Whimsical images of seldom-seen underwater wonders

Divers are adventurers who plumb the depths to explore this watery planet we ironically call Earth.

Seekers of living treasure, diver-photographers gift the world with whimsical images of seldom-seen underwater wonders.

The Pacific Northwest is a divers’ paradise with a world-famous marine ecosystem. Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic Magazine rated this diving area as the world’s second best, surpassed only by the Red Sea.

Waters off Vancouver Island boast 120-plus dive sites, and a variety of activity options including drift dives, wall dives, and shipwrecks.

The appeal is being able to experience a psychedelic underwater landscape filled with every type, colour and size of sponge, sea-plume, nudibranch, abalone and anemone, including Campbell River’s renowned strawberry anemone, which carpets the ocean bottom, turning it a deep red colour.

Becoming a diver and learning the sport of scuba requires proper training and equipment: this involves time for study, upgrading and practice, and gear such as regulators, tanks and diving suits. Don’t forget about dive knives, dive lights, signaling devices, a lift bag, drysuit undergarments, dry gloves and that all-important underwater camera.

Now, hot off the press, a new handbook: The Northwest Dive Guide is sure to appeal to all levels of divers and packs a hefty three-in-one punch with sections on training, equipment and destinations. Richly illustrated, the guide features 130-plus colourful photos...[Link]

Whale of an author coming to Cold Spring Harbor

At 2 p.m. on July 12, Long Island author and scuba diver Paul J. Mila will present videos of his amazing underwater expeditions at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum.

After retiring from a successful corporate career, the 62-year-old Carle Place resident now devotes his life to writing, exploring the deep sea and speaking about ocean conservation.
His most recent novel, “Fireworks” (AuthorHouse, $15.95), published last year, is the third in a scuba-diving series centering around Terry Hunter, a dive operation owner, and Joe Manetta, her retired NYPD detective husband.

How and when did you become interested in scuba diving?

I always was fascinated by scuba diving, ever since watching Lloyd Bridges as Mike Nelson in the 1950s TV series “Sea Hunt” and later watching the Jacques Cousteau specials on TV.

On a trip to Cozumel [Mexico] in 1999, I took what is called the Resort Course, just to try diving. It was a great experience, like diving in an aquarium. The water was gin-clear, and we saw all kinds of sealife: — turtles, many types of fish, colorful sponges and corals, etc. I was hooked and came back to Scuba Network [in Carle Place, www.scubalongisland.com] to get certified. The instructor I met in Cozumel later became the model for the main character [Terry Hunter] in my books...[Newsday.com]

Book Review - Scuba Caribbean

If you're planning to go diving in the Caribbean, this guide can help you explore new destinations. The book, by Mary Peachin, has a section on Mexico's Caribbean coastline, and chapters on more than two dozen islands, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. There is also a section on Central and South American destinations with Caribbean coastlines...[BaltimoreSun.com]

Book Review: Kronos by Jeremy Robinson

Jeremy Robinson delivers again! Kronos is another positively addictive page-turner. Atticus young is a former Navy SEAL trying to come to grips with the death of his wife and increasing disconnect from his teenage daughter, Giona. On a scuba diving trip, Giona is swallowed by a massive, unknown beast of the sea. The only thing keeping Atticus alive is his desire to hunt the creature that took his daughter. Into his life walks Trevor Manfred, a ruthless multi-millionaire who wants the beast as a hunting trophy.

The story moves forward at Robinson's typical fast pace. Manfred is a shady character, and there are tensions between Atticus and one of Manfred's primary henchmen. The tension is ratcheted up when Atticus's former military colleague Andrea, now an officer in the Coast Guard, enters the picture. The blend of action and mystery never relents. The publisher should put a warning label on the cover: "Do not open this book unless you have time to read the entire thing."...[BlogCriticMagazine]

"The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals"

By John P. Hoover / Mutual Publishing / $24.95

Based on Hoover's "Hawaii's Fishes, a Guide for Snorkelers and Divers," but with bulked-up content for advanced underwater enthusiasts. The book is filled with photos and facts covering fishes, whales, dolphins and turtles. Check out the lizardfish on Page 188, swallowing a whole unicornfish. Freaky. It's an identification guide for someone who spends a lot of time underwater, but would also be a vital resource for aquarium owners or anyone with a fascination for fishes.