Tag: Mantigue Island

Mania in Mantangale!

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As we drift off for safety stop, school of jacks appeared obscurely!

We were back again in Mantangale for CY 2015 dives kick-off, after two failed attempts in December and this January. Aiming for Mantigue Island (in Camiguin), the desire was too great to ignore – my gills were dried up after nine long weeks from my last dive.

Early morning dive at Mantigue is preferable as waters can get choppy, my favorite school of jacks also appears on mornings as they look for food. We arrived late at the diveshop, but too grateful that the captain waited for us, it was a shame as other guests were already on the boat.

Mantigue Island

Coming back after three years was with much anticipation, my encounters on this site were productive and I was hoping for its diverse life exploding with colors. We descend in a slope with wide coral area, hard and soft corals in variety decorated with tropical species – shrimp fish, giant moray eel, spade fish, emperor, wrasses, chromis, damsels, angels and those colorful anthias! And when we were about to have our safety stop, the school of jacks appeared like teasing us. It was unexpected! It was amusing, a drummer was manipulating a female jack to separate from the school. 🙂

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Colorful anthias over variety of corals

We went deep for 48 minutes at 30 meters as deepest. Our surface interval include exploring the park with its mini- forest which Angel wanted, our cruise back to Talisayan and our lunch break of fish n chips!

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A drummer and a jack!

Sipaka Point

Some guests call it a day and new tanks were needed for next dives, another boat came and after the transfers of equipment and passengers we prepared for the last descent. Sipaka, in the next town of Talisayan is another site with diverse marine life.

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Colorful christmas tree worms! Each time I see them, I poke playfully and they quickly hide! 🙂

We sighted stonefish, frogfish (!), banded sea snake and giant groupers not to mention the colorful anthias and other tropical fishes hovering over the colorful reef. It was another relaxing viewing of the colorful depths, 54 minutes at 18 meters deepest. Both dives were at 30% EAN!

If you are a diver and you haven’t been to Mantangale, you need to reconsider your dive trip plans. In my last engagement at MADRI, there were more than ten Russians for more than a week stay – either diving, swimming or lazing around in the beach. It was amazing they chose such obscure dive resort right here in Mindanao for their vacation, there must be something in this resort which I called my diving home.

No doubt, I will be back. I will be back home again…

Coming Again to Camiguin

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The magical Camiguin Island from afar

It was as a quick decision to have weekend dives in Mantigue Island and  I was grateful for my mentor who is always there to cater to my requests, it was too easy for him as they opened an outlet in Camiguin Island. As my trips to the island were always with companions – with friends, family or even with work mates, this time I went alone for my much needed dives. The desire was just too great to ignore, I want to explore more and meet again remarkable creatures in the island’s depths.

Arriving Balingoan port before 6am, there was a long queue already for the 2nd trip ferry – a scene like Holy Week when all people flock to the island. But it is still summer, so it’s not unusual that many people will cruise for the official summer destination in Northern Mindanao. My DM with instructions from my mentor was picking me up at Benoni port so there wasn’t much to arrange but be on board on the earliest ferry available.

Revisiting Mantigue Island

Decades ago, this island seemed so remote and in the late eighties DA people recoil from the mere mention of this place. We lost lives during a project visitation with no less than the head of the regional office, it was a traumatic incident not only for those who witnessed the tragedy but also for the whole Department. The story is now hidden in the past, just recently the island has been developed and now a nature park of LGU Mahinog – which is a commendable undertaking of the local government.

The colorful anemone fish in pairs never fails to attract a diver

Our first descent was a shore entry on the sanctuary going west, the shallows were covered with sea grasses until we went deeper on a sandy slope. The reef was covered with soft and hard corals, invertebrates and had an active fish life. Big snappers, anthias, herd of oriental sweetlips, clown fishes, damsels, angels and Moorish idols. The big frogfish was a real big bonus! After 56 minutes we wade back into the shallows fro our interval, having 29.3 m as my deepest.

The large frigfish was a surprise!
The large frogfish was a surprise!

We wade back again for our next descent going east of the sanctuary, the site is indeed blessed with marine life – nemos, sea stars, anemones and corals even on the shallows. The reef was decorated with sea fans, crinoids, basket sponge, colored soft corals, sea cucumbers, variety of anemones, finger leather corals. I was hoping to encounter again the large school of jacks, but only few was in view and quickly went away. My DM caught sight of a turtle, we tried to follow her but shy away. We swam back into the shallows after 67 minutes having 28m as my deepest.

The lowly turtle is always a friend!

My last descent for the day was in Black Forest, so the small boat brought us to the other side of the island, at past 2pm the waters started to be choppy. It was a sandy slope alternately decorated with hard and soft corals with variety of fish species around – boxfish, puffer, anthias, angels again, snappers, sand perch, goatfish. I lingered for few minutes on wide coral area with colored fishes hovering on top – lovely sight! My dive computer gave me flashing signals, I got erratic profile and have to maintain my depth for awhile. We swam until we got back to the sanctuary and ascend after 61 minutes having 26.2m as my deepest.

Giant clams can also be found in the sanctuary

Camiguin on the Surface

One thing I love with this island is that it has still maintained its laid-back atmosphere and the locals are always friendly. It’s good to be alone as I got to discover new things, now I know that it’s not expensive to get around as tricycles can be your mode of transportation in going down town. The next morning from the diveshop in Catohugan, Mahinog I went to Mambajao for two rides which only costs P 20.00. From the church after attending mass, I walked around to look for a Vjandep outlet (for the famous pastel) near the market. I walked again under the noon sun and asked around where to get a tricycle back, I was told to turn the next corner and the terminal was just under the big old acacia tree! Far cry from previous trips where I was with groups, we need to hire transportation which was some kind of expensive or if work-related, we would request from our local counterpart.

Pure, idyllic
Pure, laid-back and idyllic….

That same old charm I love in Camiguin is still there, it’s one of those local destinations that never ceased to fascinate me.  And now with easy access for my dive quest, I sure will be back again. There are more sights to discover in the depths!

My Jack in School

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School of Jacks

Diving for almost five years now, there has been lot of meeting up  with friends underwater – few astonishing, some endearing,  others surprising or mystifying but most of them so wonderful. The thrill of seeing these wondrous creatures has always been overwhelming, putting them in words is not enough, surely won’t give justice to describe how marvelous it’s always been.  Marine world completely blow me away, simply I fell in love with the underwater realm.

One of the species that I found magical and awe-inspiring is jack, a silvery fish belonging to the family of Barracudas, Tunas & Mackerels, Chubs, or Mullets.  Locally known as Talakitok or Trakito, the larger version is better known as Trevally.  As food fish, it’s superb and admittedly it’s one of my favorite. But I’m more interested of Jack out there in the wild, not on my dinner table. I better knew him in the deep, swimming coyly and gazing at me, at an arm’s length in his world.

Unity and harmony....

There are three remarkable spots so far where I had magical encounter with jacks – a large number of them or aptly described as in school.  Apo Islandwith its great marine life and healthy ecosystem, was teeming with bigeye jacks in school.

Glassy eyes stare!

For sure, the local community’s effort in preserving and protecting the surrounding waters was not futile.  Lining up and swimming in unison in the blue before me – what a sight!

To survive in one-mindedness...

Right in our very own Mantigue Island in Camiguin, when I first dove at the sanctuary I never expected an encounter with jacks, no one mentioned it to me.  Awed, when silvery jacks appeared before me, again in unison swimming coyly, as if listening to the vibration of my own movements.

Jacks in Tubbataha Reefs

There is some kind of magic that this humble Trakito can bring!     Lastly, in the great Tubbataha Reefs, large school of jacks decorated a sandy slope after I got mesmerized with a whaleshark & reef sharks parade.  They simply appeared like a wall, those huge glassy eyes staring at you.  Even with current, they hung in mid-water with flawless grace.  Their unity in going to one direction, or how easily they shift in opposite direction in accord is mind-boggling, as if someone is in command.  The school moves with quiet order and control.

Such majesty in oneness...

There is a majesty and power in the movement of a unified mass, a kind of beauty and harmony that can only come from moving and thinking as one.  It is still a mystery to me, indeed how vast the marine life to unravel.  My jacks in school is just one of its wonders!

NB.  Photos courtesy of Angel, using Olympus Tough 8000 and PT 045 as casing

Talisayan: More than the Usual

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colorful depths of Red Sands!

There wasn’t much enthusiasm towards this year’s after birthday weekend trip, originally the dates were reserved already for the much awaited Tawi-Tawi dives.  Much awaited because last year’s plan was cancelled, so it was rescheduled for July 2011 and was thrilled when we got our tickets on sale last November!  Well, it was called off again just with the Batanes sojourn. It brought home in the end for Mantangale dives but Angel’s mixed-up schedules daunted my MADRI homecoming…

Saturday Ramblings

We made it though, but arriving late at the resort, all the dive boats sailed off already to Mantigue Island and Medina.  After more than two hours of waiting and taking our complimentary lunch at the resto, Angel and I went down to the diveshop to prepare and gear up. I guess we’re just dying to be in the waters for our dried up gills!  🙂 Just in time when Sir Dong came back from Duka Bay, we had some catch-up talk until we sailed off for our first descent at Sipaka Point.

Can you find the cleaner shrimp?

Although Sipaka is just nearby from the resort, it belonged to the next coastal town of Talisayan. The spot wasn’t new but I was sure there is something more I will find since I last explored its depths. Back-rolling for our first water entry at the Red Sand, we separated from the boat with group of OW students having their exercise at the spot. We descend on a sandy slope with Danny as our dive guide – we are now confident to go down with no DM.  🙂  We sighted variety specie of soft and hard corals, sponges, colorful crinoids, cucumbers, anemones and even crown of sea thorns. We sighted also a banded sea snake slithering from us as we took turns for photos!  We moved around and searched for more critters – spotted colorful nudis, elusive cleaner shrimp and juvenile fishes. I was amused with the jerky many spotted sweetlips – we keep on following as it kept darting when we took photos. 😛  We found uniquely shaped corals – like mushrooms, like suntan flora, like thorny fruit and more. There was no encounter with pelagics but the colorful tropical fishes decorating the corals was all there in splendor creating a colorful underwater and active fish life. We ascend after 62 minutes still having 1000psi of air.

colorful nudi!

We were grateful the shop arranged for our second descent together with John (Australian), who wanted to search for mandarin fish.  Leisure talk with Sir Dong – right, for next dive trips! J Good food, idyllic environs with good weather while watching Camiguin Island in the horizons, was a perfect surface interval for me.  Though it was late, there was no rush as we waited sundown for our night dive.

We boarded the boat in twilight and cruised for about 15 minutes to Talisayan Shoal getting thrilled what to find, it was our first time at the shoal.  I always find night dives as challenging and exciting! The plan:  DM Cena will look for mandarin fish while the dive guide stay with John, we will follow them as we do our own exploration.  It was almost dark when we descend at 5:52pm on a sandy area.

like mushrooms sprouting!

The dark underwater seemed another world to me, armed with our torches we started our search – search for the unknown!  We spotted critters – crabs, shrimps, juvenile lion fish, clams, and more.  Angel pointed out a juvenile puffer fish with those green pleading eyes!  We went around getting familiar with the darkness, only to find out we were separated from the others.  It didn’t bother us as we continue to roam around.  Indeed, at night different species showed up.  We stayed close to the seabed as we continue our search, I felt something crawling on my bodice – a crinoid stuck with me! 😛  In a while, we noticed a flickering light beyond us, following it we caught up with our companions. We ascend after 68 minutes with my air still at 1000psi, at 7pm it was all dark surrounding us.  The cold night air gave me shivers as we sped off to the resort.

Gills Refreshed

Perhaps  a dive in far-off waters is just ordinary for some but the sights in our two descents were not usual ones – we had more of colorful macros and colorful active marine life. I couldn’t help again to be more passionate with marine life as I view my photos,  you know – that fire within.  How vast and mysterious underwater world is, and how fortunate I am given the privilege to experience this grandeur.

Even with battery of cancelled trips, my after birthday weekend dives with my favorite dive buddy was more than enough for my dried-up gills and itching fins.  Life can be more beautiful deep down!

NB.  I use Lumix TS2 with Ikelite casing.

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