MilaBooks.com Newsletter    
     
  The
 Sea-gram
         May  2018
  
     For ocean lovers, divers, and 
      "deep-thinkers."
  MilaBooks Logo
Hawksbill Turtle; Palancar Caves, Cozumel, Mexico, Barbara Petersen Photo
Welcome to the May edition of Sea-gram  from MilaBooks.com  

We're featuring sea turtles this month, so author/artist/ photographer Barbara Petersen sent us this great hawksbill turtle photo she took in Cozumel only a few weeks ago. 
Looks like this hawksbill is doing a one-flipper push up?
 
May is a great month to feature sea turtles, since May is the beginning of their nesting season. All along the east coast of the U.S., from the Carolina's to Florida, and into the Caribbean, hawksbill, loggerhead, green, and leatherback turtles are returning to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. About 50-60 days later, baby turtles will emerge, race to the sea, and repeat the cycle when they mature, in about twenty years. 

Watch how this baby loggerhead in Cozumel struggles to reach the sea, despite being thrown back by the surf, again & again:
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This month's Conservation Corner is about the Hilton Head Sea Turtle Protection Project. Find out how you can help by adopting a  sea turtle nest.
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This month's  Story Behind the Photo  article features something different from turtles -- a great photo of a close-up seahorse encounter. 

If you have a photo with an interesting story or would like to share a good dive yarn, let me know at paul@paulmila.com and I'll be happy to include your story in a future issue.
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I hope you enjoy this issue of Sea-gram !
   Sincerely,
  Paul J. Mila
  Conservation Corner . . .
                 Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest!
Andrea B. Siebold coordinates the sea turtle nest adoption program for the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project, sponsored by the Coastal Discovery Museum. 

Their program makes it possible for you to adopt a sea turtle nest, get a cool sea turtle shirt, and know that you are making a difference in conserving sea turtles -- all for a small donation.

Click on the link to learn more:

Here is Andrea's latest update and a peek into how they prepare the beaches for the mother turtles:

"The countdown is on until the first mother sea turtle arrives on Hilton Head Island to lay the first nest of the season!  We never know exactly when it will happen - last year it was May 4th, the year before it was May 10th."

"A lot has happened on the beach this winter to make it more hospitable for nesting sea turtles.  After renourishing  the beach from last year's hurricane damage, the sand (pumped onto the beach from the ocean bottom) is compacted, crusty and contains a lot of shells.  First, the town 'tills' the beach - a big machine drags a rake to loosen the sand."
















"Then, the town installs sand fencing and plants vegetation to re-establish the dunes lost in Hurricane Matthew.  The fencing is  sea turtle-friendly, so the mothers and hatchlings can get to and from the dunes during nesting and hatching."














"The Sea Turtle Patrol Team is led by Amber Kuehn. This amazing group of trained volunteers begins their early morning, daily 14+ mile beach ride on May 1st, looking for sea turtle tracks like this."

Thanks, Andrea. 
We'll post updates about my adopted nest as Andrea sends them.
 Story Behind the Photo . . .
                            A Seahorse Dive
                                          By Pat & Gary Gomola
Friends Pat & Gary Gomola got up close & personal with some seahorses in Cozumel. Here's their story:

"The dive was a shore dive. We started at Tikila Beach Bar (near Casa del Mar) and let the current take us north. We exited at Turquoise Beach Bar (about a half mile north), and then walked back.

 "We saw three seahorses of about the same size (one was holding babies in its pouch) along the way in the grassy areas in about 25 to 30 feet of water. It was a 97-minute dive (missed 100 by 3 minutes!). The photo was taken by Mario Ceh.  Mario offers guided tours and takes photos and videos of the dives."

 Great story and a fantastic photo by Mario Ceh. 
Thanks for sharing, Pat & Gary!
About MilaBooks.com
www.milabooks.com  
is your home for exciting dive adventure novels, nonfiction dive stories, children's books,  and YouTube videos featuring various ocean creatures. 

In the spirit of Sea Turtle Month, check out my children's book, Harry Hawksbill Helps His Friends, from BEST Publishing Co.

                               Click on the cover photo for more information:

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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: 

        Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest!


Story Behind the Photo:
           A Seahorse Dive

 

                      Stories lower left column.

  
Quick Links
         
Updates & Miscellaneous Features
  
Why Divers Love Sea Turtles
When we find a sea turtle they usually ignore us, as long as we don't invade their personal space. Then they calmly go about their day -- such as this hawksbill, who let me shoot video while it searched for a snack:


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Diving With A Diving Turtle

Diving on Cozumel's Palancar Bricks Reef I was about 80 feet deep, looked up, and spotted a hawksbill turtle diving after recharging its lungs. 
The turtle just buzzed me, and I had to do a 360-degree roll to keep it in the frame as it swam over me.  Very cool! 
  
Diving Sea Turtle
Diving Sea Turtle

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Start 'Em Young!
Very proud of my granddaughters Ava, 
age six, and her sister Emma, age four,
doing their first snorkel in Grand Cayman last month. 
   
Ava


Emma

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Sharks Need Our Help Too!

  Shark Angels, a U.S.based non-profit organization, 
announced their World Ocean's Day online auction on May 21- June 5 via Charity Buzz.
You will be able to bid on scuba diving trips around the world, including destinations like the Caribbean, Micronesia, Indonesia, Egypt and Colombia, plus a fantastic underwater camera system, sports tickets and more.

Click on the link for more information:

Visit the Shark Angels Website:

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 For Fresh-Water Fans
Michigan diver & underwater photographer Nancy Washburne posted this fascinating video to celebrate 
World Fish Migration Day

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Sea Shepherd Update
For more information on Sea Shepherd's latest conservation activities visit their website:

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

 
Check out the view from my condo:
Morning at the Residencias Reef Beachfront Condo
Morning at the Residencias Reef
Beachfront Condo

 
Fulvio manages my  Little Slice of Paradise. 
For other properties that Fulvio manages visit his site:
 
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New York Diving 
Scuba Network of Long Island
Sales, Service, Basic & Advanced Dive Instruction,
Local Diving & Exotic Dive Trips

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For the best in Cozumel diving, 
check out dive operator Alison Dennis:
 
Looking for your own 
Slice of Paradise?
Contact Nancy Edwards at: 
  or
Jaime Ramirez, at:
   
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Available Links!
Post a link to your web site on Sea-gram!
E-mail paul@paulmila.com
 for details.
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