The Buoy Tender
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The Buoy Tender Marker Buoy Dive Club | Seattle, Washington September 2017 In this issue: Myra Wisotzky President Marker Buoy Dive Club President’s Message…………………………………………………… 3 Cover photo credit……………………………………………………… 5 New members……………………………………………………………. 5 Monthly meeting…………………………………………………………. 5 Upcoming events……………............................................................ 6 Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest……………….............................. 6 Seattle Aquarium Octopus Count…………………………………….. 7 MBDC Role in Octopus Count………………………………………… 8 Identifying GPO vs Red Octopus……………………………………... 8 November Meeting Equipment Swap Info…………………………. 9 Form for Swap Items……………………………………………………. 10 Highlights of Dive and Social at Mukilteo Lighthouse Beach…… 11 Cashing in on MBDC 2016 Banquet Prize………………………….. 13 Hanging out in the Cheap Dives..................................................... 15 19 Days of the Bahamas and Irma……………………………………. 17 Cuba Diving………………………………………………………………. 19 Attack of the Juvenile Wolfeel………………………………………... 25 Breathing, Planking, Diving…………………………………………… 27 Shooting Gallery…………………………………………………………. 29 Upcoming trips…………………………………………………………… 35 About Marker Buoys…………………………………………………….. 37 President’s Message We are so fortunate to live in the Puget Sound region! It is easy to take our year-round access to water for granted. Water in which plankton blooms abundantly. Yes this is the cause of murky visibility much of the year. But that plankton is the foundation for the rich invertebrate and vertebrate life amongst which we enjoy div- ing, drifting, swimming, photographing, under-water scootering, teaching, learning…..you get the picture. We love to dive. Luckily we have entered the time of year where the plankton bloom finally settles down for the winter and we are treated to 25+ foot visibility. While diving at Saltwater State Park a couple of weeks ago I was amazed to actually spot the middle reef structure while still hovering over the southern-most reef structure. And our local body of water is just one small part of the Salish Sea – that enormous network of coastal waterways extending out to the Pacific Ocean and up into British Columbia. BC is where I am heading within just a few hours of writing this. I plan to dive two large structures in Howe Sound. One is man-made and has only been underwater for a couple of years. The other is very ancient and was formed from one of nature’s simplest creatures. Yet they both provide structure on which diverse forms of marine life take shelter, flourish and grow. I hope to share, in next month’s newsletter, photos and tales of diving the Annapolis, a Canadian Coast Guard cutter that was sunk in 2015 to create an artificial reef. I am most excited, however, to see the glass sponge bioherm. A bioherm is a reef composed of colonies of sponges living on layers of dead sponge. Until now I was unaware that these sponge “reefs” have created some of the largest biological structures that have ever existed on the planet – with some larger than the Great Barrier Reef! Speaking of reefs and in light of the recent and devastating serial hurricanes experienced in the Caribbean and coastal areas of the U.S. I read that damage to Florida’s coral reefs make the state more vulnerable to storm surges. While Florida’s coral reefs have survived many hurricanes over the millennia the ability of these corals to recover after severe storms has been damaged by rising water temperatures, pollution, and overfishing. Less than 10% of the reef is now covered in living coral and fewer live coral results in less of a buffer for the coast from waves and storms. It is all inter-connected. 3 Which leads me to my soap-box. Marker Buoy is a social club based on a common pas- sion for diving and fun. (And boy do we have fun – with 9 dives and a social/dive event at Mukilteo Lighthouse hosted in September.) But in order to enjoy our time in the water we also have responsibilities to take care of each other and the world in which we dive. This can range from watching out for our buddy, volunteering, donating, making “greener” choic- es in our daily life, lobbying for environmental protections, or simply ensuring that we make choices every day to be kinder to ourselves, to each other and to the environment. Like all those simple sponges each building on the other over years and years to create enormous reefs which support other life – we too can make those individual, small acts add up to cre- ate something that is bigger and better than our selves for future generations. Myra Wisotzky President, Marker Buoy Dive Club 4 Cover Photo Taken by: Steve Kalilimoku Subject and Location: Alabaster Nudibranch at 3 Tree North Camera data: f5.6, 1/160 sec ISO 320 Strobes: Itorch Venusian video lights New Members Mary Christensen Jeff Kind Alan Pottinger Roberto Gordillo Cameron Birge Brian Snouffer Sherie Kojtari Welcome to the Club! You’ve joined one of the most active and social dive clubs in the region. As you can tell from Meetup we have a steady stream of activities going on for divers of all experience and skill levels. You are also invited to attend the monthly club meeting. The meeting is a great opportunity to meet club members in person, hear from interesting speakers, and get into the swing of things. Details are on the Meetup site. • First time dive hosts will receive a 5 fill air card from Lighthouse Dive Center. • If you get 6 Club members to attend you will also earn a 10 fill card from the dive shop of your choice. That’s almost $100 for very little work, but lots of fun. Everybody wins! October Monthly Meeting October 4, 2017 Sunset Hill Community Center Our own nudibranch whisperer, Karin Fletcher, will be presenting information on local nudibranch ID as well as some recent scientific name changes for several common species. Karin, through her years of citizen science, has become known as an authority for her in-depth knowledge of Salish Sea nudibranchs. 5 Upcoming Club Events Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest October 28, 2017 Starting at 9:00am at the Alki Junkyard This truly is a fun event. You don’t have to have any artistic skills, though that’s great too. You do need to bring a pumpkin, any size you can handle. Just remember it takes weight to sink it and you are not allowed to puncture your pumpkin until you are at least below 10ft. The bigger the pumpkin the more weight. That’s part of the challenge, figuring how much weight is needed and how to hold on to your pumpkin, the weights, and the tools you’ll need to carve it with. You are allowed to mark a design on the surface so you know where to carve. You must dive with a buddy. Everyone gets a prize. Its all about having fun. To give you an idea, here are a few photos from last year. 6 7 More Information about MBDC’s Role in the October Octopus Count The map on the previous page shows sites that are being particularly targeted for this year’s Seattle Aquarium’s Giant Pacific Octopus Count. However, many other sites are also included. Our club has been specifically asked to schedule dives for Day Island. You’ll find some already on the club’s Meetup calendar for that purpose as well as to dives at other sites. To participate in the count, join a club dive or do your own dive between October 7-15 and follow the instructions provided at the Seattle Aquarium’s website located at: http://www.seattleaquarium.org/octopus-census The site tells you all of the sites included plus what type of information you need to collect about each Giant Pacific Octopus found. After October 6, it will also have a link to a form you can fill out to submit that information to the Seattle Aquarium. This is a great opportunity to do some citizen science, have some fun, and help scientists to gain knowledge about this iconic resident of our local waters. Giant Pacific Octopus vs Red Octopus Giant Pacific Octopus Red Octopus • No ‘eyelashes’ under eye • 3 ‘eyelashes’ under each eye • Body papillae are flat and paddle-like with • Body papillae are pointed and longitudinal wrinkles along the mantel cylindrical • 1 white spot centrally located in front of • 2 white spots in front of eyes eyes Closeup of the 3 eyelashes 8 Marker Buoy Dive Club Dive Gear “Swap Meet” November 1, 2017 at the Sunset Hill Community Center 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm We are trying something new at our November monthly meeting and hope that there will be something for everyone – whether you want to sell or to buy dive gear. It’s exclusive to Marker Buoy club members only! Instead of our regular meeting, the entire time is dedicated to a Marker Buoy Scuba Gear “Swap Meet”. The holidays are coming…. And of course it’s always time to do some scuba shopping! This is an opportunity for members to sell dive gear that they are no longer using to other club members. The items should be functional, in good condition and of value to other divers. This is also a great opportunity for everyone to create or build up their personal dive kit. How will it work? We hope as simply as possible. Here’s the general plan with more to follow on Meetup and by email. Sellers: Let people know what you plan to bring and sell by posting it in the newly created Message Board Forum “November 1, 2017 Swap Meet”. A list of categories and suggested additional information about your items is provided here (and on the Message Board) to help organize the listings. This gives potential buyers an idea of what’s available, generates interest for the event and helps organizers know how much space to make available for you.