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The Carabao Dive Center asked me to accompany two Japanese divers today. Of course I didn’t pass up the chance to go scuba diving, and I was really looking forward to it because we were going to San Juan Reef.

This dive site, which is very close to the Hof Gorei beach resort on Samal Island, is a favorite of mine because of the abundance of huge coral heads present (mostly hard coral) and the myriads of species of marine life that call it home. I was telling the Japanese couple (retirees from Tokyo) about how I enjoyed San Juan Reef, and it turned out really well in the beginning — visibility was at least 30 feet and there was hardly any turbidity (in spite of the heavy downpour last night).

We planned a dive where we would bottom at about a hundred feet, take in the surroundings for a few minutes, skirt the sloping wall towards the southeast while climbing, then explore the reef level at about 40 feet for the remainder of the first dive.

It all went quite well — lots of photo opportunities for my charges, great visibility, warm waters (max of about 85°F / 29°C), thousands of colorful, hyperactive tropical fish — until we got to the last leg of the plan.

What greeted us at the southeastern portion of the reef was dismaying. No: horrifying. Looming in the distance, it was like an apparition that seemed to blur the coral formations ahead. It didn’t register in my mind right away because of its unthinkable size. Then it hit me, and the realization was painful. It was a fishing net, covering an area the size of a volleyball basketball court.

For some inexplicable and unfathomable reason, local fishermen dispose of old or damaged fishing nets into the sea. Some months ago, a diver-photographer told me that these underwater pollutants were called “ghost nets”. I’ve been seeing such things from time to time, but usually no bigger than a few feet long. I wish you would never have to see what I did today — it felt like a punch in the gut.

On my second dive, two fellow Dabawenyos — Bgy. Capt. Jun Laud of Ma-a and Van-Van, one of his volunteers from the barangay rescue team — joined me in an effort to clear as much net as possible. It was in shallow water, about 20 feet, so we were able to stay underwater for a solid hour and a half. But we could only do so much. The offensive netting covered a lot of bristly coral heads, so that it was extremely tasking trying to extricate the super fine threads.

A lot of fish were caught in the ghost net’s deathly clutches: angels, damsels, puffers — most of them doomed to die. I was able to free a filefish and a juvenile triggerfish and another that I didn’t recognize, but that was it.

What was most gut-wrenching for me was seeing two peacock mantis shrimp, hopelessly entangled in the net’s nearly invisible fibers. We were desperate to free the pair, but to no avail. One was above the net and the other below, both beyond rescue due to their constant struggling to get free. What if they were mating? What if more were trapped? It was my first time to see this dazzlingly colorful creature… but in such a depressing circumstance!

Ghost nets are highly destructive. They ensnare marine animals, big or small, and they can suffocate coral. In this incident, it was very shallow and currents at San Juan Reef are nutrient-laden, so that algal growth is at an accelerated rate; I saw a few staghorn coral heads already completely covered by algae. Endangered marine turtles, even dolphins, can also get entangled in these wantonly discarded nets.

Three months ago I wrote about destructive fishing practices and that it would take a bottom-up approach to curb them. Clearly, what’s needed is to get local fishermen to truly understand the harm in their actions. I mentioned that it would take time for this to happen. But when??

Tomorrow, I hope more divers will join us in getting rid of that nasty fishing net from San Juan Reef. It will take a concerted effort, and it will certainly take time and lots of patience. I’m just glad that the people I dive with are as conscientious of the environment as I am, and are always there to lend a hand.

Aside from the environment, the presence of these undersea pollutants will hurt our tourism industry. It was quite embarrassing for me during our surface interval, talking to the Japanese tourists about the ghost net. The couple came to Davao for scuba diving, nothing else. I wonder how they truly felt about seeing that horrific sight…

When will the local government units involved take action? When will the plans emanating from the various organizations active in the Davao Gulf finally see the light of day? Clean-up dives, while noble, are transient measures, mere stop gaps that don’t really address the root of the problem. What we need are rigorous and resolute actions by everyone concerned.

To show my disgust over a proposed bill by a misguided congressman to outlaw planking in the Philippines, I attempted to plank atop a table coral last Saturday at the Coral Gardens. Unfortunately, a friend pointed out that one must be physically in contact with the medium in order for the act to be considered [...]

After a couple of months of habagat, the Coral Gardens dive site at last had awesome visibility when we went to dive there last Saturday. It wasn’t spectacular — only about 40 feet — but it was much, much better than before. So Christian and I decided to do a blue-water entry, together with two divers we met on the boat.

Christian, Patrick , Emit and I plunged to 106 feet (32 meters) from the surface, at the southern end of the Coral Gardens dive site. We bottomed away from the actual reefs and onto a sloping sandy bottom. (My dive buddies and I enjoy this kind of descent, ever since we did it for the first time with Carabao Dive Center instructor, John Neri. You sink into the sea, usually to the very bottom, with no reef or wall as visual reference, only your bubbles to tell you that you’re going down.)

It was Patrick’s first time to dive Davao, so it was a pleasure to show him around what was once Davao’s pride. However, while the visibility was really good, the dive site itself isn’t what it used to be.

As recent as a decade ago, the Coral Gardens site was an underwater world teeming with all sorts of tropical fish and burgeoning with large coral heads. But now, due to an infestation of the crown-of-thorns sea star — its overpopulation caused by the near extinction of its main predator, the giant triton — you see large patches of dead coral all over the site. It’s a depressing scene.

Crown-of-thorns sea stars feed on coral polyps and are known to be voracious eating machines. Each animal can lay waste to about 65 square feet (6 sqm) of live coral per year! They are very hardy, able to regenerate damaged limbs, and can survive without food for half a year. Divers report that killing these sea stars causes them to spawn, so that the only way to dispose of them is to bring them to the surface to die in the sun. Another way would be to somehow bring back giant triton into the picture…

But it’s not only the imbalance of the marine ecosystem that is being harmful to this once-lush undersea location. People are also to blame.

Beach-goers, snorkelers and divers — who come in droves each month — contribute to the destruction of the Coral Gardens. There are spots where coral heads are as shallow as 10 feet, and they bear the brunt of people’s presence. This place is also a preferred site for check-out dives, where student divers, who aren’t yet in control of their buoyancy, often cause damage to soft coral, sea anemones and other marine life. Not to mention, boat’s anchors…

I am pretty sure all conscientious divers who’ve seen Coral Gardens lately will agree with me that this site is under a great deal of stress. However, I don’t know how many will take my side in this proposition: Close down Coral Gardens for rehabilitation.

It’s been done before. Access to Mt. Apo’s trails was barred for a few years, to allow the mountain some breathing time, so to speak. Why can’t it be done for dive sites?

After our dive, Patrick, who’s also a seasoned skin diver, remarked that he didn’t see a lot of fish at Coral Gardens. Unlike in other sites, we saw very few anemonefish and parrotfish, or commensal shrimp and cleaner crab. It almost looked dreary. Maybe it was because the sky was completely overcast (which made sea anemone to close up), so that sea life slowed down that time. But I think the stresses caused by people — including unscrupulous fishing practices — are taking their toll on the site. It was pretty sunny the previous time I was there, and fish density was obviously very low even then. And no big fish at all.

That’s why, before it’s too late, I believe that the Samal local government unit, or the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, should exert the necessary efforts to rehabilitate the Coral Gardens. If closing down the site for a year or two turns out to be the best solution, then I’m all for it! (Imagine how totally thrilling it would be to re-enter the site once it’s opened up for diving again!)

If government won’t do it (for lack of political will or, more likely, absence of concern), then dive operators should step up for the Coral Gardens and abstain from this dive site themselves. In the final analysis, the marine environment’s health is paramount and should supersede our own pleasure-seeking activities.

Today, my friends and I spent the good part of the day with the Special Operations Group (CGSOG) of the Philippine Coast Guard’s South Eastern Mindanao District. The command is celebrating its 26th founding anniversary this month, and as part of their continuing commitment to the community, they conducted a coastal clean-up activity at Samal Island from 9am to around noontime.

Led by the CGSOG’s newly-appointed commanding officer, P/Ens Bernard N. Venutra, the group of Scubasureros swept the sea floor from Sonrisa Beach to Blujaz Beach to Paradise Island Beach. Joining the frogman team were Christian, Rodney and me, and two more civilians: Dennis Tiamson of Philippine Airlines and Al Karlus Piloton, a freelance dive master. The civilian team was invited by the CGSOG through Carabao Dive Center, the Coast Guard’s partner in such activities.

According to my dive buddy during today’s Scubasurero plunge, SN2 Al Konrad Piloton (the DM’s brother), the Coast Guard also did other coastal clean-ups at Sasa, as well as other environment protection initiatives in some parts of the Davao Gulf. (Earlier this month, another sub-unit of the Coast Guard conducted a mangrove-planting activity.)

I salute these intrepid protectors of the seas for their sincere concern for the environment, and for their positive actions that should serve as an example to everyone.

The Scubasurero event was sponsored by the three resorts — and as well they should, because they were the direct beneficiaries — and by Carabao Dive Center, which provided equipment and tanks. Divers from Paradise Island Beach Resort also joined in the effort.

The Coast Guard District South Eastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) is commanded by Commodore Eduardo B. Gongona. CGDSEM’s area of responsibility encompasses the entire Gulf of Davao, and all the way to General Santos and Sarangani. With so much to look out for (with a budget that, I imagine, doesn’t match their requirements), it’s amazing that they can find the time to do community service. And I’m certainly glad they do!

The rest of the CGSOG team: PO2 Charlie Cayanong, PO3 Elmer Cabrera, PO3 Edward Atok, PO3 Michael Marquez, SN1 Raymond Villanueva, SN2 Ernesto Madriga, SN2 Luis Tan, and SN2 Baltazar Ligan.

Location:	Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal
Features:	sandy bottom, gradual slope, artificial structures
Date:	14 September 2011
Time in:	9:40am
Bottom time:	103mins
Maximum depth:	60ft/18m
Average depth:	30ft/9m
Visibility:	20ft/6m
Bottom temperature:	85°F/29°C
Entry:	inflatable boat

There was so much garbage underwater! Of course I see that each time I dive, but now that I was collecting them, it was mind-blowing how much trash the sea bed is actually covered in. I personally retrieved about 3lbs of plastic wrappers, aluminum foil, PET bottles, cans, diapers, lighters, pens… It was just disheartening.

Most people don’t see the sea very often, so the problem of ocean pollution is a classic case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. This must change. The waters between Davao City and Samal are now polluted with floating trash, and it’s becoming more than just an unsightly annoyance. It will very soon become a region-wide problem: getting it out of the sea will certainly be costly, but if we let it remain unchecked, it will impact negatively on our tourism industry.

But more than that, non-biodegradable materials in the sea are harmful pollutants. They can cause coral reefs to waste away; they can kill dolphins and marine turtles, who could ingest plastics thinking they were jellyfish; and they can clog waterways and cause damage to life and property.

Please, stop throwing garbage into the sea!

For more photos of this dive, please see Rodney’s album.

It is one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world and thus has been identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as one of the priority areas within the Coral Triangle. It is the Davao Gulf — a 308,000-hectare body of water surrounded by Davao City, the 3 Davao provinces and Compostela Valley.

Unfortunately, it is also under threat from such activities as destructive fishing and improper waste disposal.

Last July, thousands of runners came to the aid of the gulf, converging in Davao City for the PLDT-Smart 10-Miler Run. Organized by the country’s leading telecoms provider, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the event — consisting of 3k, 5k, 10k and 10-mile categories — sought to raise awareness of the conditions at the gulf.

In addition, Smart has also partnered with WWF-Philippines to launch the international environmental group’s first-ever SMS-based micro-donation service called Text to Donate (TTD). Smart subscribers anywhere in the Philippines can use their cellphone and airtime load to make a donation by simply texting WWF <amount> to 4483. Valid amounts (in pesos) are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000.

Funds raised through this service will be used by WWF-Philippines to rehabilitate and preserve the fisheries within the Davao Gulf and to protect its endangered dugongs and sea turtles.

In its website, the Davao Gulf Management Council notes the variety of mangroves, seaweeds, sea grasses and coral that enrich the gulf’s ecosystem and sustain several marine species, especially tuna. Dolphins, whales, and shorebirds are also found in the area.

The gulf is best known as home to rare species of sea turtles and sea cows, more popularly known as dugong.

Thousands of people living along the Davao region shoreline benefit from the gulf. Its coast runs from the southernmost tip of Davao del Sur through to Davao City and Davao del Norte and continues on to Compostela Valley and Davao del Sur.

Certain activities of marine-related industries, however, have caused the degradation of the gulf, threatening its marine life and its ecosystem in general. (Please read this article — and others on that site — to see some of what’s been happening in the Davao Gulf.)

The council has cited the incidence of illegal and destructive fishing, biophysical deterioration of mangrove, seagrass and coral habitats, as well as the presence of domestic and agro-industrial wastes among other threats.

The WWF further reiterates that ports, oil depots, factories and other industries are perceived to put pressure on the quality of the water, the natural habitats and the productivity of the gulf’s fisheries.

Thankfully, local government units, non-governmental organizations and even private entities are joining hands to protect and preserve the gulf.

“We are glad to have led this event that rallies not only Davao residents but anyone from all over the country to combine their passion for running with their desire to help protect one of the country’s richest yet highly threatened marine ecosystems. Participants gladly did it for a worthwhile cause.”
Atty. Jane Paredes
Public Affairs Senior Manager (Visayas & Mindanao)
Smart Communications

The advocacy run and the TTD project are part of the environmental initiatives of Smart’s corporate social responsibility and community service program, Kabalikat sa Kalikasan.

Remember, you can do your part anytime, anywhere! Text WWF <amount> to 4483 today and help secure the future of the Davao Gulf.

It was rather disappointing that the Davao Reef Divers Club wasn’t able to do the planned dive safari during the last looong weekend (27-30 August). We did still get to dive each day (except Sunday for me), but I felt robbed of the opportunity to dive the other side of Samal Island (the one facing Davao Oriental), which I’ve never done.

But last weekend made up for it big time!

Together with my dive buddy, Christian, and Carabao Dive Center dive master, Richard, and his student for advanced open water, I had four day dives and one night dive — all at locations I’d never dived before. Diving new spots is always thrilling, don’t you think?

On Saturday after the first dive with the Carabao organized dive tour, we had ourselves dropped off at a private resort on Talikud Island. It’s in Barangay Sta. Cruz, a kilometer or so before the Leticia by the Sea beach resort. We were there to do a quick survey of the waters in front for installing artificial reef domes later this month, and for an exploratory night dive.

Here are photos of the two dives we did at the resort:

van der Linden Resort

Location:	Bgy. Sta. Cruz, Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal
Features:	sandy bottom, gradual slope, stone formations
Date:	3 September 2011
Time in:	6:33pm
Bottom time:	59mins
Maximum depth:	59ft/18m
Visibility:	6ft/2m
Bottom temperature:	83°F/28°C
Entry:	jetty

The dive site (yet to be named) in front of the van der Lindens’ resort has a gentle slope past the end of the jetty to about 40 feet, then drops down to a flat shelf at 60 feet. This area is quite large, spanning the entire front of the resort and beyond.

The shore and the space up to 40 feet below are clearly victims of irresponsible fishing practices. The locals say that the worst offender was the fishnet, which used to be dragged across the bottom, devastating much marine life in the process through the years. It’s not being done in those parts anymore, and new coral are springing to life in patches everywhere — but it will take a very long time before that area recovers.

Beyond that, however, at the 60-foot level, coral heads appear relatively healthy. Small tropical fish are aplenty, but no sign of the larger species. The resort’s caretaker, though, said that there are a species similar to the Napoleon wrasse calling it home in those waters. Sharks, too, he said. Too bad we didn’t see any.

The night dive was pretty exciting for us: it was our first time there, and it was the first night dive for two of the group. The newness of the experience added an element of thrill to the dive.

There is a huge rock at 60 feet, shaped like almost like a man’s head. Looming in the darkness, it looked eerie and foreboding. But upon closer inspection, it was full of life and activity, and that dispelled any irrational fear right away. Beyond that are other coral and stone formations, and to the south lay a wide spread of cabbage coral, glistening sea urchins, and sea cucumbers lazily feeding.

The Davao Reef Divers Club is set to drop the artificial reef domes sometime in the 3rd week of September. This will hopefully encourage the fish stock to eventually return to optimum levels in the near future.

The following day, the Datu Budas dive boat picked us up from the resort and we proceeded to two sites that Christian and I had never dived before: Mushroom Rock and Punk Rock.

The first site is called Mushroom Rock because of this wide underwater mountain that dominates it. Punk Rock, I assume, was named after the first one… just for kicks, most probably!

Mushroom Rock

Location:	Bgy. San Remegio, Kaputian District, Samal
Features:	reef, underwater mountain
Date:	4 September 2011
Time in:	11:00am
Bottom time:	50mins
Maximum depth:	100ft/30m
Visibility:	30ft/9m
Bottom temperature:	81°F/22°C
Entry:	boat

(Too bad Christian’s underwater strobe conked out, so no photos from this and the next dive.)

The underwater mountain has a tapering bottom, hence the “mushroom” appellation, and is surrounded by a sloping sandy bottom. I saw heaps upon heaps of soft mushroom coral all abloom — I mean, most of them had their polyps out, probably because of the strong current laden with rich nutrients. The tropical fish there are much larger than in the usual dive sites around Talikud Island: a testament to the fact that, with no or little human intervention, the seas will thrive!

The group I dove with — the guys from the previous day plus one — circled the humongous rock, which is roughly the size of a 4-storey building, and as wide as a basketball court. That’s how it seemed to me anyway. It bottoms out at around 100 or 120 feet (36.5m). I really would’ve preferred staying put in one area rather than race around, because there were so many things to see even in a few square feet of that dive site! The stately angelfish and skittish triggerfish and myriads of other tropical beauties were going about their business as I watched. Then there are the magnificent sea fans of various colors — I could’ve spent the whole dive just scrutinizing each branch for a sighting of pygmy seahorse…

This area of Samal (the southeastern point) is known to be frequented by marine turtles. One group from our boat saw a juvenile pawikan… I keep wondering when it’s going to be my turn to see one in the wild!

Punk Rock

Location:	Bgy. San Remegio, Kaputian District, Samal
Features:	reef, sandy bottom, caves
Date:	4 September 2011
Time in:	1:15pm
Bottom time:	60mins
Maximum depth:	80ft/24m
Visibility:	30ft/9m
Bottom temperature:	81°F/22°C
Entry:	boat

After lunch on board and about a couple of hours’ surface interval, Richard guided us around Punk Rock.

Instead of having one single rock formation, this site has several, although much smaller than Mushroom Rock, and spaced out from each other. The site is dotted with rocky overhangs, shallow caves, large crevices. It was exciting to enter a cave and see saucer-sized cleaner shrimp and other critters. I saw sea krait lurking under stones and snaking through sea grass; always a delight to watch these deadly yet super-shy creatures.

Towards the tail end of our second dive, the current picked up and we enjoyed drifting (and bumping into each other!) with the powerful underwater stream. And since the topology was undulating, it was fun dodging sand dunes and coral heads while we drifted.

These two dive sites are pretty far off from Davao City. From Sta. Ana Wharf, it took Datu Budas more than 2 hours to reach Mushroom Rock (including the docking interval at the private resort). But it was worth the trip, both for the undersea experience and the company on board!