Category: Musings

The Little Mermaid in 2010

cbartazo

the Depths - my second home!

Prologue: An excerpt  from my journal The Year that Was…

It was amazing that even with chaotic work schedule, I had lot of personal trips labeled as my de-stressing strategy.  I had almost 30 dives, of which 25 sites entirely new; explored 8 new places including the famous El Nido; and have finally experienced coral transplantation at NRM site in Linamon.

Though our ultimate dive trip for 2010 was indefinitely postponed, I was thrilled with new discoveries not only with underwater world but also in the highlands.  I was able to scale two mountain peaks in two successive months – Mt. Pulag in the Cordilleras and Mt. Kitanglad in our very own Bukidnon – third and fourth highest peak in the country.  And finally, I set foot In Sagada after 8 long years of waiting.

Arranging trips and itineraries have become an art.  One time, I changed return flight last minute and become absent on a Monday, I have to call and delegate for an opening message on a morning convocation! It was a feat to arrange for leaves carefully considering work trip, meetings and deadlines.  I have exhausted my special leaves, force leave and took vacation leave which I don’t normally do in previous years.

Year 2010 has been a blissful year for my diving pursuit and indeed I was immensely enriched as I go through my journey. Looking back I can always recount the events with much delight and gratefulness for all the blessings poured down for me to grasp.  So here’s my ten for 2010:

  • My greatest lesson – ascending alone after I was lost from my DM in the murky waters.  The principle I use was stop, relax, think & act which I think very basic for every diver.
  • My 29 dives of which 25 are totally new sites having an accumulated underwater time of 56:53 as of 30 December  were more than decent enough considering schedules and monetary issues.
  • My greatest disaster – my cam which was barely 10 months old went flooded!  My heart sank…
  • My greatest disappointment – Missing the Coron monsters, I want to visit this fave site once a year.
  • Now sporting my dive computer – an important gear I can’t imagine diving now without it!
  • My advocacy for marine protection & preservation being reinforced by joining the coral transplantation in a marine protected area in one of the coastal town in the region.
  • My personal goal to dive at least once a month was almost prefect except in May and October when I was in mourning and on a retreat respectively.  I had seven in September.
  • My new learning – diving with enriched air and I love it.  Now, I wanted my EANx certification soon!
  • After more than three years I was able to revisit the spot where I had my first rigors in open water diving, coming back to the resort felt nostalgic…
  • My passion for marine quests is now on the next level, working for the underwater world has been an enriching experience for me.  A call to make a difference in the marine world!

And I am blessed I have friends to support me,  they have great influence as I went through in my journey:

  • Mario – I was diving with him when I was lost in the murky waters, being my OWC and AOWC professor, it   was the perfect workshop! He was deathly worried and when I surfaced, he was still on the waters obviously waiting for me to show up. I can not forget the look in his eyes.  He invited me and I was part again of his International Cleanup Dive activities in a marine sanctuary in one coastal town in the region.
  • Lemuel & Mar Brandy – marine biologists, their work in marine preservation & coral transplantation has inspired and enriched me.  They facilitated and work out things so I could join them for the underwater work.
  • Angel – my good friend and favorite dive buddy, an important person in my dive trips.  Without him, probably I wont be able to visit all those sites.  Seventy percent of my last year’s dives were with him – perhaps our diver’s itch is on the same degree and our passion for marine life has gotten to the same level.  We shared many lessons, memories and graces in our travels, and what a joy! He was so encouraging and resourceful in planning our trips.  Our visits to El Nido, Malapascua, Kalanggaman, Apo Island were few of the trips tinted with extravagance and I was feeling spoiled again!

Indeed, it was a plethora of wonderful and inspiring experience, the mermaid in me has always been on its fins wanting to immerse deeply in the wonderful water world.  This is my journey, this is my life….

Related Articles

CY 2011: Quo vadis, Mermaid?

cbartazo
There's life beyond the depths!

Our Tubbataha 2010 is indefinitely postponed so my soul will wait silently for the right time, I know it will be worth the wait. Despite shelving my coveted dive trip for this year, I’m on again for more adventures for 2011 planning equally amazing and off beaten dive sites… I promised myself before venturing sites outside my dear country, I need to explore more and exhaust all the rich marine biodiversity in our waters.

Together with my favorite dive buddy Angel, we are more than bullish to explore these exciting sites:

  • Apo Reef – one of the most diverse marine life comparable to the Great Barrier Reef.  My tickets for San Jose – Manila – San Jose is ready. Angel encouraged me to buy this as early as May , it was on sale!
  • Coron (again!) – for the mysterious wreck diving. I’ll never get enough of all the challenging WWII wrecks in its waters.  Admittedly, I am smitten by the rich marine life and laid back environment in Calamianes.
  • Batanes – I never knew that there is diving in this northern most islands, so when Angel told me, I was thrilled! I slapped my forehead why I haven’t thought to search diving in the islands.  I have been wanting to visit this town, but keep postponing. Now, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone – stunning landscape and mysterious unspoiled depths!  Got our tickets already, it was on seat sale!
  • Manta Bowl – A new discovery, incidentally a dive master mentioned this site to us. Our diver’s itch is pestering us again!
  • Tawi-Tawi waters – one of the red flag areas in Mindanao, this is challenging!  We planned to conquer the place this year, but failed.  So, we will finally explore it next year as my birthday trip.  We got tickets already!
  • Malapascua (again!) – we missed the treshers last summer, so we need to go there again!  Hopefully, the sharks would cooperate this time. I love the laid back life of this northernmost Cebu island. 🙂
  • Others – there are other sites to explore more, those that are less expensive and accessible to get away with leaves at work.  Like Panglao Island, Camiguin Island, Moalboal, Siquijor or even Mis Or waters.

There will be more discoveries  next year aside from our surface adventures.  And always, yes always, I’m grateful with my favorite dive buddy who’s ever resourceful and very encouraging in planning our trips.  I’m  looking  forward for all these, but  shhhhhhh – these are still secret.  Ahhh, the mermaid in me is rejoicing!

Mission: Coral Watch

cbartazo
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!

Related Articles

Missing the Monsters!

cbartazo
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…

Related articles

Counting Disasters!

cbartazo

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….