Snorkelling Vuhus Waters
The blue tataya looks fragile but our boatman assured it can withstand huge waves. The sea condition at that time was fairly good with moderate swells but I can’t help sometimes that I feel we’ll tip over. Our boatman manoeuvred to the south side of the island and suggested we go snorkelling first before the tide gets low. I only had my goggles with me and wished I brought my own snorkeling gear which I’m must admit I’m heavily dependent when swimming at sea. Our boatman lent me his wooden flipper. He said they just use one on a foot and unlike flippers, they use it to push themselves under water. I jumped into the water and tried it. It was hard! I couldn’t find the rhythm and kept loosening from my feet. And without a snorkel, it was hard for me to stay underwater for long. I could see a few corals and fishes but it was hard to video or take photos on my own. I gave my action camera to the boatman and asked if he can take the videos for me. At first he had the front side of the camera facing him the whole time while he was on water. I kindly asked him to try again and got it right the second time. The videos he captured were amazing. The coral reefs he went to has plenty of tropical fishes especially the highly favorite sea anemone fishes (nemo). I just wish I was a better swimmer and not reliant on a gear to have found those on my own.
I decided to just cling on the boat while they rowed towards the island. That way I could see what’s underwater while on the move. Now I know how it feels like to be dragged on water. I did see some good corals but I also saw how a lot has been crushed already, damaged probably by other fishermen who may have stepped on them during low-tide. We chanced upon a young giant clam which our boatman pointed and next thing I knew, he scooped it up from where it was buried and said this would make for a nice meal. It made me cringe but I couldn’t blame him really.
More on the life on the island on the next page…
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
