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This handsome sculpture lives outside in Nye Beach, Oregon (suburb of Newport). It's a vivid reminder of just how much 'forgotten' plastic is in the ocean as it was created entirely from shore-collected plastic trash.

We've all heard about the floating plastic pile in the middle of the Pacific. As individuals it's going to be tough to make an impact. But we can start small by cleaning just a 1/2 mile stretch of coastline in West Seattle. Join us on September 25th - do something positive for the environment.

Happy Hour Value

Recently I was at a Happy Hour with my wife when we realized that it made a great metaphor. Everybody knows that Happy Hour portions cost less but you also get less - portions are half-sized and half-priced. That's acceptable if you just want to eat light or save money and are willing to make trade-offs between price and quality.

I saw a TV ad the same day from Wendy's which asked "Since when does Value mean getting Less?" Same concept. It's not a value simply because you're paying less to get less.

Sometimes low course tuition is explainable. Consumers are offered a bundled price of education plus equipment. One subsidizes the other. But what about courses that are simply offered for free or next to free? Not a special promotion, but a regular price designed to attract high volumes of students? These "Scuba Factories" often create students who are certified but not qualified since students aren't receiving full, proper training. The ol' adage "You Get What You Pay For" holds true even in the Scuba industry.

There is a difference in where you get your Scuba education. How do you find an Instructor who is committed to providing value and is more interested in training competent divers than amassing certifications for themselves? Ask your friends for recommendations or research reputations for yourself. Your safety is much too important to go with the lowest price. Choose best value instead.

BTW - we were at the Happy Hour by chance. It's always great to get a discount but we didn't choose the establishment because they were the cheapest. We chose them because of their tasty menu and great reputation. Similarly, most Scuba Instructors will give you a multi-course discount or other incentives if you continue your training with them.

Redondo - Two Divesites in One!

I sometimes forget how lucky we are to have such diverse dive sites so accessible in the Seattle area. Redondo is one of those places with great facilities... across-the-street parking, easy entry access, short surface swims, Salty's restaurant when you're finished... but also two completely different dives conveniently organized along underwater lines. This makes for a great two-dive outing without having to move the car!

Today, my friends Dennis & Aimee joined me for a dive along the "Deep Line".

Ninety five feet max depth for 34 minutes, water temp 49 degrees. Under one of the boat wreckages, it was obvious that there was a Giant Pacific Octopus but we didn't stop to look as there were already some divers checking it out.

What impressed me most of all was the sheer number of shrimp! They were EVERYwhere. I did a REEF survey after the fact and wanted to select whatever comes after 'Abundant'! On our way back up the slope, Dennis found a Bay Pipefish, about 16" long. It was the first time I had seen one other than at the Seattle Aquarium. So it's always cool to see new things!

What else did we see?

Plumose anemones, both dungeness & red rock crabs, the bay pipefish, a fish-eating anemone, kelp crabs, sunflower and spiny pink seastars, copper rockfish and painted greenlings.

Second dive was max depth of 57 feet and just under an hour long. Dennis and I went without Aimee, who was having drysuit issues. It's no fun being wet in a drysuit. :-(

We found the line to the VW Bug - my first visit! In the past, I think I've hit the skinny line and followed it but it stops. A little deeper is a thicker line that connects all the items of interest - the VW Bug, piles of what appear to be streetlight covers, boat wreckages, etc.

What did we see this time?

This time we saw two Giant Pacific Octopusses - one under the passenger side of the VW and another under a boat. We also saw a cute lineup of five penpoint gunnels under the driver's side. I had never seen a buffalo sculpin at this site but we did find one individual and Dennis got some great dramatic photos of it. Definitely would go again.

Check out a comprehensive dive site guide at The Perfect Dive. Please note that photos are from that site and are the property of Jeremy Chevalier.

Got a dive experience to share?

Seattle Restaurants serving Sharkfin Soup

Many people don't realize that hundreds of thousands of sharks are finned alive every year, their defenseless LIVING bodies thrown overboard where they'll die an agonizing death. All so that some affluent asians (the dish costs up to $100/bowl) can show off their success. In general, humanity has wized up on elephant and rhino ivory trade when it was learned that poachers would simply kill the animals for the tusks. The 'civilized' world was repulsed by that. There is no difference between the anti-ivory trade movement and this, which is why it gives me hope that if people are educated, they'll do the right thing. Poachers are economically encouraged to continue unless the market evaporates. You can help by choosing not to patronize restaurants that serve sharkfin soup.

Some of these restaurants accurately protest that the 'fin' is made from flour and crab but it still condones the practice and it's unacceptable in our 'modern' society. The 'culture' of slavery was once in fashion too so don't buy that it's just part of chinese culture. Cultures evolve! This tradition originated 2000 years ago when capturing a shark was a nearly impossible feat. Now sophisticated technology has decimated some shark populations by 90%+ in the last 3 decades. Sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem by keeping everything in check. They're not the indiscriminant human killers portrayed in the movies.

It's not enough just to not eat the Soup... please don't frequent these restaurants and endorse their support for the shark finning industry. If you feel strongly about this, as I do, consider calling up the restaurant and mention that you wanted to bring a large party there but chose not to because of their objectionable menu.

• Bamboo Garden Vegetarian Cuisine; 364 Roy St, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: (206) 282-6616
• Cafe Hue; 312 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 625-9833
• China Gate; 516 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 624-1730
• China Harbor; 2040 Westlake Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: (206) 286-1688
• Ga Ga Loc; 424 Maynard Ave. S. , Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 521-8933
• Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant; 653 S Weller St, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 382-9671
• Honey Court Seafood; 516 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 292-8828
• Jumbo Chinese Restaurant; 4208 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118; Tel: (206) 760-9200
• New Kowloon Seafood Restaurant; 900 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 223-7999
• New Star Restaurant; 516 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 622-8801
• Sea Garden Seafood Restaurant; 509 7th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 623-2100
• Sun Ya Seafood; 605 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 623-1670
• Tai Tung Restaurant; 655 S. King St, Seattle, WA 98104-2937; Tel: (206) 622-7372
• V Garden Seafood Restaurant; 310 4th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 622-2686

Please lead by example and choose not to support these restaurants until they publicly reform their policies.

Another thing you can do is print out cards at the Animal Welfare Institute to leave behind if you accidently find yourself at an asian restaurant and find sharkfin soup on the menu.

If you must eat this dish, consider this - there is evidence that eating shark fin leads to sterility.

View Seattle-area Restaurants Serving Sharkfin Soup in a larger map