Monthly Newsletters
Happy July from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
We hope you will join us during the month of July for some exciting diving.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY
Happy 4th of July!
Come watch a great firework show over Eagle Harbor Sunday, July 4th.
Best viewing for fireworks is at Pritchard Park.
http://www.pritchardpark.org/Home.html
The firework barge will be located in front of the park. Come early due to limited parking.
Fireworks will begin after dark.
JULY DIVES:
Saturday July 10th— 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 11:10AM for the first dive at The Boulder. The second dive is at Agate Pass.
Sunday July 11th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at Microsoft. The second dive is Metridrium.
Saturday July 17th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at The Cribs. The second dive will be chosen by the Captain.
Saturday July 24th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at Barnacle Bob’s. The second dive is at The Boulder.
Saturday July 31st—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 10:15AM for the first dive chosen by the Captain. The second dive is at Blake Island.
_________________________________________________
Happy June from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
As the weather warms, Puget Sound Dive Charters is gearing up for a busy summer of dive charters! Whether you are leaving the country for a few weeks of vacation or spending the summer close to home, we hope that you will join us for the panoramic beauty and adventure diving provides.
DISCOUNT DIVE DEAL
If you have been on a dive charter with us before and you bring someone that has never dived with us before, you will receive $20 off. This offer ends June 30th. Be sure to mention this deal when you book your reservation.
NOAA WEBSITE
Here’s a great website to consult before diving. NOAA offers coastal wind reports, marine swell and wave data, and tide predictions.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/marine_only.php
Here is an example of a composite plot that details water level, wind speed, and air pressure in the Puget Sound over the last couple of days:
JUNE DIVES:
Saturday June 5th— 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at The Boulder. The second dive is at Barnacle Bob’s.
Saturday June 19th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at The Boulder. The second dive is Shangri-La.
Saturday June 26th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive chosen at Microsoft. The second dive is Metridrium.
Sunday June 27th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:15AM. Both dives will be the Captain’s Choice. Get ready for an adventure!
_________________________________________________
Happy May from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
DIVE DISCOUNT DEAL
If you have been on a dive charter with us before and you bring someone that has never dived with us before, you will receive $20 off. This offer begins May 1st and ends June 30th.
SHELL GAMES
Looking for a book this spring with adventure and local impact? Shell Games, a cops-and-robbers true story of wildlife poachers in the Puget Sound, provides just that. You will be surprised to find out what type of illegal poaching is occurring in our backyard.
MAY DIVES:
Sunday May 2nd— 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at Microsoft. The second dive is The Boss.
Saturday May 15th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 10:00AM for the first dive chosen by the Captain. The second dive is Shangri-La.
Saturday May 29th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 10:00AM for the first dive chosen by the Captain. The second dive is at Blake Island.
Sunday May 30th—2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:30AM for the first dive, Agate Pass Drift Dive. The second dive is Metridrium.
_________________________________________________
Happy April from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
APRIL DIVES:
Saturday April 3rd – 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:15AM for the first dive at Shangri-La. The second dive is at Likers.
Saturday April 10th —2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 10:00AM for the first dive at The Cribs. The second dive is the dive master’s choice.
**Friday April 16th— 1 Night Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 6:45PM for a night dive. The location is TBD.
Saturday April 17th — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:30AM for the first dive at Agate Pass. The second dive is the the Metridrium.
Sunday April 18th — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at The Boulder. The second dive is the dive master’s choice.
Saturday April 24th — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:00AM for the first dive at Barnacle Bob. The second dive is China Reef.
_________________________________________________
Happy March from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE
We have recently improved our website. Bookmark http://www.pugetsounddivecharters.com and check in often for the latest news! Send us your feedback, diving photos, and any ideas you have for the website and/or our monthly newsletter at pugetsounddivecharters@gmail.com
DEEP WATER SHARKS
The six-gilled shark (Hexanchus griseus) has (surprise!) six gill slits unlike most sharks that only have five. During the day, they spend most of their time deep down in the water. At night they will often migrate closer to the surface in order to feed. This is the time in which most divers encounter the six-gilled shark. Little is known about the social behavior and reproductive behavior of this species. Join us on a night dive next month to look for these mysterious fish.
You can see why it is often called a Bluntnose Shark.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF SEAFOOD WATCH?
Seafood Watch is program run by Monterey Bay Aquarium that raises consumer awareness through education and encourages restaurants, distributors, and seafood eaters to purchase seafood from sustainable sources.
Click here to print the Seafood Watch Pocket West Coast Guide to help you choose ocean friendly seafood: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_WestCoastGuide.pdf
Print this guide, fold it, put it in your wallet, and whip it out the next time you are eating at a restaurant or buying groceries at the grocery store. It can help you make sustainable choices so that our dive experiences will be filled with fish and marine life for many years to come.
Seafood Watch’s Motto: There are only so many fish in the sea.
MARCH DIVES:
Saturday March 6th – 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:15AM for the first dive at Shangri-La. The second dive is the dive master’s choice.
Sunday March 7th —2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 8:15AM for the first dive at Orchard Rocks. The second dive is Metridrium.
Saturday March 13th — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:40AM for the first dive at The Cribs. The second dive is the dive master’s choice.
Sunday March 21st — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 9:00AM for the first dive at Blake Island. The second dive is the Metridrium.
Saturday March 27th — 2 Day Dives
The boat leaves the dock at 10:30AM for the first dive at Microsoft. The second dive is The Boulder.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Happy February from Puget Sound Dive Charters!
Thanks for the helpful feedback regarding last month’s newsletter. We appreciate any comments and/or suggestions you have for upcoming months!
INVERTEBRATES USING TOOLS?
Turns out primates (and birds, elephants, mustelids, and cetaceans) aren’t the only tool users in the animal kingdom. It was recently reported that a species of octopus in Indonesia, the veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, uses coconut shells as shelter and armor. For more information and a great video, check out this Scientific American website: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=a-tool-wielding-octopus-this-invert-2009-12-14. 
The veined octopus carrying a coconut shell.
Perhaps our own Northwest octopus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, Enteroctopus defleini, is a tool user. The discovery may just waiting beneath the waves for a diver like to you find.
NEW SUNKEN VESSEL
Another mystery lies below the waves as of early January. A vessel ranging from 32 to 38 feet sunk and then a salvage was attempted by a private salvage company. While on tow to Seattle, the tow line tangled in the propellers of the 60 foot plus salvage vessel. The salvage crew cut the tow line and the salvaged vessel sunk near Eagle Harbor. Attempts to locate the vessel using sonar were unsuccessful. The sunken vessel could be in the area of Blakely Rock, Restoration Point, or Wing Point. Maybe on one of our dives you will be the first to find it!
A sunken vessel in the area of Blakely Rock, Restoration Point, or Wing Point?
FEBRUARY DIVES:
Saturday February 6th – Intermediate Level Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 8:15AM for the first dive at the Cribs. The second dive will be at Likers.
Saturday February 13th- Intermediate Level Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 10:30AM for a first stop at the Microsoft dive site. The second dive will be the Dive Master’s Choice.
Saturday February 20th- Beginner Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 9:30AM for the first dive at The Boss. The second dive will be at Metridium.
Sunday February 21st- Intermediate to Advanced Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 8:30AM for two dives. The first one will be at Shang and the second at China Reef.
Saturday February 27th- Intermediate Dive
The boat leaves the dock at 10:00AM for two dives. The first dive will be at the Cribs and the second dive will be the Dive Master’s Choice.