of each fish, two wire tags were attached to the opercular musculature.
Easy exit with only a few pounds trash
If you're looking for a place to go scuba diving in the greater Tacoma area, consider the waters near Commencement Bay. Earth Day volunteers collected 47 pounds worth of trash from the waters. Octopuses, fishing lines, and glass bottles were among the garbage. The Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST), a part of Highline Community College organized the clean up. A previous MaST cleanup removed hundreds of pounds of trash from the waters around Des Moines.
Observation of the wounded bull sea lion
A dive group from Tacoma, Washington, had the privilege of witnessing an incredible sight while 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. Afterwards, Bjorn was transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles where rescuers helped him gain weight. The sea lion is now named Bjorn, after a character in the popular TV show "Vikings." This mighty creature weighs nearly 400 pounds and is now residing at the Tacoma Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
The dramatic sight was witnessed by a Tacoma scuba diving team 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. The lions' playful nature is also apparent during the observation. Sea lion pups tend to gather in groups of similar age, and will play with divers in the water. The pups like to play with divers as well, jumping into the sea to give them toys or interact with bubble streams.