Dive Traveler
that threshers can be reliably encountered. Now and then, they even see a few bigeye threshers, a species with extremely large eyes that is usually found in much deeper water.
The Dona Marilyn Wreck Another deep site not far from Malapascua is the wreck of the Dona Marilyn, an inter-island ferry that fell victim to Typhoon Unsang (a.k.a. Ruby) in 1988. After 25 years underwater, not a lot of the wreck is visible under the shear weight of the coral that festoons its decks and superstructure. Giant frogfish and broadclub cuttlefish are some of the easily recognizable residents but keen-eyed divers may also stumble upon a variety of nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish and the universally popular pygmy seahorses.
Chocolate Island Later in the week - after our daily dawn thresher encounter - we head to Chocolate Island. I ask three separate dive masters how the island got its name and get three amusing and utterly implausible responses. When we finally submerge, all becomes clear. The algae and corals that grow in the shallows
around Chocolate Island range from dark brown to olive drab. Although healthy, it is not the most visually appealing site but Tata assures me that it’s a macro wonderland and after one dive I couldn’t agree more. Within a few minutes, I manage to spot dozens of different nudibranchs grazing on the algae and more cleaner shrimp varieties than I have ever seen before.
Macho Mandarin Fish With my brain firmly set on macro- mode, I decide to sign up for a night dive to Lighthouse Reef. The seabed here is completely covered by a meter thick blanket of acropora coral, excellent habitat for mandarin fish. Not just beautiful, mandarin fish also make great study subjects for anyone interested in fish behavior. All year long, mandarins indulge in elaborate mating rituals, ballet-like courting displays and dramatic climaxes in which the male and much smaller female throw caution to the wind and swim far above the reef. Then, quivering in what looks like ecstasy, they release a tiny cloud of sperm and eggs into the night. As if coming to their senses, the happy couple then darts back into the safety of the acropora.
The courting and mating rituals of Mandarin fish are a treat to observe
Tata swims directly to a
nondescript patch of coral where half a dozen mandarin fish are going about the serious business of courting, fighting and mating. As we look on, two rival males size each other up and then crash head long into each other and bite down on one another’s gill regions. Locked
Haiyan Sounds the Siren
SCUBA community dives into Philippines relief effort in the wake of November’s super typhoon Text by Anne Paylor
IN THE WAKE OF Super Typhoon Haiyan’s devastation across the central Philippines, live-aboard dive boat operator Worldwide Dive and Sail (WWDAS) was quick to join the relief effort, ferrying supplies to remote island communities.
The first mercy mission was to the island of Malapascua (see story page 54), renowned for its thresher sharks, and among those hit by the storm. Local dive centre operators Fun & Sun and Sea Explorers sought help from WWDAS and its Siren Fleet, which co-sponsored the effort getting supplies to the island, and working closely with Toronto-based global charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
One of Worldwide’s 131-foot (40m) wooden phinisis - traditional Indonesian two-masted sailing ships - left Mactan on the evening of November 14, arriving off Malapascua early the following morning carrying 15 tonnes of food, 16 tonnes of fresh water, blankets and clothing. The trip was undertaken while awaiting official approval for a larger scale mission to Leyte
58 Magazine
Island in cooperation with MSF. WWDAS representative Paul Collins, who accompanied the first expedition said Malapascua was severely damaged by the storm, but the people there were in good spirits and already working hard to restore their homes and businesses. The crews of local outrigger boats, called bancas, and dive centre boats helped unload the supplies when they arrived, he said.
Worldwide’s SY Philippine Siren operates year-round dive trips in the Philippines. When the typhoon struck, a second and brand new phinisi, SY Philippine Siren 2, had just arrived in the archipelago from the Indonesian boat yard where she was built. Both vessels and their mainly Filipino crews took shelter in Cabilao and Negros when the storm hit, and they weathered the typhoon unscathed. After, the Philippine Siren returned to her tourism duties while the new boat helped in the relief effort before commencement of commercial operations in December. The Philippine Siren 2 then returned to Cebu in preparation for the more extensive 10-day relief mission to Leyte Island in conjunction with MSF, leaving Cebu on the night of November 17 and arriving in Guiuan on the southeastern coast of Leyte Island early on November 19. They transported medical supplies, a small generator, gasoline and diesel fuel, propane gas tanks, food and water to support the MSF operation there. The ship’s two
Photo: Courtesy WWDAS
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