48) Washington - Edmonds Underwater Park:
It seemed like I covered a great deal of territory before I came across a collection of assorted boats. The vessels provide habitats for giant ling cods which startled me me by their size and number. These are big, territorial fish. They don’t swim around much either. Hanging out like street bums on every corner, these guys aren’t the least bit intimidated by divers.

49) Oregon - Clear Lake:
The unlimited line of sight became a distraction. As we crossed the lake toward a giant lava flow, several craters erupted pure spring water directly beneath us. Some spewed a milky substance that resembled smoke from a volcano. To one side, enhanced by the afternoon sun, a brilliant yellow algae field glowed like sunset clouds beneath an airliner. On our return, we passed through an ancient forest. I’d seen large upright trees underwater before, but here you could see the whole forest. The white ash floor created a Mt. St. Helens-look, while the tree trunks looked like ancient ruins.

50) Alaska - Amalga Harbor:
Two weeks before, I was in a nuclear missile silo pondering man’s sanity. Observing these salmon, I realized we’re not the only wacky species on earth. These beautiful fish stop eating one day to embark on a suicide swim up streams inches deep to have sex and die. Just the swim to their birthplace kills many of them, and the rest have to fight off other males for the right to spawn. These must be very horny fish. The more subdued Atlantic salmon don’t engage in this practice.