Cleanup, Chamber Day, Yap, & more

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Now that the Cleanup is behind us . . .

CLEANUP RESULTS - 298 divers were registered for the event, which was held on what became a beautiful day in Avalon (but which started out cold) as they dove the harbor to pick up trash. Prelim figures indicate that around $20,000 was netted, which will be split evenly between the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber and the Beautify Avalon project for U/W Park improvements. Nicely done and now we can talk about . . .

CHAMBER DAY 2026 - First of all, the date is Wednesday. May 6. (It's always the first Wednesday in May.) We've got six boats lined up for actual diving on Chamber Day (Cee Ray, Giant Stride, Pac Star, SoCal Diver, Sundiver, & Sundiver Express), there's the Flying Dutchman reserved for those who can't dive on May 6, we've got sponsors for the 35 tables that will comprise Chamber Evening, and we'll have the Chamber Challenge as well. Prices for both the Day and the Evening event are the same as 2025, $175 for either one. (You can also add the VGD option to Ch-Eve for another $50.) If you're not already aware, Chamber Day overall is the largest single-day scuba charity event in the US (involves about 1,000 people all told) and is critical to help maintain healthy funding levels for our Chamber. Last year we cam tantalizingly close to raising $200,000 and maybe this is the year we cross that threshold. The big thing for you to remember is that we appreciate donations of any amount, it all goes for a good cause, and you don't want to contemplate what SoCal diving would be like without a safety net like our Chamber standing at the ready to help divers when needed. You can sign up for all aspects of the event starting next Sunday, March 1, on the website (www.chamberday.org), or by calling Chamber Day HQ at 310/652-4990. And even though Reef Seekers has for years served as the main organizer, this is by no means "our" event. All the area shops, boats, and clubs get involved, as well as many of the manufacturers, and that's what makes the event so special. It's one of the times in the year when we all put aside the little differences and come together for the greater good. We like to consider it "ecumenical." We hope to have your support in whatever form what makes sense for you.

SNEAK PEEK AT THE LOGOS - Every year, we custom-design logos for Chamber Day, the Flying Dutchman, and Chamber Eve. This year, we decided to get a little assistance from AI (I think these were done using ChatGPT). Here's your sneak peek at all three. There are not yet fully finalized (we have a couple of small tweaks and AI-residue to fix), so be sure to check with us on March 1 to see the final finished versions.

WARMER WATER: GOOD FOR US BUT MAYBE NOT THE REEFS? - It seems that our coastal waters have been about 5º warmer this year than they usually are at this time (60º vs 55º.) That doesn't sound like much and it's certainly within the range in which kelp can grow. But it does set up some questions for the rest of the year. Because if that +5º trend holds as days get longer and warmer and the water starts heating up again, does that means that instead of topping out at 70º in the early fall, we could see temps of 75º or so? That would not be good for the health of the kelp. And when you start to lose the kelp forests, it begins a cascading effect that felt throughout the ecosystem. Less kelp means less food for animals that eat kelp. It means less shelter for animals who hide in the kelp. It means more sun exposure for the rocky substrate which could cause other ill effects for animals that depend on the shade of the kelp. Since healthy kelp generally defines a healthy SoCal marine ecosystem, anything that threatens the kelp could upset that delicate balance. So keep an eye on things. While as divers, we rejoice at warmer water (or at least not being as cold as we expected), that added warmth may come at a price.

GETTING EXCITED TO GO TO YAP - As many of you know, Yap (one of the Federated States of Micronesia) is one of my favorite places to go dive. So I'm excited and getting ready to start our next trip there on March 9. We hope to have great Manta, Mandarinfish, and Shark encounters to share with you. (And hopefully this trip, we don't get too much rain.) As always we're staying with our good friends at Manta Ray Bay and will try to keep you posted on our daily sightings while we're away.

And that’ll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!

- Ken