MilaBooks.com Newsletter
The Sea-gram
For ocean lovers, divers,
and "deep-thinkers."
April, 2012
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Sea Turtle Bubble Bath, photo by Paul Mila, Cozumel Mexico � |
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Welcome to the
 | Waitin' For The Dive Boat |
April issue of
Sea-gram,
the monthly newsletter
The headline photo above was a lucky shot. I looked up and saw this hawksbill turtle calmly swimming through my bubbles, 60 feet below the surface on Cozumel's Palancar Horseshoe Reef. Camera: SeaLife 1000, with wide-angle lens and digital strobe. Story Behind The Photo, illustrates diver/photographer/blogger Mike Boyd's artistic touch, and some interesting facts about the Scrawled Filefish. If you have a good photo with an interesting story, let me know at paul@paulmila.com and I'll be happy to include your story in a future issue. Conservation Corner this month showcases several organizations working hard to preserve our oceans, and our Earth. Support Them! If you know someone who would enjoy reading Sea-gram, please forward a copy to your buddy, using the link at the end of the newsletter.
To view past Sea-grams click our ARCHIVE link below:
I hope you enjoy Sea-gram !
Sincerely,
Paul J. Mila MilaBooks.com 516-578-1482 |
Story Behind The Photo . . .
"If Picasso Had Created Fish . . ."
By Mike Boyd, Westminster, Colorado |
Mike Boyd is a previous Sea-gram contributor. His blogsite, Mike's Scuba Pictures, features interesting photo stories, such as this one about the beautiful scrawled filefish.
This photo story is #104 in Best Of Mike:
"You know what a sucker I am for fill the frame close-ups, patterns, textures and color.So, when I created this pixture, from our recent trip to Cozumel, I just couldn't wait to put it up on the Best of Mike."I started with a pixture of a Scrawled Filefish, that I purposely shot very close up. Then got even closer with a little cropping in Lightroom. "Their laterally compressed bodies and rough sandpapery skin inspired the filefish's common name. It is said, that dried filefish skin was once used to finish wooden boats.
"Filefish are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. There are a 107 varieties, with this one, the Scrawled Filefish, being the largest. Growing to as much as 43'' in length ... although, I have never seen one even close to that big.
"I promise future posts will give you better idea of what filefish really look like. But for now I couldn't resist a little artistry." Photo details: "Nikon D200, in an Ikelite Housing, Ikelite D125 strobes, set to TTL. ISO400, 1/125, f11, 105mm lens (behaving like a 157mm). The dive site was Fancesa (French Reef) in Cozumel." Thanks for sharing, Mike!
Paul's Note:
For Sea-gram readers impatient for a look at an entire scrawled filefish, here are a couple of photos I took in Cozumel.
Note the fish's rotating eye in the bottom photo:

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Conservation Corner . . .
Support these conservation organizations! |
Many organizations are working hard to protect our oceans, which ultimately sustain all life on Earth.
Here are three of my favorites:
1. Sea Shepherd Conservation Organization.
Each year the Sea Shepherds journey to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and confront Japanese whalers. This past year was no exception. Once again, Japan's whaling fleet returned home with fewer whales then they intended to slaughter, thanks to Sea Shepherd. Click the link below for an update on the latest round of the Whale Wars, and new initiatives to save other marine mammals and the Bluefin Tuna:
2. PEW Environmental Group.
PEW is active on many fronts, other than ocean-related initiatives. This link takes you to a great story and short video about shark conservation. It explains that as conservation momentum builds, nations are learning that Sharks Are More Valuable in the Ocean than in the Soup Pot:
3. Shark Savers actively promotes shark conservation efforts world wide. The link to their organization outlines their many ongoing campaigns:
So what can we do? Well, for starters, click the link below and sign a petition that you can send to members of Congress deciding legislation to ban shark finning and sale of shark products in U.S. waters. Doesn't take much effort, and it's a good start!
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To forward Sea-gram to a friend, please click the "Forward email" link below. |
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Featured Article in this month's Conservation Corner: Support These Conservation Organizations.
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Quick Links |
Updates & Miscellaneous Features
Tiger Shark Near Miss!!!
Sea-gram reader Shawn Hazelett found this shark encounter on YouTube. It starts calmly enough, as divers observe Tigers in the Bahamas. But when one shark swims between a diver's legs, it's almost soprano time!
| Tiger Shark Near Miss!!! |
* * * * * * * * Want More Sharks? We Got Sharks! Meet Jacques
Diver Adam Cohen sent in his video of Jacques, a great white shark he met while cage diving in guadalupe on the Nautilus Explorer.
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Isla Guadalupe Great White Cage Dive |
"I shot Jacques while aboard the Nautilus Explorer off Isla Guadeloupe. The shark had already been catalogued and named and, as you can see from the video, had been tagged multiple times. We were told by the naturalist on board that this bad boy is most likely the most studied great white shark off the American/Mexican coast and one of the most studied in the world. They believe he had been tagged and monitored at least eight times over the years.
"There were two submersible cages in the water at 40 fsw. I shot the video from one cage while other members of our rotational team were kind enough to "pose" for me in the other cage. The equipment I used was quite basic; camcorder was a Sony DCR-SR 220 w/Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens inside a Light & Motion Top Dawg housing. As I said, very basic but effective."
Adam is a member of the Innerspace Explorers Dive Club. Visit their website:
Thanks for sharing, Adam. * * * * * * * * * The Dolphin Dancers 
Chisa Hidaka and Benjamin Harley visited our local dive club, Long Island Network Divers, and presented their work with dolphins. In Chisa's words, here is their mission: "Wild dolphins and talented human dancers collaborate as equals to create underwater dances expressing their mutual understanding. "The films of the Dolphin Dance Project offer audiences a visceral experience of forging meaningful communicative relationships with individuals of another species whose creativity and intelligence rivals our own. Visit our website here: "Our goal is to inspire respect for and protection of dolphins and their habitats and to awaken a renewed sense of responsibility towards them and all the wild creatures with whom we share the planet." You can view more photos and videos here: * * * * * * * * * Whales Give Dolphins A Lift
Click the YouTube link to see this amazing story, as scientists observe whales and dolphins playing together.
| Science Bulletins: Whales Give Dolphins a Lift |
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A fun divesite, where you can rent a beachfront condo, view great dive photos, and more!
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