Author: cbartazo

Paradise Island Dive

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crystal waters at Paradise Island Resort beach

I was missing the waters, my fins were itching wanting to flip once again, so thinking of revisiting Samal waters after more than a year revived my spirits. Angel and I had this dive trip for the month, after missing our Coron trip last month. So one Friday evening after a long day at work, I gathered up my gears and boarded an ordinary bus for Davao.  It was unfortunate that the tourist bus was already full when I got to the station.  It turned out that the ride wasn’t too cold compared to aircon ones, although there were lot of stops along the 6-hour trip, I arrived safe in Davao much earlier than Angel.  It gave me enough time to check in at DMSF, freshen up and got some rest from the long trip.

Angel and I proceed to Davao Scuba Dive thinking arrangements were made already but our contact called up to go ahead to Paradise Island Resort as we need to be back early for another appointment.  We rushed back to  Sasa wharf and cruised for the resort as it started to drizzle.  Our contact Alan was very helpful suggesting to prepare ourselves and gear up as we will do beach entry.  It was good since there were no other divers.  He briefed us shortly about the sites which is just beyond the beach area.  We were warned of the currents, but we informed him that we wanted shallow dive as Angel and I  were both having colds!

There’s one thing I don’t like much with beach entries –  carrying the gears on my back – but I was grateful, an assistant was helpful enough to carry it for me. I scampered the cemented landing as I was much behind from angel and the dive guide and descend the steps. My gears waiting for me floating on the waters, getting into my gears with the cool crystal waters felt so good. Gosh! I belong to the waters, indeed…

Our first ascend was at the coral gardens, where we found  a concrete lying angel on a steel crib.  It was submerged sometime ago as an artificial reef but sadly, we didn’t find any coral, crinoids or fishes. It was lying there more of an intrusion on the sea bed.  Farther, there were lot of branching green corals, soft corals, damsels, clown fish on anemones, puffers.  Angel spotted a moray which I missed.  Some trumpet fish, wrasses,  sergeants and sponges.  There was current indeed, and it was bit ardous catching up.  I signalled for a stop, when the guide finally waited for me with the Ok sign.  I need to slow down…   We ascend after we covered the two slopes in the area, our deepest at  14.8m after 46 minutes with 500 psi of my air.  Angel and I was sad there was much trash underwater, we gathered handfuls when we end the dive.

Angel and I spent an hour for our surface interval at the guest area – short chat with the guide, listening to the serenade, sipping our fruit shakes, people watching and still deciding how much to give for our gift to Io 🙂  We decided to postpone lunch and just went for our last dive immediately so we could leave the place early for the afternoon function. 

For our next descent, we brought our net bag for the trash and went further on the same spot top cover the last slope.  Again, there was the green hard corals scattered, corals of other specie, basket sponges, soft corals.  There were damsels, wrasses, clown fishes, sand perch and more. I spotted a sea cucumber, lot of black sea urchins and found just one crown of thorns!  then we got into a field of colorful coral garden with lot of juvenile fishes. I spend more time there exploring , hopping on the corals and picking up trash we passed by.  There was current again swimming against it, for some time we lost the guide as he went fast.  Angel and I was left alone, and just explored the scenery.  The guide appeared again and signaled for us to go back, drifting with the current was fun.  Until we got to the sandy area,  had our safety stop and finally ascend after  51 minutes with 12.2 meters as deepest, my air down to 800 psi.  Our net bag was filled with trash! 😦

We hastily had bathroom routines, pack up gears, settle our bills, some pleasantries with the shop staff and bid byes.  It started to rain again but it didn’t stop us to board the boat for our cruise back.  The two dives was more than enough to have a good relaxing weekend with Angel. We finally cruised thinking for our next afternoon activity and later for the reception party at Waterfront  Insular. 

 Angel and I was actually thinking about food!  🙂  The dinner at the Waterfront Tent, Margie’s Bakeshop or Blugrey Cafe in downtown Davao! Well, the good food and dining enthusiast in us was itching again…. 😛

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Mission: Coral Watch

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let’s ACT now!

A few days back I received the first Coral Watch newsletter from Coral Watch with a personal note from Chris.  It reminds me somehow that I haven’t done any coral monitoring since I received the kit from CW. It’s been over a year  when I signed up as a volunteer and I remembered I was too ecstatic when I got  the kit, grateful that it was for real and I am entrusted with some noble task for the underwater life.

I shared the materials with my dive buddy so he could also impart to marine enthusiasts the great idea of monitoring the corals in our local waters.  In a sense I felt guilty that I haven’t started my share in doing this formidable task. Secondly, I havent decided yet which strategic spot should I do my monitoring as it is necessary I would be frequently visiting the area.  Well, I need to stop and rethink about putting in order my plan so I could start my task soon.  To date, there are 1,741 surveys and 31,284 corals surveyed, hoping that more will be added  in the next months.

Just as the year is about to end, I’m organizing my 2011 plans.  Now, I have identified to position my monitoring in Sohoton waters – being a favorite place and where preservation for sustainable marine resources is one of the community’s agenda.  I’m sure it wouldn’t be too strange for them to assist and support me with this endeavor, the site would be perfect as I frequetly visiting,   there will be continuity of monitoring.  Mainly it would be monitoring of coral bleaching and assessment of coral health. I need to join the force of people who have great concern for the marine world before global warming can overtake us. I can’t wait to start this!

I have something worthwhile to waste my time with when I go snorkeling, I can bring my diving  and water escapades  to another level.  In my own way, I can spread the word albeit slowly but surely and let others be educated, passionate and involved in reef health monitoring.  My love for marine life could never be limited by just watching in awe and scribbling on my log describing wonderful experiences, there is something more!  I need to roll up my sleeves for my second home and friends. I can’t help to be bullish that we can restore our threatened environment before it will be too late!

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Missing the Monsters!

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Glorious Kayangan Cove!

Coron is now one of my favorite destination, discovering it in March 2008 without second thought I went back three months later to know more of the secrets of the Calamianes.  I visited it again last year with my favorite dive buddy- yes, you guess it right – to explore more of its secrets in the depths! Angel and I loved every bit of it, he swore it was his best dive experience so far and in fact it was our deepest at 114 feet!.  And I could not deny that exploring Akitsushima and Taeie Maru was exhilarating – going down and penetrating the mysterious wrecks was so challenging and enthralling!

Exploring more of the monsters was so irresistible that we planned for another Coron trip this year, I booked my tickets as early as April! Indeed, we eagerly wait for October while enjoying other dive trips.  For us, Coron waters is something special, with its limestone cliffs, crystal waters and rich marine life we wanted to experience its beauty over and over again.

I thought everything was in place, except for my leave from work but alas by end of August, my community have scheduled on the date when I will be in Coron, a spiritual retreat for us and required everyone  to come!  Remembering my trip, I was bit shaken,  I wanted to delay my response.  In my mind, I tried to justify I had my tickets already and it was scheduled long before.  I remembered I was sullen that day, hoping it will be postponed to other dates.  Actually my heart sank… Going back though, I reflected that the Lord has been so good to me, He had lavished me with wonderful trips and provided me all the resources.

In submission I prayed for grace and decided to cancel my trip and be there for the Lord – He asked just one day from me!  It was a breaking news, but I guess Angel felt relieved  because his friends will be coming with him and he is not comfortable diving together with me!  Anyhow, I would be missing the Coron wrecks this year and have to let go my CGY-MNL-CGY ticket and the amount attached to it, refunds or rebooking is not possible.  Always, there is a reason for everything and I am waiting it to unfold one day.  But again, I can look up and be thankful He emerged victorious over my much valued trip.

I’ll be in Coron again hopefully in March with or without my dive buddy – that’s a promise to myself…

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Cleanup Dive 2010!

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 After an adventure dive trip at Camotes Islands, Angel and I signed up for a clean-up dive at Opol Marine Sanctuary to join the force for the International Coastal Cleanup which DiveSpecial Diving Central organized with the LGU of Opol. Despite work pressures, we chose to be part of this endeavor – to do something worthwhile for the marine environment, a favorite dwelling which we wanted to visit more often. So we packed our gears, Angel flew again to CdeO and we went to Opol feeling joyful for the activity and excited to discover another underwater scenery. When we reached the Ajis Beach, the area was teeming with people already. It was good to see Mario, Ma’am Cristy , Mar Brandy and Cris. It was a sunny Saturday, actually perfect for beach antics – I saw banana boat, jet ski and kayaks just waiting around for a ride!

We were the first group of divers who went down for the clean up, with XU-College of Marine Biology students and a dive guide from LGU, all were men. I’m always thankful that Angel is with me in my dives, I would be honest to admit that diving alone with strangers is sometimes awkward but with my favorite dive buddy I can always count on his abiding presence. After a short briefing from Mario, we climbed up the boat (Mar Brandy have to assist me) and cruised for about ten minutes to the sanctuary.

We anchored near the floating shed serving as guardhouse of the sanctuary, and prepared for the descent. I stayed near Angel as we started to go down but unfortunately I can’t with my three weights (?), I suspected it was due to my BC. Anyhow, I was able to borrow from the guide and another diver. Angel went up to see what’s wrong 😛 He signaled that we must stay near  each other as the visibility wasn’t good. We descend on the shallow part and went around. It was somewhat tricky since we’re not there for just enjoying the scenery but to be quick also to find trashes underwater. Most of it have blended the environment, the silt have made them looks like part underwater. Angel and I found the planted car wreck! It now served as artificial reef, where some corals with lot of tropical fishes claimed as their home.

We found angel fish, damsels, wrasse, groupers, bat fishes, snappers, sweetlips, surgeons, clownfish, butterfly fish, puffers, and variety of anthias. There were branching corals, soft corrals, barrel sponges, cucumber and more. I managed to touch a long floating worm which Angel held for me with a twig.  We searched for more trash until we lost each other! I got with me plastics, food wrappers, a whisky bottle, fishing lines, sachets, etc. when I ascend with the guide. Angel surfaced ten minutes later as I waited for him at the floating shed. We got unto the boat and cruised back to the beach as soon as everybody surfaced.

Another rewarding clean up dive, perhaps my gathered trash wasn’t much but doing something for marine life’s benefit is truly worthwhile. After taking lunch, getting a free shirt, taking photos – we packed our gears, freshen up and bid byes from the group. Angel and I left the beach resort with a joyful heart promisisng ourselves for another cleanup dive next year!

Unraveling Camotes Depths!

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Camotes islands was never in my list for this year to explore, while I have heard about it obscurely but never thought it to be a possible dive destination. On an impulse, Angel and I packed our gears for a weekend dive trip to Camotes.  It was exciting for us both, we just love off beaten paths – it is more interesting!  Discovering one new place with little known or vague facts and information is exhilarating!

Still tired from the trip and our rushed afternoon tour the day before, we drag ourselves from bed.  As usual, I woke up earlier than my buddy for the preliminaries – packing and ucam set up.  Our version of breakfast – a mug of coffee, 1 ½ piaya, I banana – to be light for the dive and to save!  🙂  We ordered Filipino breakfast takeout for our lunch from the next garden resort and pick up gears just in time when our transpo picked us up.  We arrived at Ocean Deep 15 minutes ahead of our appointment, I was hoping we could meet the owner but didn’t.  So, we assembled the gears and I was aghast that the dive master and the receptionist did the carrying of the paraphernalia to the boat!  Far cry from previous dive shops we got into. It was about 100 meters to the boat, Angel and I had no plans to carry our 3 tanks each, sorry… 😛

We cruised to our first site at Tulang Island for Lawis almost an hour – we planned for a maximum deep of 35 meters, since it‘s a wall it would be manageable.  We did roll-back entry and when we descend, I needed 2 more weights!  We

got into some slope and the wall – what strikes me most is that there was lot of sea fans scattered around of different colors and sizes like it’s a garden.  There were anthias, scorpionfish, camouflaging clams, hard and soft corals,

fusiliers, barrel sponge, damsels, colorful nudi, anemones, clown fish and crown of thorns!  We did see lot of this sea stars and I was apalled, I was wondering if there were initiatives by the locals to protect the marine environment from this menace.  We ascend after 46 minutes having our deepest at 33 metres.

We took refuge at the white beach of Tulang Island for our surface interval, a peaceful stretch of white sand.  The divemaster took a break and left us on our own so we took a refreshing dip at the cool crystal waters, searching for shells and stones for my souvenir. 🙂   An hour later we moved on to our next descent at The Wall which we stayed for

clownfish on an anemone

56 minutes at maximum depth of 26.7 meters. Again, it was a wall with some sandy slope decorated with a variety

healthy corals

and large expanse of corals, sponges, crinoids and variety of colorful fish juveniles.  We ascend and exited at another spot at site no. 4.

Our late lunch served as our surface interval for our last dive,  as we cruised back near the Mangodlong Rock Resort.  Without consulting my dive computer we descend for our last dive at Lucbon Shoal, in awhile it kept blinking – Error!  Our surface interval wasn’t enough L  We got down to a wide coral gardens where we had an average of 20 meters as our deepest.  Variety of hard corals – there was a wide table top coral, staghorns and other kinds of

crown of sea thorns 😦

branching species in different shades and colors.  But sadly, the crown of thorns had attacked this area and it was so frustrating to watch the corals turning grey and brown in death.  What a disaster!  In my assessment, about ¼ of the area has been devoured by the sea stars.  I found this so alarming, and I was wondering if the local government or authorities have done something to save the environs.  Even the dive operators and resorts around the islands have the responsibility to protect the marine resources, after all they’re making business from it!  We ascend after an hour as Angel was getting low on air.

We cruised back to the beach area of the resort and was grateful we got back earlier as expected.  Hey, I went ahead not wanting to see who’s gonna carry the tanks back to the diveshop 😛  After settling bills, packing gears and a brief wait of our transpo, we were back at our lodgings before it gets dark.  It was such a full day but surviving the almost unknown sites with my favorite dive buddy was pleasing enough, no complaints except for the menacing crown of thorns slowly destroying the underwater paradise in Camotes waters.

The underwater scenes in Camotes didn’t disappoint us, now and then Angel and I will continue to discover more of our country’s enchanting paradise deep down.  The exquisiteness of the marine world and seeing more places in Philippines will always be our inspiration… 🙂

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