Marlin Dive Team Scuba Club

The Club is not having a meeting this month. However we will be having fun at Mammoth Lake June 27. Please mark your calendar, look for the post on Mammoth and come join us!

2026 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest
Celebrate the beauty, wonder, and diversity of America's national marine sanctuaries through your lens!
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is opening the 2026 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest, inviting photographers, divers, boaters, surfers, paddlers, beachgoers, students, scientists, and coastal communities to share images from national marine sanctuaries and other ocean and Great Lakes places.

This year’s contest introduces four new categories. The photo contest runs through Labor Day, September 7, 2026, making it a great summer opportunity for anyone exploring the coast, Great Lakes, or national marine sanctuaries to share their perspective.

Show the world what the ocean and Great Lakes mean to you.
Life in Motion challenges photographers to capture natural wildlife behavior, from feeding and hunting to schooling, caregiving, and symbiotic relationships.
Sanctuaries and You highlights the ways people experience sanctuaries through diving, boating, paddling, research, education, and everyday moments on or near the water.
The Water’s Edge explores the boundary where land and sea meet, including shorelines, tidepools, coastal landscapes, and split-level perspectives.
Ripples From the Past focuses on maritime heritage, including shipwrecks, aircraft, lighthouses, historic bridges, and cultural landmarks.
Winning photographs will be announced in October 2026. Winning photos reveal a moment of connection, behavior, or wonder in a way that feels both visually compelling and authentic to the natural world. As you prepare your entry, keep these qualities in mind. Here’s what our judges are looking for:

Strong composition and lighting
Unique perspective or subject
Storytelling or emotional impact
Adherence to responsible photography practices

2025 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Results
Need inspiration? Check out the 2025 entries, including this photo of an angelfish captured by Rob Renfrow in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Thank you to all the photographers who shared their view of national marine sanctuaries with us!

Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Events
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary will be participating in an upcoming community event where we could use your assistance.

World Ocean Day Festival
Volunteers will staff an outreach booth to introduce the public to the sanctuary. This includes talking to people, giving out information, and helping participants with a tableside activity (reef-tac-toe). This is an outdoor event on the beach (wind, sand, and sun).

Location: R. A. Apffel East Beach Park, 1923 Boddeker Rd, Galveston, TX 77550.

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026

Volunteer shifts:

10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 1 volunteer needed
1 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 2 volunteers needed

To sign up for this event, please email Taylor Galaviz at [email protected]

Friday Funnies

Three Forms of FITNESS!!!!

Hahah

When the scooter is more powerful than you thought... 😬😆

with Scuba.Sarah, Nicolai Deutsch Film, Dennis Sobotta
Photo: Martin Steinmeier

🪼 If you've been seeing little blue critters floating in the water or laying all over the beaches in Port Aransas, Mustang Island, or Padre Island… spring and early summer have officially arrived on the Texas coast.

The usual suspects are:

🔵 Portuguese Man o’ War
Not actually a jellyfish, but this blue drifter comes equipped with long stinging tentacles and a very bad attitude. You’ll spot them floating offshore or washed up on the sand looking like a tiny blue-purple balloon.

🔹 Blue Button Jellyfish
These little blue “sea buttons” also love making surprise appearances this time of year. Smaller and usually less painful than a Man o’ War, but still best admired from a safe distance.

🌬️ So why do they show up on Texas beaches in spring and summer?

Strong southeast winds, changing currents, warmer Gulf waters, and seasonal weather patterns basically turn the Gulf into a giant conveyor belt. Portuguese Man o’ War float on the surface using their little sail-like bladder, and Blue Buttons drift with currents. When steady onshore winds crank up in spring and early summer… they get pushed toward the Texas coastline and wash up on our beaches by the thousands.

⚠️ Purple flags mean hazardous marine life is present.

🩹 What to do if you get stung:

✅ Get out of the water.
✅ Carefully remove any tentacles with tweezers, a stick, gloves, or the edge of a card. Avoid bare hands.
✅ Rinse the area with vinegar if available or saltwater.

❌ Do NOT rinse with fresh water.
❌ Do NOT rub the sting.
❌ Skip the old cowboy advice about peeing on it…

✅ Apply heat if available. A hot water soak can help with pain.

🚑 Seek medical help if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, swelling, severe pain, dizziness, or an allergic reaction.

👀 Look with your eyes.
🚫 Not your hands.
👣 Not your bare feet.
🐕 Keep an eye on kids and dogs too.

Even dead Portuguese Man o’ War can still sting, so don't poke, kick, flip, collect, or challenge one to a bad decision contest.

If you see blue blobs, purple floaters, or jelly critters washing ashore… admire them from a respectful flip-flop distance. 🩴

Have you tried out the latest DPVs (Diver Propulsion Vehicle)?

Call Gigglin Marlin to test dive one! 281-445-3483

Remembering all those who have served

Fun Fact Friday!