The sudden roar of the engines brought the speedboat to life as it skimmed through the mild current. I marveled at the boundless ocean in the horizon. I felt jittery during the boat ride as a mixture of anxiety and excitement swept me. After a few minutes, we arrived at the dive site.
I sat on the edge of the boat and entered the water through a back roll entry. As I descended to the ocean floor, the sunlight slowly disappeared. My inhibitions and anxieties went along with it.
My tensed muscles relaxed. I felt the waters embracing me with its warm and gentle current. My mind cleared and I focused on my surroundings.
The sights were breathtaking—the family of curious clownfish hiding in the anemone, the coral fans dancing to the waves, huge batfish feeding and multicolored fishes darting here and there. I felt at home.
My love affair with the water
My love affair with the water traces back to my toddler years. I was a water baby. My grandparents had a quaint resort in Laguna and almost every weekend, my family would go there to swim. My love for the water extended to the seas. As long as I can remember, my vacations were spent going around the various island provinces of the country.
At the age of eight, I completed the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification for children. Upon surfacing, I was sold to getting married to the ocean.
The marriage happened in the year 2006. I was able to acquire my PADI certification as an Open Water Diver and after a week, progressed to the advanced level. This allowed me to dive up to a depth of a hundred feet.
More blue than green
Oceans cover about 70% of the planet’s surface and about 80% of all life on Earth is found in the seas. Unknown to many, the Philippines has the highest concentration of marine biodiversity in the world.
Just last year, a team of local and international scientists discovered more than 300 new species in our waters. It included an inflatable shark and over 50 colorful nudibranchs (sea slugs).
Among other things, our oceans are also home to over 27 species of whales. Five out of seven sea turtle species can be found in our waters. The megamouth shark, with only about 40 recorded sightings, can also be found in our seas.
Economically speaking, the Philippines has authority to fish in 2.2 million square kilometers of territorial waters.
Center of marine adversity
While the Philippines is blessed to be considered as the center of marine biodiversity, it has also been identified as the “center of marine adversity.” The underwater world’s beauty is not the only thing I have seen and experienced firsthand; I have also become an eyewitness to its degradation.
Coral bleaching and the poaching of sea turtles, manta rays and other endangered marine wildlife are reported left and right. Anthropogenic causes have exacerbated the effects of climate change, leaving less than four percent, or roughly around a thousand square kilometers, of reefs in good condition.
Not just about having “more fun in the Philippines”
Ensuring healthy reefs and oceans isn’t just about making the diving community happy or making certain that tourism thrives. More importantly, it is about food security and the livelihoods of artisanal fisher folk.
Isn’t it ridiculous that our waters are home to over 3,000 species of fish and yet markets are full of bangus, tilapia, Thailand dory and other non-marine species?
Prices of canned tuna are going up at unprecedented rates as it is in danger of being overfished. For an archipelagic country identified as the center of marine biodiversity, the Philippines does poorly in maintaining and conserving its aquatic resources.
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the country imported 860,000 metric tons of fish and fish products to sustain local demand last year. In addition, its national stock assessment program reports, “Ten out of the thirteen fishing grounds were very heavily exploited.”
If land reform has been given much attention in the previous years, what does the government have to say about fisheries reform?
Responsibility and sustainability
One doesn’t need to grow gills, fins and scales to be able to experience the grandeur of Philippine waters. It takes only a spark of curiosity and a sense of adventure to plunge into the deep.
Coupled with this chance, however, is the responsibility to help sustain it. Scuba diving has now led me to advocate for the voiceless underwater realm that is heavily exploited and yet highly depended upon.
When you love something, you will fight to protect it. Saving Philippine seas is ultimately about saving ourselves.
Jenica V. Dizon is a fifth year information design major. She is currently the president of the Ateneo Environmental Science Society and creative director of Save Philippine Seas.
