MARYSVILLE — James Monaco gave himself the 90th birthday present of going scuba diving in the Caribbean.

“Before my birthday, I hadn’t dived in five years,” James Monaco said. “Southern California is an outstanding diving destination. Western Washington can also be good, but it’s too cold for me. I’ve tried places like Friday Harbor, but the water is so cold that I’d need a drysuit, even in August.”

While this would rank as a remarkable achievement for most folks, it merely marked the latest of more than 7,000 worldwide dives, over the course of 45 years, for Monaco.

A World War II Navy veteran, Monaco credits his passion for scuba diving to both his tour of duty in the South Pacific and his years in Southern California.

Monaco, now a Marysville resident, nonetheless credits his morning workouts at the Marysville YMCA with helping him keep fit enough to return to the Caribbean, 40 years after he and his wife of 57 years, Maria, first dived there.

Monaco was joined this time by both his wife and one of his longtime diving buddies, Cindi Gassaro, who were happy to help him and his celebrate his birthday on Aug. 31. Bonaire Island offered Gassaro a change of scenery from her home in New Jersey.

Although Monaco dismissed it as simple enough to reserve a flight and hotel accommodations, he admitted to being treated like something of a celebrity for his age, from the moment he arrived through the rest of his eight days of diving.

“My family doctor for the past eight years here in Washington was all for me going,” Monaco said. “My cardiologist was concerned, because I’ve had a slightly uneven heartbeat, but even he told me to send pictures, and was delighted by the outcome.”

As much as Monaco treasures the friendships he’s made through scuba diving, he also appreciates the opportunity to catch his own seafood, whether by spearfishing or grabbing hold of shellfish. While he enjoys the taste of hand-caught lobster and abalone, he still describes the rock scallops and Calico bass of Southern California as “so delicious it can’t be duplicated, and anyone who’s tasted it would agree.”

Far from being a “last hurrah,” Monaco and Gassaro have decided that they want to get back to the challenge and the calm of diving as soon as possible, so she’s already planning an excursion to Cozumel, Mexico, which will be another return trip for Monaco.

“Even when I was in high school, I worked as a lifeguard,” Monaco said. “The water and I are well-acquainted. We’ve always gotten along. We still do.”