 
With more than 7000 islands in the Philippines,
it is not surprising that it is one of the richest seas in the whole world.
 
 
Not even one hour from the wharf, we can already see dolphins
 
Here, here, they're underneath. You can see them.
 
Each creature is amazing.
This extraordinary creature, just resting right there.
 
 
More than 1.5 million Filipinos are continuing to rely on the ocean.
 
We got caught up in a thunderstorm mid sea.
And there are new discoveries in part of our seas,
just like the Philippine Rise,
which has resources said to be able to feed the entire Philippines.
The area of the Philippine Rise is the birthing place of these big fish.
It is beneficial for us Filipinos.
 
Philippines is the center of the center of marine biodiversity of the whole world.
Meaning, we can find here the most diverse marine species in our planet.
Therefore, our ocean plays a big role in the whole state of the world's marine ecosystem.
It was said that if the marine population in the Philippines decreases,
the whole planet is affected.
What's alarming here,
is it is already beginning to take place.
The truth is, due to overfishing, illegal fishing, climate change, and water pollution,
it was said by the year 2050, it is possible that we may not have anymore fish to catch.
Also in the year 2050, more garbage will be in the ocean compared to the sea creatures.
How will we fight these threats?
It's sad because there's only so many of them.
Then you approach the sea turtles like that.
What did the sea turtles do to you?
In fact, like you'll betray and kill for what?
Join me on a special journey
heading towards the open sea and  my dive in Luzon
Wow! We're so lucky!
Visayas
You can't even recognize them. It's like a big animal.
and Mindanao
It's heavy.
Can you believe it, this is the small one around 30 kilos.
For a deep discussion, of the state of our ocean.
 
Even before, I love photography.
Because in every picture, there's a story.
Every picture may become an instrument to change.
 
I kind of fell in love with the idea of taking photographs.
It's a different appeal that you can freeze a moment in history that will never ever happen again.
 
 
I'm now more interested in capturing how we utilize nature to improve our lives
 
 
As a diver, it's my mission to document through selfies, photos, and videos
the images that will represent the current and future condition of our ocean.
 
The 10 days of my travel will begin with diving and exploring
the biggest marine protected area in our archipelago,
the Tañon Strait in Visayas.
First stop, the town of Bais in Negros Oriental
Not even one hour from the wharf,
we can already see dolphins
and we are kinda lucky there are no other tourist nearby so it's all to myself
Here, here, they're underneath. You can see them.
They're in sync with the boat.
For more than 2 decades, dolphin watching has been an attraction here in Bais.
Here, the dolphins are free to swim
not in a tank or aquarium
 
Dolphins are aquatic mammals
known for being intelligent and playful.
Some of them even show off
by performing aerial acrobatics
They are called spinner dolphins.
They're size is around 4 feet.
They come in great numbers
If you see one, others will follow later
Then you can really see them following the boat slowly.
They're swimming slowly like they're enjoying the presence of the boat
 
Spinner dolphins are known for their rostrum
or long nose
They're carnivorous, eating small fish and squid at night.
In the morning, they swim on the shallow parts of the ocean to rest and play
The fishermen told me
that the number of dolphins you can see on the surface is double the number underneath.
 
Since it's forbidden to swim in the ocean with the dolphins
I just became contented with taking a selfie with them on the boat.
You can hear a little bit the sound they make
like very high pitch
it's almost like a whistle
I've seen dolphins before,
but it was the first time I saw that MANY dolphins in one place
and also experience them swimming right next to the boat
I feel like they're also curious about us.
From the month of March to October is the breeding season of the dolphins
 
We were lucky we witnessed a scene rarely captured on camera
The mating or intercourse of dolphins
 
There are 2 spinner dolphins here
I think are attempting to stick together
Dolphins are very tactile
like they want to be touched by each other.
The dolphin watching in Tañon Strait
brings in 1.6 million pesos profit in the town of Bais.
So amazing! I was speechless!
 
It's a big help in their tourism and livelihood of boatmen like Mang Ricardo
But the dolphins before were once considered to be they're enemies.
They were our competition in fishing.
They eat the small fish
we no longer have fish to catch
We were mad at the dolphins, we kill them.
They're like humans, they'll cry.
You can clearly see the tears in their eyes falling.
It is strictly forbidden in their town to catch or kill dolphins
As an alternative livelihood,
Mang Ricardo worked as a boatman of a tourist boat
I realized that my actions were wrong in the past
killing dolphins
Dolphins can actually help in our livelihood.
That's why the former enemies of the dolphins are now they're number 1 protector.
 
 
Oceana Philippines also went to Tañon Strait
International NGO or non government organization
to document the dolphins of Bais
They plan to exhibit this in the upcoming international convention for migratory animals taking place in Manila
Hopefully good enough to make a good exhibit
and inspire many to really take care our dolphins
Also part of the tour in Tañon Strait,
is to visit Manjuyod sandbar
 
named as the Maldives of the Philippines
This is the Manjuyod sandbar that will sink and appear
When it's high tide, you won't see it
but when it's low tide, it can reach the length of 7 kilometers
Here, you can walk on the fine white sand
and swim the crystal-like sea
 
It was declared to be a protected seascape of the previous administration Ramos,
the Tañon Strait
The home of 11 out of 24 marine mammals found in the Philippines
The leader of Tañon Strait protected seascape admits
that with the vast area of Tañon, it is not easy to protect.
 
Last year, 1 commercial fishing vessel
in the northern side of Tañon Strait
was blocked by the authorities.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
