Coming from my hometown of Valencia, I left unforgivingly early (the sun was not yet up!) to make sure that I would be able to meet the group (the Save Tañon Strait Citizens’ Movement and the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation) that was going to take us dolphin watching off the coast of Bais in Oriental Negros. I arrived in Negros Island the night before as Mike Ocampo of Hari ng Negros asked me to secure the “mystical swords of Mt. Kanlaon” which he will be using for a photo shoot in the hot springs of Pulangbato in my hometown.
When I arrived at the private wharf where the group coming from Cebu disembarked, I realized that I was pretty early. Nonetheless the group was also way ahead of schedule with the van they hired turning an otherwise four-hour trip into a daring two-hour experience.
On reaching Bais City, we were greeted by Dr. Lemuel Aragones of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environment Science and Meteorology who gave us a briefing on what to expect of the trip and a brief lecture on the different cetaceans (dolphins, whales and porpoises) and the wildlife that populate the waters.
Dolphins can be spotted along the strait throughout the year but they can best be seen during a clear day when the waves would not mask the dorsal fins of these creatures. They playfully chased the boat that we were riding, or were we the one who chased them? They were jumping out of the water every now and then until they dived into the deep waters where they just disappeared. An urge for me to jump into the water was defused by a warning from Dr. Aragones who said that swimming with dolphins in the wild is pretty dangerous especially along the strait which is considerably deep.
Most of the dolphins that we saw were spinner dolphins and being nocturnal they usually sleep at 10 in the morning. An interesting information that Dr. Aragones shared with the group is that this time of year is the breeding season for these dolphins, the reason why they may act in an unusual manner. He advised the group to remain quite so as not to disturb the dolphin’s ritual.
The spinners are the ones which are most abundant in the region but despite the plentitude that we saw, Dr. Aragones said that these were nothing compared to the time before JAPEX started their oil exploration in May 2005. The JAPEX group already left the strait, unfortunately so did most of the dolphins.
We had lunch at the pristine Manjuyod white sand bar, a seven-kilometer island of white sand that only surfaces during low tide. There are several cottages in stilts equipped with solar panels giving transients the convenience of electricity in the middle of the ocean. During high tide, these cottages appear to be floating in the middle of the deep Tañon strait.
Before heading back home, we dropped by the 400-hectare mangrove forest and bird sanctuary – apparently a tourist magnet, as well. A series of walkway was constructed by the locals to ensure better access to the middle of the forest where most of the birds are. We were told that some of the visitors not only go to the mangrove forest to appreciate the birds in their natural habitat but also to spend a reclusive picnic along the strips of white sand in the middle of the forest.
The whole trip was indeed full of blessings and inspiration and my only regret is that we were not able to bring picking rods and garbage bags which could have been useful as there were plenty of trash floating in an otherwise untainted Tañon strait.
For only P2,500.00 for a 15-seater boat and P3,500.00 for a 20-seater boat, you can already enjoy the blessings of Tañon Strait. A P100.00 per head meal can also be arranged aboard the boat with a personal cook who happens to make the best grilled fares this side of the island. For more information on the Tañon Strait tour, you may contact the Bais City tourism office at 035-402-6629 or the Manjuyod Tourism office at 035-4041136. Make sure to pick up the trash you might see floating.
Should you wish help save this fragile Tañon Strait seascape, you may visit www.savetanon.multiply.com.