More than just a regulator presentation
Go deep with the final presentation of the Cape Perpetua Fall Speaker Series at 10 am on Saturday, March 27.
Join diver and underwater photographer Laura Tesler as she takes you on an underwater safari via Zoom, starting in British Columbia and traveling south along the coastline all the way to California. See what lies beneath the beautiful ocean waves and why it is worth braving the rough conditions and 40-degree waters to dive the coastal waters of the Pacific.
Though Tesler currently lives in landlocked Salem and is from Michigan, even farther away from the sea, she grew up watching “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” and old “Sea Hunt” episodes, which awakened in her a desire to learn how to dive. But it wasn’t until after the age of 40 that she was able to realize the dream.
“On my open water certification in 2005, I remember sitting at 50 feet underwater and watching rockfish and thinking I was stupid for not learning how to dive earlier,” she said. “In any case, I eventually gained my Divemaster certification in December 2014 and I have not turned back.”
Roughly 90 percent of Tesler’s more than 800 dives have been in cold water, though she does treat herself to a warm-water trip to a foreign locale every now and then. A certified level five Pacific Northwest REEF surveyor, she has been branching out into freshwater diving and snorkeling in rivers, lakes and streams.
“I live in the land of salmon and trout, and there are many opportunities to be found right by my house,” she said. “Using a GoPro in these environments is a lot easier and more flexible than lugging a huge camera housing up rapids and while climbing over logs and rocks.”
An oddity in the dive community, Tesler prefers cold-water diving.
“Most of my dive club members and shop community like warm water,” she said. “I think that cold-water diving can be as beautiful as warm-water diving, but I will admit cold water can be challenging with the extra weight and the conditions, including surge, waves, weather and thermal extremes.”
Still gainfully employed, Tesler looks forward to making her side gig into a full-time business, promoting Pacific Northwest ocean life through her pictures.
Saturday’s free event is hosted by the Cape Perpetua Collaborative. For more information, go to capeperpetuacollaborative.org.