To the first point, seeing an octopus on a dive is something that most Northwest divers seek to do. I consider our sport to be much like bird watching in that way. We’re always looking to find the rarer and more unusual creatures. The giant pacific octopus (GPO) is definitely that. A lot of us enjoy seeing and taking pictures when this happens. If hunting in city parks was legal, you still wouldn’t want to see it, would you? If you and your family were enjoying a picnic in the park and possibly taking pictures of a family of ducks would you want to see somebody shoot that duck that you were just enjoying earlier? Sure, they’re within their rights, but it’s bad form.

To the second point, everybody… Leave Dylan alone. Was it the best idea? No. But let’s give him a pass on making a bad decision. Who among us didn’t make a few questionable choices when we were his age?

I like that this has opened a dialog on the topic of harvesting from dive sites. Ultimately, I think a ban on harvesting from dive sites is in the best interest of the sport of diving. Over 99% of the Sound will be unaffected by the proposed ban. I don’t a few small areas free of harvesting is a bad thing for those that want to enjoy nature.