Buttholes are Important

Part 1 of 6: A Marissa Charters Newsletter Series

Your fingers used to be a fish butthole. The End. ;)

Haha Just kidding!...about this being the end, but not about your fingers!

Researchers at the University of Geneva uncovered the DNA switch that controls the formation of your fingers and toes, and it is the SAME DNA switch that controlled the formation of fish cloacas (buttholes!) 380 million years ago.

Originally researchers postulated that this DNA switch found in human and fish would correlate fish fins and human fingers and toes... logical right?? Nope! lol not to nature! When they removed the stretch of DNA that was the "DNA switch" in fish, the cloaca lost its gene activity while the fins carried on unbothered. 😳 So turns out...

Buttholes are important! 

Researchers, as they tend to be, both saw it coming and still couldn't believe it : "The fact that these genes [human and fish] are involved is a striking example of how evolution innovates, recycling the old to make the new," says developmental geneticist Denis Duboule in the University of Geneva's announcement. Thus, nature earns the title of the world's most Brazen Recycler.

And Geneticist Aurélie Hintermann said, "The common feature between the cloaca and the digits is that they represent terminal parts." The terminal parts (aka fingers & buttholes)... are quite possibly the most useful parts.

This gives new meaning to the old idiom: we begin as we intend to end. 

Speaking of important buttholes doing critical work: the boat's own butthole (the head) broke this month and very nearly ended my career as dive boat owner. The full justifiable meltdown is on Instagram, and yes, I filmed it:

  PS. I giggled an entirely inappropriate amount while writing this lol

https://youtu.be/OdOaU_NM2JM?si=k4m5H9DfMp_ZxI2l

Recent Dive Conditions

July 6th-21st, 2026

Past:

Beginning of July was a challenging month, with strong currents, snotty vis, high winds and choppy seas. The Pacific decided to give us a break these last couple of weeks. First we had 30-40+ft visibility and moderate currents and mild wind. Then we had 20-30ft visibility, little to no current and nearly absent wind!!

El Niño is here! 57ºF at depth on the Yukon, 60ºF at depth at Bowsprits, and 63ºF at depth at Divers DisneyLand!! With a 73ºF surface temp, the water is downright balmy!

Future: 

A tropical storm from the south is pushing winds and swell our direction tonight through Friday morning. Swell and winds subside Friday afternoon just in time for a beautiful mostly sunny, 2-3' swell and light winds weekend! See you there!!!

I, Captain Lora, have taken the reigns on all content creation and social media happenings :) Show me your love!! I need your encouragement! :) haha You all are the best!! Stay tuned for next week's Newsletter on a far more serious, but no less important topic, of Safety.