A bit ago on Tweeters there was a bit of tweeting about watching diving birds underwater. At the time my drasted computer was down so I did'nt post about this - one of my favorite things to see in nature.

Last summer a film was shown in towns around the Sound, which I missed, but friends got a DVD of it - entitled "Beneath the Salish Sea" filmed by Florian Graner .(the Salish Sea being the new geographical name for our inland sea areas - Puget Sound, and the Straights of Juan de Fuca and Georgia). It's about 90 minutes or so. The first hour or so is all filmed in Holmes Harbor on Whidbey Island . Some brief but interesting underwater shots of Buffleheads diving down into eelgrass beds, and DC Cormorants zooming after herring.

Being a lifelong Salish Sea resident (Seattle/Bellingham/Vashon/Everett) I've always been entralled with beach and sea creatures. This film is great because it goes just below the subtidal zone (and deeper) to film the many wierd and wonderfull fish and other 'regular residents 'out there in the eelgrass and kelp forest's. I never was a diver so it's especially interesting to see those critters 'just out of reach'. (except at the Seattle Aquairium). Sailfish Sculpin - pretty cool.

After the first hour in Holmes Harbor (including neat footage of Harbor Seals) the film gets out into rockier shores north and has some marine "superstar" footage of Orcas ect. But I like seeing the 'stage' and background cast of fish and sea slugs more - they dont get much film coverage.

Anyway, tonight (3/24) KIRO 7 television is showing "Secrets of the Sound" which is an hour long film by Florian Granier - so it's maybe just the Puget Sound part of the above DVD.

I've seen it enough now that my prefered mode is home alone on a rainy night with the window open watching it in a dark room with the sound off. The sump pump in my flooded basement providing more aquatic background sound. Saves me buying a wetsuit.



Thats my plug - glub glub glub.

Jeff Gibson
Port Gardner, Everett Wa