Dive now in Puget Sound... This unprecedented heat wave may have lost lasting ecological effects.

Hello divers, students, and those thinking about learning how to scuba dive.

While many of you have been enjoying this unseasonably hot weather, for those of you that haven't, I've got some news for you.

I dove in the Puget Sound yesterday and the water temperature to 35 feet was 70°F. Yep, unbelievably and unprecedentedly warm! If anyone has been reluctant to dive in the Pacific Northwest, now is the time.

The water had at least 40 feet of visibility and I saw an amazing variety of life that is usually spread out through different times of year, different depths, temperature ranges, and times of day.

With that said, this unprecedented heatwave could be a sign of trouble for the Puget Sound. While there is over 3,000 miles of coastline in the Sound, I've been told that this kind of heatwave could generate a massive die off.

It would be terribly sad to see so much of what I love disappear. I dove the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and saw coral bleaching below 90 feet and during that entire time I was there, I only saw one Blacktip Reef Shark.

If you want to come see what I've seen, let's go diving... If you have avoided diving in the PNW, now is the time. If you've been putting off learning, let me teach you.

One of the greatest resources on the planet, one that is in our own very back yard, might not be here one day.


--carlos