Ocean Safari Blog

Staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t mean you have to stop learning about nature! We are offering several webinar series to keep you connected to the things you love – the ocean, her inhabitants, the outdoors, local plants, and our community. 

The first webinar series will be on California Marine Invertebrates. Did you know that California has a high biodiversity of marine life with over 1000 species of marine animals and algae? That’s why our local Channel Islands have been dubbed the Galapagos of California! This seminar will be led by our in-house biologist, Haruka Ito. She has studied marine life all along the Pacific coast as a college and graduate student and now incorporates it in her college biology courses. Join us to learn about some of the marine inhabitants, discuss various factors that could make a marine environment thrive or threatened, and find out how you can participate in conservation efforts!

This 3-part series will count towards the NAUI Underwater Naturalist certification. See here for more details. 

In this economically difficult time, we plan to host these webinars so that we can continue to financially support our staff. We are a small, family-run business, so your support will be greatly appreciated! In return, you will become more knowledgeable about marine biology and the outdoor environment around us, and learn about what makes California so unique. 

Webinar Details:  

California Marine Invertebrates (Series A):

Session 1: Thursday, March 26, 7pm PST.  Sign up here

Session 2: Friday, March 27, 7pm PST.  Sign up here

Session 3: Saturday, March 28, 7pm PST.  Sign up here

(Reservation note: please ignore the “Overseas Trip” Agreement policy information)

 

Cost: $15 per session, but for those financially affected in this time of hardship $10 (please write how much you would like to pay in the “notes” section of the reservation)

Webinar Link: after you sign up, you will get a reservation email. After we manually confirm your reservation with the price you would like to pay, then you will get a separate Confirmation Email. This confirmation email will have the webinar link and details. 

Future Webinar Series: We will have a webinar series on Fish Identification and Foraging Local Greens. Keep an eye out for the details to come! Look for new seminar sign up links here. 

This Event is Postponed

We have been watching the weather forecast, but the rain is not letting up... It will be difficult to have the potluck in the rain.
 

Each participant will also receive a $100 coupon for a BARE drysuit!

Pot Luck + Drysuit Presentation + Photo Contest at Ocean Safari Outdoors

Saturday, March 14 from 4pm to 7pm We will announce a new date soon.

Join us for a potluck party followed by a drysuit diving seminar by Huish Outdoors’ Seamus Callaghan. His presentation will familiarize you with all aspects of drysuit diving. He will have a variety of drysuits at the seminar, and will discuss such topics as choosing the right drysuit, pros and cons of drysuit diving, and proper care and storage.

 - We will have a prize drawing for a Suunto D4i dive computer ($500 value).

 - We will also hold Cold Water Photo Contest. The winner will receive $500 voucher good toward a purchase of a BARE drysuit from us.

 - This is a free potluck event. Please bring one dish (3-4 servings)

 - We will have filtered water, so we encourage you to bring your reusable canteens. Please do not bring bottled water as a potluck item.

 - We are going green! Please bring your own reusable plates/bowls, cups, and utensils. Please do not bring disposable items.

Special attendee promo: if you purchase a BARE drysuit from us within one month of the seminar, you can save $100 off a purchase of the drysuit, in addition to Ocean Safari's already competitive pricing.

 

Calling for entries: OSDT Cold-Water Diving Photo Contest

We want to see your underwater photographs! You can be the photographer or the subject – it can be a photograph you took during a cold-water dive or it can be a photograph of you during a cold-water dive. The winner of the contest will receive a $500 voucher good toward a purchase of a BARE drysuit from us. The participants of the potluck and drysuit seminar will vote to select the winner during the event.

Contest Details

Entry Deadline: 4pm, March 14, 2020

Winner will be selected during the event by votes from the event participants.

Upload your photograph on your OSDT Diver Profile (go to Post New Dive Log, upload your photograph, use “OSDT Photo Contest 2020” in the title, and add a description.

If you need assistance with creating your diver profile or need assistants, please feel free to contact us.

Can be a photograph you took or photograph of you during a cold-water dive

Cold-water diving definition – dive in the water between 32°F (0°C) to 68°F (20°C)

Must be present at the potluck and drysuit seminar to claim the prize

The fish come out to feed among the blossoming coral as the light of the morning sun pierces through the ripping current. They are taking advantage of the current carrying all sorts of food to them.

A garden of lettuce coral basking in the sun with fish flying by in the background. Such breathtaking scene is typical in the Coral Triangle.

Talk about challenge! It’s hard to take macro photo when faced with a fast and territorial clownfish who darts in and out of his anemone home. Photographer Lei Xu in action showing his steady hand and concentration in the Coral Triangle.