Tacoma's dive shops offer divers a variety services. They also offer supplies and training, and specialize classes. You can also participate in local scuba diving events 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 the Tacoma Scuba Community are joining forces to save the environment for Earth Day. The cleanup takes places at the Point Defiance Boathouse near Tacoma. The cleanup removed 810 pounds worth of trash from the waters last year. This cleanup is part of an ongoing effort to conserve marine life as well as preserve the environment. You can promote your business by getting involved and meet others who enjoy scuba diving.
To remove fishing gear from Tacoma's waterfront, organizers plan to get kayakers and divers together. 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 believe the cleanup will protect our waters and offer a unique experience.
Rockfish survey
Scuba divers can save endangered rockfish species by taking part in a Tacoma SCUBA rockfish survey. This dive is part Harbor WildWatch citizen science collaboration with NOAA. The survey is open for all divers. No experience or qualification required. Training takes place during the dive brief. Participation in night dives requires certification.
In 1998, WDFW began a multiyear study on mark-recapture near Westport in Washington. The monitoring system of sport fishery tag-recovery monitoring involves five annual releases. These fish were released from pinnacles that were fished by Westport charter fishing boats. The survey involves the placement of two coded wire tags within the opercular musculature of these fish to determine individual identification after recapture.
Easy exit with only a few pounds trash
You can go scuba diving near Commencement Bay if you are looking for a spot in the Greater Tacoma area. Earth Day saw 47 pounds of garbage collected by volunteer divers. Octopuses, fishing net, and glass bottles made up the majority of the garbage. The clean-up was organized by the Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST), part of Highline Community College. The waters around Des Moines were cleaned up by the MaST in a previous cleanup.
Observation of the wounded bull sea lion
Tacoma, Washington dive group had the opportunity to witness an amazing sight while scuba diving. The sight of a bull sealion injured by an arrow stunned divers. According to reports, the injured animal was blind from shark bites and had a scar from an arrow. Bjorn was then taken to the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, where rescuers helped him gain weight. Bjorn was named for a character in "Vikings" TV series. 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. The lions' playful nature is also apparent during the observation. Sea lion pups are more likely to play in the water with divers of similar age and group together. The pups also like to play with the divers, jumping into the water to give them toys and interacting with bubble streams.