Six Orcas Christian High School students, along with teachers Ron Claus and BruceGregg passed their final SCUBA exam on Sunday, April 27, 2008. They completed four dives in chilly Puget Sound and learned how to take care of themselves and each other underwater. Thane Sweet, Colton Guilford, Brittany Wachter, Jeff Blankenship, Andrew Smith and Stephen Baker now are all certified divers and can SCUBA dive anywhere in the world.

The group had several exciting adventures, including Smith running out of air at about 40 feet. His training kicked in and he signaled to his buddy and began to breathe from his buddy’s extra regulator.

Blankenship spotted an octopus and Wachter encountered a large crab. Others enjoyed watching starfish, flounders, sea pens and sea anemones playing in the algae.

The scuba class is planning two more dives this year, one in Cascade Lake near the cliffs and another from a boat somewhere in the San Juans.