MilaBooks.com Newsletter   
  
  The
 Sea-gram
 January, 2014
  For ocean lovers, divers, and 
"deep-thinkers."
 MilaBooks Logo
Sphyraenidae Barracuda -- The Great Barracuda, Paul Mila Photo; Cozumel, Mexico
 
Happy New Year to our Sea-gram readers, from MilaBooks.com Wishing you all the best in 2014.
      
Last week I attended the Long Island Divers Association (LIDA) Annual Film Festival at Hofstra University.
I met a lot of interesting people, including Juliana Flora, who purchased a copy of my latest dive adventure novel, Near Miss.
  
Well, we're having a blizzard, and the weatherman says another polar vortex is heading our way, so I'm shovelin' my way back down to Cozumel.
Enough already!
                            
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In this issue's Conservation Corner,
dolphin massacres are in the news -- in Japan and Peru.
  
Click for breaking news about this story:
  
As you read this, Japanese fishermen in the infamous Taiji Cove are staging one of the most brutal and largest dolphin slaughters on record, including a rare albino calf. While in Peru, 15,000 are slaughtered annually -- for shark bait!

Click on the photo for live streaming video, courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Organization:
   
More on these stories in Conservation Corner, below.  
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Story Behind The Photo, features a Cozumel barracuda adventure.   
If you have a photo with an interesting story, or would like to share a good dive yarn, contact me at: [email protected] and I'll be happy to include your story in a future issue. 
 
If you know someone who would enjoy reading Sea-gram, perhaps a friend in need of an overdue "dive fix," please forward Sea-gram 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 
 Conservation Corner . . .
             Dolphins at risk ... worldwide!
Sea-Gram readers Paul Stessel and Tish Dace sent in information about this story.
  
According to the 1/19/14 Hawaii Reporter,

Five separate pods of Bottlenose dolphins were driven into Taiji's infamous killing cove yesterday and held overnight. This now massive pod of more than 250 dolphins includes babies and juveniles, including a rare albino calf who has been clinging as closely as possible to his or her mother in the stress and panic of the drive hunt.

   

For more information and additional video, click on this CNN link:
  
What can you do to help?
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Organization is very active in this battle.
  
Click on this link for Japanese and American Embassies contact information, as well as contacts for other governmental and regulatory agencies.
  
 Dolphins Killed for Shark Bait in Peru!
As if Japan's Taiji Killer Cove wasn't terrible enough, Sea-gram fan Amanda Maguire from the UK sent us this story about thousands of dolphins killed off Peru annually -- so they can be used as bait to catch endangered sharks!
Here is the amazing story:
The Story Behind the Photo . . .
 Barracuda Frenzy!
                                             By Paul Mila, Carle Place, NY
    We were diving Paso Del Cedral reef in Cozumel Mexico.
At about 60 feet of depth, we noticed a commotion. A bunch of queen triggers, mutton snappers, and yellow-tail snappers were tearing one of their injured neighbors to shreds.
  
The hapless victim tried to flee, but two silver torpedoes barreled in from the deep and quickly finished off their victim. The attack was over in several seconds, but the 'cudas lingered.
I hunkered down near the bottom as one big boy circled over my head,eyeing me while I snapped off some shots.
    
  
 Here is a video of the attack, as I shot it:
Barracuda Feeding Frenzy
Barracuda Feeding Frenzy
  Equipment:
 SeaLife 1000 Camera & Digital Strobe.
About MilaBooks.com
www.milabooks.com 
Your home for exciting dive adventure novels,
and YouTube videos featuring ocean creatures.
  
One More FREE GIVEAWAY!
Extending through the end of February, GoodReads is sponsoring a free giveaway contest for Fireworks.FIREWORKS Cover 
 
In this adventure, terrorists are planning an explosive Fourth of July for New York City. But a team of scuba divers, aided by a very unique dolphin, have other plans.
        
Just click on the book's cover to enter my website and join GoodRead's free contest.
MilaBooks Logo
Click the reading dolphin and swim into our website
  
Thanks for visiting, and we'll see you next month!
Paul J. Mila 
 Paul in Cozumel
MilaBooks.com
75 Titus Avenue
Carle Place, New York 11514
516-578-1482
 
To forward Sea-gram to a friend, please click the "Forward email" link below.


Conservation Corner:

 Dolphins at Risk, Worldwide!

Story lower left column.

  

  
Quick Links
         
Updates & Miscellaneous Features
          
Diving The Far Side
of the World
Most of my diving has been Atlantic & Caribbean, but there's a whole other undersea world out there!
I recently met the folks from Scuba Dive Asia on LinkedIn.
For some exciting adventures, check out their link:  
And click on the video link below to experience their hi-octane shark dive!
Scuba Dive Asia | Fiji Beqa BIG Shark Dive | credits Doug Wood
Scuba Dive Asia | Fiji Beqa BIG Shark Dive | credits Doug Wood
  
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Mike Boyd writes a great blog, and I like to feature him
in Sea-gram
Here's a good one:
  
Pixtures (sic) and stories from
the scuba adventures of
Linda and Mike Boyd. 
  
The face only a mother could love?
   
 For some interesting facts about
The Great Barracuda,
check out Mike's blog:
  
 And for an underwater thriller featuring a 'cuda on steroids, click on Mike Monahan's exciting book,
a Kindle bargain at only $0.99:
Barracuda the book   
  
Want more barracudas?
Check out this month's
Story Behind the Photo article, Barracuda Frenzy,
lower left column.
  
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Fascinating New Project!
I recently came across this book project from Esri Press,
Ocean Solutions, Earth Solutions, edited by Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright.
The project uses story maps,
a new Esri medium, for sharing not only data, photos, videos, sounds, and maps, but for telling a specific and compelling story by way of that content
Check out their link:
  
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Whales!

 

Sea-gram reader Lorraine Fico-White sent us this unusual photo story, about conjoined gray whale twins born off the coast of Baja California

 Gray Whale Twins

 

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www.cozumelisparadise.com

   A fun dive site, where you can rent a beachfront condo, view great dive photos, and more!

  

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GUEST LINKS 

 

For a unique Cozumel experience check out:

 fulviocozumelrentals.com

Fulvio provides boutique rental accommodations and rental management services.

  

  

For Cozumel concierge and rental management, Kelly & Ivan will take care of you:  
 
 
  
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Great Cozumel
Information Resources
 
Whether you want to advertise a service, or just find out what's going down on the island, check out Laura Wilkinson's fabulous local newsletter:

 


 
 Looking for property in Paradise?
 
Check out the Residencias Reef Condos.
Contact Jaime Ramirez:
 
Check out the Cozumel Living newsletter:
 
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Available Links!
Post a link to your web site here!
E-mail [email protected]
 for details.

 

  

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