"Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content of a sedentary life on the surface, I will always be haunted by thoughts of being drenched elsewhere"….
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!
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…
Reminiscing mishaps in my journey as a Little Mermaid, recalling them made me understand better that there is blessing in every blow and that they are not meant to harm us but allow us to be strong and mature. As I look back, I realized that there is always victory in every situation and it didn’t destroy me after all.
My right flipper went off from my feet as I swam back to the boat after ascent, and without my knowledge! Good thing one of our companions behind found it for me – it felt stupid 😛
During a night dive as we ascend swimming back to the boat, my BC keeps on deflating! It’s bit difficult to keep inflating back as it was dark
While in Coron, last minute I was informed that my flight was cancelled, good thing the airline made arrangements for another airline at no cost, good thing it did not create mess for my connecting flight going back home
Once the visibility was murky and I got lost from my buddy, totally lost and I was left alone! I managed to ascend alone but it was truly heart pounding…
Another night dive on a shore entry, we begin to descend when I noticed something was wrong, I signaled for “something wrong” and for “up”! I need one more weight as we’re using aluminum tanks, I forgot and it felt so stupid!
What abut having my period during my dive! Dive trips cant just simply be moved for such reason, everything were arranged already including ticket reservations.
Well, what about my underwater cam caught up with leaking! L Barely ten months after I bought it, pricey of course. My heart sank… Now, we’re using my buddy’s cam with my casing.
Or while in El Nido, as soon as the plane touched down I received sms informing that my flight back was cancelled! I was disturbed – had to make last minute cancellation, booking, rebooking and accommodation arrangements – in effect new itinerary. Good thing was, everything can be done online with some calls. Good friends were there to help me out.
Or our Dive Tubbataha 2010 plan went flop! Purely economics – my mentor wasn’t organizing anymore and the liveaboards are just too expensive – too lavish I would say. There was too much cash outflow in the past months due to my mum’s hospitalization and finally her death. It isn’t wise to splurge when your finances is recovering yet. Another week-long leave from work after having two weeks leave attending to our mum is I think not a good work ethics.
Your Director wants to see you the following morning (holiday!) to discuss about work matters, and your flight for a dive trip is very early the next morning! How does that feel, may I ask? Actually I felt bad, because in a sense I failed her.
Oh, few years back, when I had my Open Water Diver Course my period suddenly came the day before my class schedule! I thought I couldn’t make it but I did – my mentor was patient with me.
I may have a long list here now, but for sure as I continue with my diving trips, more disasters can happen. But all of these were overtaken by the pleasures I savored form exploring the underwater world, it was simply marvelous! It is always as good as it gets. 🙂 The Lord always fix things, always….
It was in December 2008 that I attended the presentation of project proposals for MRDP, I seated behind listening to the deliberations with my team, thoughts racing in my mind too interested with marine preservation. Few of things I began to be passionate about after I become a diver!
The project was approved by the Poject Advisory Board (PAB) , a Natural Resorce Management (NRM) Project funded by WB under the Mindanao Rural Development Program. I guess I was beaming thinking about the coral transplantation and was too thrilled when the project coordinator told me she would get me as volunteer diver during transplantation. The rest is history….
Now, after more than 18 months of the preparation, logistics, arrangements, social prep, capacitation and more – the area is now ready. Concrete domes and subsrates were submerged months ago, nursery installed, and now a protected area. Last week the transplantation have started and I can’t help to be excited! Next week (Aug 25th) I’ll be joining them down under for the job, finally! I started to think how long would I last doing the planting with my 3000psi tank, or how many can I plant, or will I do it right? And this is totally new – coral planting? Well, planting in the gardens is too easy – flowers, herbs, veggies – which made me remember the backyard. But planting underwater is outlandish – it’s not for the faint-hearted I guess! 😛 Isn’t that somewhat cranky?
I’m immensely felt blessed that my passion for diving is not mere for fun, but also with a purpose not for myself but for the community and environment, contributing to make this corner of the Earth a better place to live. This I think is an infallible human undertaking.
Ah, my hidden fins is starting to scratch out from me! 🙂
I’m still grieving for my mother’s demise, I can’t deny it. The hole in my heart is still there, there seems a forlorn feeling deep in me. And I wanted to be away, alone in a deserted place to be just by myself. I need a quiet time, to reflect and embrace the pain and hopeful to cast it away soon inside me. I was weighing my options what to do and where to go, embattled by management principles yet I need to pursue it for my sanity’s sake. I have to limit expenses, for the past months there was too much cash outflow yet the inflows were in trickles and I need funds for my scheduled trips. But the holidays is gawking at me as if pointing a finger – getting a leave is not easy and I’m allowing the free days go down the drain – such opportunity loss! Last minute I decided to escape to Sohoton but without neglecting the essentials: attend the flag raising for the 112th Independence Day – singing the Pambansang Awit head held up, my right hand on my breast watching a 20×50 feet flag waving proudly up there gives a different kind of feeling; birthday breakfast with a good friend and catch up with her – women talks are too long! ; visit my optometrist for consultation and order my dailies; finish the laundry and grab some needs at the supermarket. Left on a Sunday after attending mass and a relaxed breakfast, I was bidding my time after all I’m on a vacation… Great Escape I was thankful I arrived in perfect shape and just in time, although I left CdeO with the 10am aircon bus, I step in at the reception center of the park at 620pm almost dark. The timing of the connecting vehicles was just perfect, when I arrived Hayanggabon port at Claver, my guide and the boat was already waiting. Joseph (the guide) said we should do some marketing for food, we did it hastily as it was almost getting dark. We sped off for the cruise riding on the waves, which is natural during late afternoons. Halfway, the waters have cleared and we cruised freely, orange skies in the horizon as the sun finally sets for the day. I haven’t arrived yet and I’m feeling good already, riding on the small boat with cool sea breeze on my face, surrounded by the vast blue sea and the green islets! The little mermaid in me is rejoicing, this is where I belong….
Boats for Bucas Grande group…
Until now, there’s still no electricity in the place, so when it gets totally dark the stars started to decorate the skies and illumined the waters. DH said I would spend the night at Tiktikan Lake since the guest house is fully booked. I admired the expertise of the boat people, the could easily operate the vehicle even in darkness. So we cruised to the lake and climbed the path to the cottage, it was like camping. It’s an open cottage but large, and I have an airbed with matching mosquito net, which is actually what I need – I don’t like the mosquitoes! My bed was on a corner, so I get a good view of the stars in the sky! DH said, I’m the “princess” of Joseph & Ranil during my stay. Indeed I was, they took care of my needs including cooking my food – such opulence! I woke up at dawn when the wind blew hard, in different directions my mosquito net is flying up – a little while it started to drizzle. Then I found out I got a message from Angel, which left me wondering since my bed spot has no signal! Nobody knew my escape except one little sister at home (in case for emergencies) and have no plans to chatter about it even to Angel!
The placid Tiktikan Lake
The stars slowly fading out when morning came, watching the placid lake as I wake up is just too wonderful! Just One Day for Me I think it wont be too much to ask to just have a day for myself doing things randomly in the sanctuary of nature, in a different time and place. I leisurely take my breakfast while sending messages to Angel (I hardly do these on early mornings!) until other guests came to the cottage for boating at the lake. I talked with DH previous night about my planned activities, but I was aghast when I found out that Spirit was missing and not anymore at La Fortuna! The stingless jellyfish is out of season already and so my plan to snorkel at Tojoman Lake is cancelled. 😦 So my itinerary goes: Explore Crystal Cave and traverse to come out at the Mangroves in the other barangay Snorkel, snorkel, snorkel Island hop at nearby islets Visit Hidden Island Resort
Overlooking view near the fish sanctuary
Not quite spectacular or strange but one of those simple things that give simple joy to a soul who loves the water. It was still drizzling as we set out for our exploration, I was with Reggie and Joseph – my reliable guides. It’s good to be back at Crystal, we crawled tunnels, climb slopes, walk, look up, crawl again, entered holes but we never got out. We searched every corner for a tunnel leading to the exit but there was none. We retraced our steps and went round again. We found a snake wallowing in a pond, we found vandals as early as 1957, found nests of balinsasayaw with eggs, touch a chick not capable of flying yet and feel the balinsasayaw darting back & forth perhaps disturb by our presence. I told my subjects to abort and just got out from the cave. Well, got blue and scratches on my legs from the crawling! We went next to snorkel at Marka A Island, a nearby islet with a patch of white sand beach. The corals were colorful and amazing but I was wondering about the dead corals and rubbles and the locals offered these explanations: • During rainy season, the corals discolor due to waters losing tis saltiness • During low tides, in shallow waters the corals were exposed to too much heat and they tend to die • Corals in near shallow water tend to break and got destroyed as splashed by big waves especially during the habagat
A patch of white beach
We went to another spot in Caasinan (because in the olden days, the community used to produce salt from this place) for another snorkel. The corals are more colorful, tremendous and varied and there was fish life although juveniles but it was too wonderful to behold – oh, I miss my cam! I could have taken pictures of the anthias over a table coral, the bright red clown fish on anemones, butterfly fish, wrasses, angel fish, bat fish, damsels and more. I spend more time just going around and around. Then we sailed back in time for lunch. In the afternoon, we went to another islet Pulong Gamay near a marine sanctuary and climb on its top and had a good overlooking view on surrounding waters. Then we sailed on the vast waters and visit Hidden Island Resort, which was somewhat deserted when we got there. We were allowed to come inside after telling we’re guests of DH. I was surprised when they have two sharks, five turtles, napoleon wrasse and other pelagics wading in the water pen! How could they do that? They are supposed to be in the wild… We didn’t stay long as the people there were not too friendly, perhaps disturbed by our presence. It’s a good place though but not as attractive in the pictures at the net!
Quiet beach, blue horizons, calm waters…
We cruised to Dahican, an island with white beach and few cottages. DH was suggesting to stay overnight there but I cant imagine sleeping in an open cottage near the sea, it would be too cold! It’s a good place though – quiet, serene, idyllic – and the caretaker was friendly and the kids also are kind. We stayed for awhile, me just sitting on the beach watching the horizons – the vast waters in front of me and the green patches. Soon I’ll be missing the view. We cruised back to the reception center, it felt free cruising the vast blue waters in front of us. I arrived at the reception center bit exhausted but refreshed and renewed. Before it got dark and my stay drawn to a close, I went for a swim in front of the reception center, it was already late and there were no more guests. I wade, swam and practice getting down with no weights but no success – someday I will. Angel and I aimed for that. Like, I can control my buoyancy and I can scuba dive with only one weights with me! Then a small brownish jellyfish came near me, pulsating and floating, I took the time to play with it. it was some kind of manifestation and assurance that my friends are just around. Later I ate my dinner (fresh broiled fish & baked mac I brought with me) with a kerosene lamp, isn’t it some kind of romantic? 😛 I spend my night at the guest house, I need a good rest as my day was just too full! Another Next Time I was telling DH that next time I should be able to traverse the cave and he should be ready with a good guide, and I should not miss the jellyfish in the lagoon! I wake up the next morning opening my window and watching the placid lake in front me – so peaceful and so quite, it simply feeds your soul… I promise to be back again, I’m sure I would be missing again the vast seas surrounding me – away from the land, the crowds, man made structures. Here, it’s all nature – ordinary but so pure and true. The serenity is all consuming…
Life in the Great Beyond 
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