Shooting Dolphins in Aloguinsan

CEBU, Philippines - After a brief alliance with environmental villains, Aloguinsan have come to realize that working with nature would be best for the town and its people.

Today, Aloguinsan is tapping the growing number of green tourists by introducing the town’s many environmental treasures. One of this is the dolphins reported to be abundant in its waters.

In late April, I went with Dr. Lemnuel Aragones’ group to survey the cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales) found in the waters of Aloguinsan. Dr. Aragones is the country’s leading expert in marine mammals and is technically the resident marine biologist of Tañon Strait. I wouldn’t be surprised if the dolphins of the strait would know him by name.

The survey was requested by the beautiful and progressive town mayor, Ms. Cynthia Moreno, and facilitated by its most charming tourism and budget officer, Ms. Nonela Villegas, or simply, Noli.

The team

There were six of us in the group: Doc Lem, the team leader and one of the movers of Save Tañon Strait Citizens Movement; Sarah Haesaert, a Fair Trade volunteer from Belgium; Meanne Ruiz, doc’s research assistant; Joan Dulhao, an incoming fourth year law student and an active member of STSCM; Mike Aliño, a freelance photographer and a member of STSCM; and then there’s me, a proud STSCM volunteer (thanks to Golda Epondulan who introduced me to the group).

Our mission was to shoot the dolphins of Aloguinsan, not with a gun (I subscribe to food not arms) but with a camera (thanks to iNeed.ph for letting me borrow their cam).

Photo ID

Photo identification is one way of distinguishing the dolphins. Their scars are unique and it is through this that we get to know one from the other, more like a fingerprint.

So, there we were, on board the Cool Banana (Phone: +63 917 5466686) trying to spot our dolphins. You should understand that in choosing the boat for dolphin watching make sure that you have a crew that’s been trained for such in order to get a better view of the dolphins without harassing and stressing them out. Riding with dolphins is not like chasing after criminals, which is what some cruel practitioners of Bohol do (the local government of Bohol should look into this).

After an hour of roaming around the crystal clear waters of Aloguinsan, we spotted the friendly dolphins. But the moment they came in camera range, they would disappear, diving deep into the water. Doc Lem said that this is due to the trauma that the dolphins have experienced with the oil exploration and commercial fishing boats that are abundant in the waters of Tañon Strait. By virtue of the Local Government Code of 1991, commercial fishing is not allowed along Tañon Strait, so how come they can be seen in broad daylight?

The Risso’s and the Spinners

Eventually, the dolphins realized that we were the friendly bunch and on our second day, the Risso’s Dolphins started appearing in groups. They would play around with their body breaching the water as if they were standing. Some would do their trademark tail stand, which is more of a necessity after feeding.

Risso’s dolphins feed on squids and for them it would be easier to spit out the “bone” of the invertebrate when they are vertical, heads down. According to Doc Lem, it is rare for the Risso’s to be friendly with boats. He said that most of the time, they shy away from human intrusion and almost always would look for a new place to feed when man would start barging into their feeding ground.

The Spinner Dolphins also had their time with the Cool Banana. On the third day, they literally rode with it. This behavior is called bow riding and they do this apparently to give them a kind of adrenaline rush, more like a racer speeding down the tracks.

Snorkeling and bird watching

We were out at sea most of the time for five whole days (talk about sunscreen), but shooting dolphins is not all that we did. We also visited a few kilometers of the town’s pride, the Bojo River, entering it from the Tañon Strait entrance. I swear that the locals placed speakers all over the thick mangrove forest where they played the different sounds of enchanting birds, the alleged residents of the place. But then again, if you find nests all over the place and if your companion would swear by the magic of the Shaman that he saw a bunch of rare birds, you’d start to believe that those sounds are real. And I tell you they were everywhere!

We also went snorkeling (that was after we sent Mayor Moreno and her entourage back to shore after they were convinced that they are blessed with hundreds and hundreds of dolphins) in one of the sites reportedly rich in coral reefs. It was a coral garden, and the best part was the small enclosures and caves that every adventurer would surely want to explore. This does not yet even include the marvelous coral wall that technically borders the coast of Aloguinsan. A diver’s paradise, indeed.

The only sad thing about their coral paradise is that you hardly see a fish more than two-inches long. This is an indication of over-exploited waters, meaning the fishes don’t get to reach maturity before they are caught.

Aloguinsan and dolphin watching

The potential for Aloguinsan to develop dolphin watching packages as part of eco-tourism is very viable. However, Doc Lem advised the local government that mitigating measures on the possible effect and impact of the expected influx of tourists on the dolphins and marine life, in general, should be given top priority before starting the program. He said that the local government should be active in monitoring their waters.

 Aloguinsan, just like all of the coastal towns and cities of Cebu and Negros islands, is rich in marine life. The natural beauty of the land can be used to attract visitors, and in so doing help the community earn an income. But for it to be sustainable, the local government, the community and the visitors must help to preserve what Inahang Kinaiyahan has given to us to take care of. After all, we are merely nature’s stewards.

For more information on the different eco-tours offered by Aloguinsan call the Municipal Tourism office at (032)469-5604.