EP Dec10 - Surfing

Surfing?! It didn't sound like an appropriate topic for Born but we went anyway and hoped for a nice story to come. :)

To be honest, i don't like waves, especially big waves. I tried boarding (aka 'surfing') since 2000 in Daet Bicol and realized that it's not a sport for me. I just couldn't get my balance.

But this weekend was a different one. ;) Armed with a renewed motivation (i.e.,finishing the last few shoots for Born hehehe), a good guide, and a nice, stable long board - I went for the surf!
Surprisingly, w/ a little push from the guide, and a perfect timing on when to paddle - it was relatively 'easy' to stand up and ride the wave. I failed the 1st time, fell from standing to sitting, then stood up the 2nd time for a few seconds before crashing water. But 3rd and so on was just simply great. No, i was not 'stoked', but i relived that feeling of riding the bicycle for the first time - "discovering the balance".

Now, trying to connect that w/ nature or conservation or any 'Born stuff' for that matter :) , Surf spots like La Union may not have great reefs for scuba diving tourism, but the lure of the waves for adrenalin sportsmen definitely helps in the economic boom of the locality. 'Green Zinc' foundation even partnered with the local surf club to ensure that the beach are tidy and presentable so as to maintain 'tour-friendly' atmosphere of the place.

Imagine - a fearsome force of nature, and eco-tourism - go hand in hand. :)

EP Oct22: Spiders!!

When I was a teenage kid, I used to play around our backyard (w/c is like a mini-forest, having a Mom who likes greeneries - too much greeneries). My favorite “Nat Geo” adventure back then was to observe huge colonies of carpenter ants inhabiting our Guyabano tress. This was when I first learned about ant roles and hierarchies, and their keen interest w/ aphids (white insect-animal that they “herd” as we do w/ our cows).

In one of this observation routine, I chanced upon a big spider, sitting – rather sleeping, in its huge, intricately-designed web trap. And I thought – what does it eat?! It’s boring to watch a sleeping spider, unlike the army of ants who constantly gather food for their colony. I’ve learned from somewhere that spiders are predators. Being a curious little smart guy, I wondered who is more superior, the spider – or these soldier ants who try to prick my skin. And so I introduced a mini UFC for these fighters.
I perfected the procedure on how to capture and throw ants in the web. Was that bad? I don’t know – I was a kid then hehe.
Things get more excited when the spider ‘attacks’ the trapped ant and spin a web around it (more like wrapping cellophane around your big luggage). Sometimes the ant will try to fight back, but the sticky web prevents it from moving properly. A few minutes would tick by, before the spider start slurping its meal. Ewe!
My afternoon Nat Geo adventure abruptly ended, when I finally decided to throw an ipis (cockroach) maybe 8-10x the size of the spider, into the web trap. The Ipis struggled so violently, tearing some support webs in the process. The spider decided to have a run for its life. Ay nako! The web held though and I believe (and I did not want to confirm by seeing), that the spider was into a big buffet that dinner.

Around 20 years after that kiddy adventure, I was about to do a similar thing for Born. Look for spiders, and watch them eat! The picture above is a big non-trapper spider, capable of eating a dragon fly - the size of its own. Umm, the pix is kind’a blurred, well it’s not my camera so don’t blame me!

Spider is another nature’s wonder. It evolved little, its root from Horseshoe crab (w/c by the way, is still a living fossil). Spiders are arachnids, and not insects. They’re cousins of garapata and kuto (ticks). I’ve seen videos of big tarantulas killing and eating a snake, a mouse, a scorpion, and other odd-food-for-spiders. They have ‘fangs’ like snakes, they don’t chew, and just suck their preys bone dry. Some species could be more venomous than snakes. If they grow as big as a carabao – they could be a dominant predator species, maybe even attacking humans for food! Ano yan – Lord of the Rings?! Thank God they don’t grow as big. But yes – it is truly an amazing animal.
Their big role in the ecosystem is to regulate insect population. Sadly for them, their population is likewise controlled by bats, birds and other small animals feeding on them.

Are they endangered? Most are not, but some species of tarantula are threatened due to excessive pet trade. Should we be scared of them? Only a few species are venomous – so for their sake (and yours), just shoo them away (you’re not food for them). And who knows – they might be eating a mosquito-meal that could have given you a Dengue or Malaria disease.. di ba?! :0

TRIVIA

Did you know that the best technologies are those that are based on natural design? This new trend that promotes nature-based technologies should be able to solve some crisis that we have today regarding environmental impact of some technologies, or non-efficient technologies due to 'wrong science' (ex. nuclear power may not be the right energy-source given various issues around it).

One of science's inspiration to do, what we call Biomimicry - is the wonder of spider's silk web. We thought that we're good in building new technologies such as Kevlar, Combustion engines, pollutant chemicals, etc. We now know that the best technologies, are those that are derived from nature itself. Read below :)

Characteristics:
Spider silk is more stable than Kevlar and many times more stable than steel. Its tensile strength, low weight and elasticity make the material resistant. The combination of these characteristics affords high stability. Spider silk has a load carrying capacity of two tons per square inch and is only a third the weight of Kevlar. The structure of the silk has areas that are hard, which lend stability, and softer areas that provide elasticity. The diameter of spider silk is only a fraction that of a human hair. The surface appears to be completely smooth, but if one removes the outermost layer, one can see a complex structure of very tiny fibers winding like a spiral around a central strand. Fibers consist of a network of long protein molecules, which are stabilized by crystal inlays. Not only the sequence of the amino acids is important, but also the spatial arrangement of the protein chains.

Bioengineering:
For quite some time it has been possible to produce synthetic spider silk. Through Biomimicry/bioengineering a material can be produced that is very close to natural spider silk, and in the future this synthetic may indeed be superior to the natural material. As one is dealing here with biomaterial, specifications as to physical characteristics can only be approximated. Nonetheless, it is believed that a rope of spider silk the thickness of a finger should be able to stop a Boeing 747.

galing di bah?!

BORN ULTIMATUM

Time really does fly. Around this time last year, we were just beginning to get organized for the show. And now, the clock ticked and tocked and we’re very close in completing a full year – hear that?! Mag-iisang taon na ang Born!! Ang bilisss ng panahon!

Over the year, I’ve learned and experienced a lot of things. Some encounters were great elements in my diary, some umm were not-so-pleasant hehe, but overall – a general feel-good thing.
Let me share some behind-the-scene tidbits, general insights, himutok, learnings, etc;

- Producing a Nat-Geo quality wildlife show, requires TIME and MONEY. These are the 2 elements that we don’t have. Discovery Channel and National Geographic have the best equipment and gears, and take them months to several years to complete a shoot. In our case -I have a regular full-week (Mon-Fri) job, and I can only shoot over the weekend – my precious weekends! Places are nice to visit, but my schedule is tight and hectic. It has become tiring since I have to work almost 7 days a week. Thus, I don’t expect a super gratifying out-of-town trips. Snifh, Snifh.

- Shooting wildlife is VERY CHALLENGING. Especially mammals! If we can only schedule the shoot with them, madali sana . Asa pa! Finding information about a specific geography, specific species, and finding various elements to shoot – is a very challenging job for our researchers and producers. Oftentimes, this becomes the source of our frustrations and little aways. Sometimes, we go to a site, hoping that we’ll be able to find and shoot something. We were not always that lucky! :(

- I realize that I know a lot more about marine life, than terrestrial. And that shooting marine life is actually simpler or easier. Pag dive kase, they’re just there. Animals are just around somewhere, they’re not as scared compared to their land counterparts.
- Even if I’m a Dive Pro, I’m still more of a mountain person than a sea farer. But Born made me realize that wildlife encounter is easier underwater, than in the mountains or jungles. Perhaps that simply means that our jungles and mountains are already terribly screwed!

- I signed up for this kahihiyan ;) w/ an advocacy as the end in mind. I realize that viewers are interested in a wildlife show – and its entertainment value, maybe a bit of new knowledge, but most are still apathetic about conservation issues. Sometimes I wonder if we were actually able to impart moral or conservation values at all. =(
- I seemed to believe more (thru this Born experience), that our wildlife, our environment, and the world we live in – is continually degrading, and that we are running out of time to save it. It may not seem like it, but if you dig deeper, if you see the bigger picture and connect and analyze its various critical components, and if you’re more involved – you will realize that our biosphere, our planet- is fast-becoming a dooms-land. This TV show, is just a silent whisper in exhibiting this scenario; a rather, small voice that may have failed to reach a listening ear. Sus, ang drama! ;)

EP Oct15: The ocean cleaners

(photo courtesy of Martyn, fr Flickr)

Before taking off for Bauan Batangas, I got a text message about our shoot: a very boring dive clean-up (again!), and a natural water cleaner creature– the sea sponges. Now anyone who is fond of a more animated animal show would conclude that our shoot and resulting TV episode would be outright boring. ;)

And so riding my van on the way to the site, I was desperately looking for an alternative story. I’m fed up w/ garbage and clean-ups (I’ve done like 8 or 9 episodes with that!).
Why not - a story of cleaning animals!

And so it began, the search for the not-so-elusive sea creatures, responsible for maintaining a good, healthy and clean marine environment.

The CAST
- Sea Sponges / sea squirts. These are filter feeders, sucking in water and ‘eating’ organic particles in the process. By that process, they actually clean the water of those particles that could promote too much bacteria, or simply ‘pollute’ the waters w/ particles. Very easy to see or to video these animals as they simply attached themselves to the reef (permanently, unlike the feather stars), but the only movement you can see is the constant whoosh-in and whoosh-out of their suction valves. Sea turtles feed on sponges, jellyfish, and other toxic food, so the latters' number are regulated by our friendly predators.

- Clams / Giant Clams. These too are filter feeders. These are normally poached and eaten for their meat (mostly as Korean sashimi), and their shells used for ornament or house fixtures (bathroom sinks, etc). Their number dwindled so fast that they became threatened; fortunately – a group launched a seeding program to increase their number, in Bolinao (the source) and in Batangas (and some other parts in the Phils).
- Shrimp and Crabs. Not just good for eating, they too play a role in cleaning the ocean floor. Cleaner shrimp clean their hosts (corals, other animals) by eating particle debris attached to their hosts. More like the shrimp in Nemo movie. Crabs are generally bottom dwellers, so they clean up the floor, more like an underwater ipis. hehe ;)

- Echinoderms. Urchins and other bottom-dwellers like the sea star/cucumber also play their janitorial roles. ;)

- Grazing fishes such as parrot fish and other herbivores maintain and regulate algae growth. Too much algae kills corals, and promotes growth of bacteria. Too much organic substance and bacteria in the water (lake or sea) can deplete the dissolved O2 which then kills fish. I saw a bad algae bloom in one area in my dive-shoot, a sign of an imbalance in the ecosystem. Maybe the fishes prefer diver-provided feeds/breads and do not like to eat algae anymore? Hahaha I’m exaggerating.

CLEANER WRASSE
I thought my trip to a small cavern to ‘experience’ a first-class hand/nail clean-over by our friendly platoon of cleaner shrimps - is going to be my trip highlight. Nakakakiliti ung shrimps as they nibble the dirt in your skin.

I got lucky to spot a few ‘cleaning station’ and see our friendly cleaner wrasse busying their day, snacking on the little tidbits attached to their fish ‘clients’. It’s a symbiotic relationship wherein the cleaner wrasse (the picture above) gets food by eating organic particles attached to the other animals (be it fish, moray eel, even sharks), and in return the client gets a free wash-over. The “cleaning station’ are sort of designated area where the wrasses advertise their services around, and fish actually visit the place. I was amazed to see a school of big damsels visiting the place, taking turns w/ the wrasses. Of course, there is an assumed agreement that no fish client should eat their cleaner wrasse. That’s bad for the business. Hehehe..


While watching these creatures do their daily task, I can’t help but be amazed by yet, another of our nature’s remarkable ‘arrangement’ in maintaining our eco-system.

The little contribution we can offer? To hell w/ the aquariums, leave the wrasses and other colorful fishes in their natural home. Nobody wants to be caged in a small room, right?

EP Oct1: The living fossils - crionoids!

(photo courtesy of Ze Eduardo, from Flickr)

I was having a hair cut in Makati, browsing this Nat Geo magazine, and got mesmerized by fabulous pictures of Feather Star Crionoids.

This is one of the many see-but-ignore species in the coral reef, and up until our dive-shoot, I didn't really give it much attention.

And so inspired by the NatGeo magazine - I pitched the story for Born (to be Wild), not just the feather star (that will not suffice for 1 Episode), so we'll tackle its clan instead - ECHINODERMS.

Echinoderm family includes:
-sea cucumber (a big fat 'worm' looking thing, growing several inches to several feet long, favorite chinese ingredient for pancit/ etc. Some areas experience over-harvesting.

-sea urchin. Everybody seems to know this one :) for who wants to be pricked by its toxic needles? I was demonstrating how it is properly handled (underwater), but after several demo, i got careless and got stinged by one, arggh! Well, i'm used to marine toxins - i'll live! Its role is to eat algae (too much algae destroys corals, and promotes bacterial growth w/c consumes dissolved O2 - w/c kills fish hehe haba!). Some areas also experience over-harvesting - favorite japanese sashimi called 'Uni'. YUCK!! even w/ 2-3 gulps of beer, i still don't find the taste agreeable.

-sea star. (normally called 'starfish', hey it's not a fish). I was amazed that super-tiny crustaceans actually live somewhere on the sea star's skin. We got one on video :) Since they don't move as fast, they're easy targets for deco collectors. Pricks! Leave the animal where they belong, and let them clean our sea floor ;)

-brittle star. We normally see this at night, it's weird to feel its thorny 'tentacles'. They crawl like little octopus, probably the fastest-moving echinoderm? if you call 1-2in/sec as fast hehe.

FEATHER STAR
I was like a junior scientists (a.k.a. 'Uzi'), examining different types of this unique creature - and WOHAA! to my expectation (based on the nat geo info), Feather Stars do host a number of small creatures living 'inside' it. Little crustaceans (crab-shrimp looking guys) rely on crionoids for home and food. Star's thorny/bushy 'tentacles' protect the homebuddies from predators (more like a moving 'coral').

F.Star survives by making 'abang', it will spread its galamays, catching small planktonic / organic debris from the natural agos / current, and slides down these particles onto its 'mouth'. It has very few predators (ex. triggerfish) - but then, who would want a tasteless, thorny food for meal? Stars are also not taken out of the water like sea stars, coz they're useless as decorations.

Maybe that's its formula on why it thrives and survives. It will definitely continue to survive and will definitely outlast humans. Imagine, 300Million years and counting, preceding and outlasting the dinosaurs.

A truly magnificent creation, a true-blue survivalist, a living fossil - that's our - Feather Star.

WILD NEWS - Slaughtering of our Sharks!

Depressing and disturbing photos recently taken (wk of Sept15.08) in Donsol Sorsogon area.

Sharks - mostly dogsharks (their livers, one picture here showing that, used for Squalene products according to our source), and tresher sharks, and even threatened species like Manta Rays.

Contrary to myths:

- Sharks are generally not a threat to humans - it's the other way around. In fact, they protect our fish supply from mid-level predators, "clean up" our oceans of dead animals, among other things.

- Shark fin soup consumption is not a status symbol of any kind (mayaman? susyal?), nor it gives you healthful benefits. It could, however be a 'status symbol' for IGNORANCE and stupidity.

Threat to sharks, and other marine life, is a long-term threat to human survival. Without a complete, functional, working eco-system, the entire biosphere could collapse. We're talking about an unsustainable harvesting of sharks here - by the hundreds and thousands!!

Is this a case of 'fishermen in need'? We all know that this is not the case. They just want extra, quick buck.

Is this a case of LGU neglect? We don't know - but Donsol area is known for 'protection and conservation of whalesharks' - so why the irony?

Is this case of general lack of awareness? For sure, let's all fight to conserve what's not ours to abuse.

What can we do? Boycott any shark products. Educate people. Tell your friends about this. Volunteer in NGO ex. WWF work in Donsol, or as Ocean Defender for Greenpeace (google the sites).

Start writing emails about this.... now!

EP Sep3 - The Cleanest River!

I'm glad that we still have a few spectacular spots in the Philippines that are not yet destroyed by commercialization or simple abuse. BUGANG river in Panay island is REALLY super clean. I've seen several aquatic plants growing abundantly in the river, serving as its natural filtering (purifying) system, some fish, and even (accidentally) drank water from it.

I guess the better part of it is that, the water source is an underground river - safe and away from the polluting activities common to any human community. The only visible, open stretch is 6 kilometers of clean water flowing downstream to the open sea.

Let's see:

> Potable water above normal drinking standard. CHECK!

> Nipa and mangroves growing in the banks and brackish water section of the river - serving as 2-way protection of the sea (from human trash and corrosion) and the inland (from sea tides). CHECK!

> Healthy system with fish and aquatic plants. CHECK!

> Controlled commercialization (they only opened 1 portion for public use, but very small and manageable). CHECK!

> Pollutants and garbage under control by local management (local volunteers even have regular clean-ups). CHECK!

Well, no wonder - it is the cleanest river in the Philippines!

Aug27 Ep - Apo Island

Note: Apo Island is in Visayas, south of Dumaguete, not to be confused with 'Apo Reef' w/c is in the west of Mindoro mainland, Luzon. Mt. Apo is a mountain hehe, not an island, and is in Mindanao. Apo Reef is known for sea turtles and small reef sharks (as in ang dami ko nakita dati, every dive).

I've been diving for quite a considerable time, but this was the first time that I got a chance to visit the dive sites around Apo Island. And as a pleasant surprise, I had a few 'firsts' on this trip. Unang-una: i've never (ever) seen a Potato Cod in the wild. I've seen a few in the Seaworld ocenarium in Indonesia (I think that was Indo) and another oceanarium in Osaka Japan. But seeing them in the wild, diving in a reef - that was a first. Malaki siya, probably 3ft in length, and 1ft thick at least. See sample photo borrowed from flickr.com/photos/claudioangelini.

Of course sea turtles are also common in the area. I had a few minutes of 'bonding moment' with a hawksbill sea turtle, swimming with this elegant creature just 1-2 feet away. Amazing!

Another first for me was to see a monstrous lone Jackfish (talakitok), it is at least 3/4 of my total body size, maybe even more. I momentarily froze by the glimpse of it, unfortunately - it swam behind me, just a mere 2 meter away, so I only saw it briefly. But the size is really something for the books!

Corals abound in different shapes, sizes and colors - a truly awesome underwater paradise. Mabini/ Anilao is already spectacular - and Apo Island is probably an equal rival.

One message from this trip; the local community worked hard (and still working hard) to preserved their marine treasures. They've worked together to stop unsustainable fishing methods (ex. dynamite w/c destroys the coral reef), educated their community on conservation work - and after years of patience, they are finally earning their pay. A healthier reef gave them more bountiful fish catch. On top, eco-tourism (divers) frequent the place and hence, provide more profits for the community.

"Save the reef and save our future."

EP Aug13 - Soaring in the Sky

After a long wait, I finally got a chance to observe our very own Philippine Eagle in the wild. Grabe ang gara at ang laki talaga niya!

The first time I saw this kind was after my Mt. Apo climb way back 1995 (?), in Davao Phil Eagle Center. But this time, we were able to join a team of observers from the Phil Eagle Foundation who were tasked to track, monitor and record relevant data of how this magnificent bird live in the wild.

It's sad that this apex predator is losing its habitat, which is probably the main cause of its 'critically endangered' status. Now if we can only plant more trees, or conserve our forest - w/c means - less wood furniture demand from us, then baka sakaling we can help a bit in preserving our national bird from extinction.

Some new bits that I've recently learned: This eagle learns to hunt and kill on its own, without getting lessons from its parents. Unlike lions or other mammal predators, Phil Eagle seems to 'know' the how-to's thru genetic programming. Also interesting, is the fact that they 'know' that they're not suppose to eat mammal's hair (hence, their pluck-before-eating routine), nor eat their kill's intestine. Aba, may arte rin pala siya :)

You want to actively help? You can volunteer as field observer (and get a chance to see this bird in the wild) or participate in educational campaigns - visit http://www.philippineeagle.org/

(Photo courtesy of Neil Mallari)

EP July23/30 - Palawan Chronicles

Finally, I was able to have a close (really close) encounter with our very own Tandikan - a.k.a. Palawan Peacock Pheasant. Obviously (from the name), it's endemic to Palawan, and it's a ground dwelling bird like our Labuyo (wild manok), or Pugo (Quail).

The male has a metalic blue plumage, but smaller than a labuyo. I was expecting it to be as big as the Danfe (Nepali Peacok pheasant), but I just realized then that Philippine islands are home to small creatures - mammals, birds and reptiles. I shouldn't expected it to be bigger that its counterpart abroad.

As usual, the enemy of this rare bird is human. We cause deforestation and habitat destruction. We also buy wildlife! The wildlife trade in the Philippines never stops.

Sino namimili sa Cartimar ng ibon? If we don't buy, the trading stops. Simple!

EP July9- Alaskan Adventure

I was hoping to spend several days chasing Grizzly Bears & Moose, or spend time fishing Salmon (as if I eat salmon!), or cruise the bay to watch for big Whales, but the Denali climb was long, and my body - weary, from the tough climb.

Well, I may have climbed the summit, but the memory of that close-to-hell encounter, of a falling team member, of winds reaching 30mph, of an iced face and mitten-less left hand, in temp of -15 to -20C w/ windchill - on a freakin' summit knife ridge above 20,000ft - made me like my zoo visit more than my trip to the peak. :)

I have no more time to spare, so I literally run around the Alaska zoo to take a good glimpse of Polar bears, black and brown (grizzly) bears, moose, caribou (you say 'reindeer' if it's farmed and not wild), wolves (that just look like big dogs), dahl sheep, lynx (pusang malaki, pusang wild, na hindi pusa hehe), and a lot more.

Alaska is the biggest state of USA, but the population is just around 800,000 people. So don't be suprised if nature is teeming with wildlife. The biggest salmon, the biggest whales, the biggest bear! You name it! This is a very good example of how nature is preserved, when humans are outnumbered by wildlife (sort of). Less people in the area = more preserved habitat = more wildlife. (So let's push for the Reproductive Health Bill (-Family Planning?) if we want to save our few-remaining treasures in the Philippines - HAHAHA!)

EP June18 - Back in Nepal!

Two years after climbing Mt. Everest, i've decided to retrace the trails of Solo Khumbu (aka Everest region). But this time, to search for wildlife! ;)

Well, I also need to do some stretching... and some heavy-pack training for my up-coming Denali Expedition in Alaska.

In my 10 days of trekking around the region, I was lucky to video several animals in the wild (most of the time while carrying my big, damn pack!). I have a long encounter with Himalayan Tahrs (aka. mountain goats) - a small herd numbering 8-10 individuals. And guess how I was able to video them - they're busy digging for potatoes in the field, somewhere in the outskirts of Pangboche. Thieves!

I also encountered a rare Musk Deer (female, 1 individual only), on the trails from Phortse to Pangboche, then a rather adventurous encounter with a Peacock-Pheasant called 'Danfe' (national bird of Nepal). I tried to follow the bird, but the thorny and shrubby terrain made it difficult for me. The site is very close to Namche (coming in from Phakding). I managed to see 4 more individuals (and capture a hen-and-chick in my video) a few days after, this time on the way to Thamo (from Namche).

And of course I saw Yaks, Eagles, cute little river birds (-they actually dive underwater to fish), lots of Rhododendrons, etc.

"Super nice mountain view and amazing wildlife around!" - saan ka pa! ;)

EP25 - Adventure in Borneo

Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah Borneo

Mt. Kinabalu, the 4th highest in SE Asia, is in the island of Borneo. Borneo is one of the biggest homes of the Urgangutans, and one of the more (relatively) preserved natural treasure on earth.

Kinabalu Park (in the northern tip of Borneo) was declared as a World Heritage site because of its unique bio-diversity, especially on flora. When I was there, I’ve seen countless ferns, big trees and lots of orchids, mostly endemic to the place. Given Kinabalu’s 4 climate zones – it is no wonder why there’s so many species of plants and wildlife thriving in the whole park.

It is also interesting to learn about the mountain’s natural history. The picture above is on the upper section of the mountain, near the peak. Notice the rock’s curved-by-nature design – this is one place where (an ice) glacier used to sit and silently flow. But thru time, has disappeared, leaving a well-shaped/curved rock that seems to be a giant sculpture made by the greatest artist in the world – Nature.

It’s also interesting to realize how successful Kinabalu Park is, in terms of eco-tourism. This is one story where we can learn from. Rich, natural resource can be ‘harnessed’ not by cutting and selling trees, or mining, or extracting materials or wildlife – but earn profits thru paying tourists who wish to see nature in its pristine form.

Ep20 - Birds of the Philippines

Birds in the phillipines is over 760 species including some of the rarest kind. One of the famous place is Candaba Swamp (Pampanga), a stop-over for migrating birds such as egrets, spoonbill and bittern. A count survey done last 2007 revealed that there are around 17,000 individuals (more than 80 species) both visitors and resident birds. Unbelievable di ba! Some of the 'sites' are just around our Metro background like the coastal area in Paranaque, or an abandoned subdivision in Cavite.

Bird-watching (or 'Birding') is a fast-growing eco-tour activity nowadays. I personally suggest lazy individuals (hehe) to stretch there muscles a bit, get an outdoor life, gain new friends, and try this booming activity. Nope, it's not like you're gonna hike for 6 hours just to get a glimpse of these treasured birds (unless you are doing research in the middle of a trail-less, who-knows-where-this-shit-is jungle). Imagine it's cheap, the sites are very accessible; Paranaque coastal area, Candaba swamp in Pampanga, Olango in Cebu, Puerto Rivas in Balanga, well you name it - birds are just everywhere!

And you can brag about your encounters during beer sessions or during your romantic dates :) that's extra pogi points for you.

More info? visit http://www.birdwatch.ph/

EP19 - Diving in Coron Palawan

(picture 1)

Ornate Ghost Pipefish are very difficult to spot! At least when their surrounding background matches their camouflage. But this one I saw was ‘malling’ around the wreck that I easily spotted his weird looking shape. Ghost pipefish is a relative of seahorse and both rely on heavy body camouflage for self-defense and hunting. They don’t obviously have the capability to swim fast. ‘Ordinary’ elongated pipefish can at least swim and hide in the corals.

(picture 2)

It’s a new experience for me to see a school of fish attacking a jellyfish. The poor jelly dude has no escape from the hungry predators, but then again there are thousands of big, white jellyfish in Coron Bay that there’s no threat to their survival. Sea turtles are probably not aware that their favorite snack thrives in this place as I heard that there’s not much sightings of sea turtles here.

Coron
After more than 60 years, the big Japanese cargo ships sunk by the Americans during WWII are now giant artificial reefs teeming with a thousand corals and marine creatures. Wreck diving (penetration) will also provide you a glimpse of the past, as you swim thru the ship’s interior, as if strolling around a giant, underwater museum.

Unfortunately, some of the wrecks in the Philippines have been cannibalized or being ‘salvaged’ for cheap metal trade – throwing away our underwater, historical heritage for good. In Subic, at least 2 wrecks already ‘disappeared’. In Leyte, the historic site of McArthur’s re-entry to the Philippines during WWII, some wreck parts were already salvaged and sold to scrap buyers. If that is not a total lack of awareness, it’s probably plain stupidity and selfishness.

Let’s all Save our Wrecks, save our historical treasures, save our artificial reefs – and save a good future for the next generation.

The Real Threat

(reindeer photo courtesy of www.siberiagym.com)

The Biggest Threat to the Biosphere

It is always difficult to make a stand on a sensitive issue, especially something that will surely make you unpopular. Time and again, we blamed this and that for the continued degradation of our environment. We challenged most of them, and sometimes became selective on sensitive matters. Either we do not think it’s worth our time, or we fear that we may get ridiculed, or simply hope that the issue is in fact not the case.

Climate Change

Today, the widely accepted, and much talked about environmental threat to our survival is Climate Change. We know for a fact that we’re in the brink of global climatic disaster.
Concerned nations started making policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, financial institutions and businesses started significant investments on carbon offsets and sustainable energy source. But is this trend enough to fight global warming?

What people do not want to talk about is the fact the CO2 emission is directly proportional to the population growth and consequential change in lifestyle. From 1960’s until today, we have exploded Earth’s population from 3 billion to about 6.7 billion today. How come we’re wondering why the carbon emission has spiraled up that much? It’s all about high increase consumption. It is true that majority of the well-developed nations contribute to more than 50% of the CO2 dumped in the atmosphere. But looking at it from a local scale, each country has produced more carbon dioxide because of increase in the local population – alongside an increase in energy-consuming activities of course.

Moreover, recent study has concluded that today, we’re consuming 130% of Earth’s resources based on sustainability measure, and that applies not just to ocean, forest and general land resources – it also covers fossil fuel and its actual use. We’re OVER-USING our resources, a situation called “ecological debt”.

It should be no surprise that alongside the humungous depletion of our natural reserves, are the production of equally monstrous garbage and waste products. And yes, these does not only include toxic waste, but greenhouse gases as a by-product of our energy-consuming activities. All of these wastes increase, as our population increases. Simple.


Unregulated Population as the Real Threat

It’s not a question if over-population is a threat to our society, or even to humanity in general. History will tell us this. The collapse of various empires and civilizations like the Mayans and people of the Easter Islands are thought to have caused by economic decline. But recent findings will tell us that the true reason is simply - environmental degradation. Easter Island used to be heavily forested teeming with wildlife and abundant resources. Over time, people cut down the forest and depleted its reserves and until that time that the last tree was cut, the last boat was built and last fish was caught, people went to war to survive. Eventually, inhabitants either died out, or reduced to a few surviving members.

This is the same story of the Mathew Island. During WWII, the US government ‘installed’ 19 reindeers in the island to provide extra meat ration to the men stationed there. After the war, the island was revisited in the early 1960’s the visitors were surprised to see 3,000 plus reindeers inhabiting the small island, thriving on the patches of greenery surviving in the coastal areas. A few years after, it ballooned to 6000+ individuals. And before the decade ended, the residents have wiped out their resources and the next research visit offered them a sighting of only 40+ females and 1 unhealthy male with no younglings. And a few years more, all remaining reindeers eventually died out.

As cause and effect, the environmental degradation can only be attributed to one thing – unregulated population growth!


One Planet

Earth is a rather small planet and even with today’s population of 6.7 billion, we are already depleting more than what the planet can sustainably supply. We’re focusing on the climate change issue, but the bigger threat is something that nobody wants to tackle head-on.
Imagine doubling our population – that means more greenhouse gases like CO2 or methane, and over-using Earth by maybe more than 200%. In some parts of the world, the Mathew Island story is already happening, and in the next decades or so – that would be Earth’s own story.

Philippines

Our country overshot UN projection by 4-5 million. In the 1960’s Thailand and Philippines have an almost similar number of individuals, but today – Philippines has almost 90 million compared to Thailand’s 63 million. And with any attempt to improve economy and basic resources for the poor – the demand had simply grown faster than the supply and the economy is already failing to keep up.

I am a Catholic and I am Pro-Life. I believe that pro-creation is a special gift that is given to man. But if pro-creation will eventually lead to annihilation – then it’s time we talk about secondary principles.

Quality vs. Quantity

Time and again we’ll hear some clergies and pro-life groups saying that contraceptives and family planning are not morally acceptable. It’s difficult to see a different perspective if we have never experienced the hardship that 40 million or so Filipinos are experiencing today, of surviving on a 40peso per day cost of living and even less for a few millions. This isn’t about ‘quantity of soul’ or quantity of life on Earth, it’s about the quality that we can give to each and every living human individuals. A hungry man will find it difficult to pray and give thanks to his Creator. An abandoned and starved 10-yr old boy will not see the moral implication of snatching a fish for food, nor would he even think the word “sin”. Maslow has clearly demonstrated this with his chart. And we’ll never have the time and right setting to think of higher values or aspirations if our daily struggle is to find food, water and shelter to survive.

Doomed

There is no easy solution for any problems that is at a global scale. Implementing China’s 1-child policy in the Philippines and around the globe may slow down the process – but will most likely anger the mob of anti-family planning groups.
Introducing changes and solutions to combat other issues like pollution and climate change may be helpful short-term, but the increasing sources of these (us, humans) would simply be too much to keep up with.

With the ever-increasing problems in natural habitat destruction, over utilization of ocean resources, increasing pollution and garbage, global warming and exploding population – it would be difficult to wage a war when the very army that you’re supposed to fight with is fighting a different war against you.

And so, after the last tree is cut, after the last bird is shot, and the last fish is eaten – only then that we’ll realize, that we’re all but reindeers in this Mathew Island called Earth.

EP13 (Feb20): Swimming with the Giants

“Butanding” is how we call this gentle giants feeding in the waters of Donsol, Sorsogon. This amazing creature is the largest living fish in the world with sizes reaching 18meters or even more. They’re migratory and travel vast distances – (w/c puts them at risk of visiting an area where they’re not protected), they’re surface feeders (swimming near the surface) eating planktons and krills – and hence frequent encounters with fishermen is not uncommon.

With its prized fins, skin and meat (an individual’s price can range from 100,000 to 400,000 pesos)– it was unfortunately hunted down which led to its population decline, prompting agencies and government to declare it as endangered. It is now protected by law, not just in the Philippines but around the world.

Today, Donsol grew from a 5th class, sleepy town – to a 3rd class tourist hotspot. Local and foreign tourists frequent the place from December to June, to get a chance to see and swim with these giant fishes. Donsol is probably one of the most successful eco-tourism stories in the Philippines – with the great giant sharks being protected and conserved, and local community getting big bucks from them at the same time.


WWF (Donsol) introduced this Photo ID program to us. I tried to help take photos, although I didn’t think I helped a lot hehe. It’s difficult to swim, dive and take a photo while trying to appreciate those special encounters with the Whalesharks. The Photo ID program is a remarkable progress in the monitoring, research and conservation effort for the Whalesharks. It’s a citizens’ program wherein ANYBODY can submit a photo of any whaleshark, together with other valuable data such as date, location, other shark description (size, markings) – and the data is then uploaded to a central database. Did you know that the dot patterns in the Whaleshark’s skin is unique to each individual and hence can be used to identify who’s who? Amazing!
You want more info – visit http://www.whaleshark.org/. The photo and data collected in this central repository is very useful to check on the population growth or decline, as well as track down the migratory patterns of these animals. In the future, this will help WWF and other agencies identify w/c migratory area should be protected and managed.

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My key message for this episode: Let's all support eco-tourism programs in the Philippines (like Donsol's) - you will definitely have fun but at the same time help the local community and help the preservation of our wildlife. Saan ka pa?!

Wildlife encounter: 7 Butandings (maybe 1-2 individual repeats), sizes range from 4m to 7-8m.Condition: Choppy seas, windy, overcast, occasional rain. What’s new?! :)

EP10 (Jan30): The Center of the Center

It is sometimes hard to believe that our own little country has a special place in the world. Philippines has a very high wildlife endemism and bio-diversity, we’re like 10 times of Galapagos Island.

It’s not surprising also that within the Coral Triangle, the center of highest marine biodiversity (in the WHOLE WORLD) can be found in our very own Verde Passage. The waters of Balayan bay, Batangas bay, Maricaban strait and the waters between Batangas and Mindoro belongs to Verde Passage. It’s a paradise full of beautiful & colorful corals and bountiful fishes, not only in numbers – but in kind.

Born to be Wild visited and featured this place, to help raise awareness about this treasure and at the same time present potential issues that threatens this fragile environment. Bad fishing habits (like dynamite and cyanide use), threat of oil spill, pollution from boats and local communities – are some of the challenges that we’re facing in safeguarding Verde Passage. We did a look-see with Conservation Internationale who also explained to us how they do underwater monitoring. I tried but found out that it’s easier to drink beer and count stars, than put a survey line or grid and count fish underwater hehe.

What interested me is that fact that CI’s study was focused on identifying spawning sources and sinks. This is a very important factor in establishing “correct” Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), versus discretionary and non-research based MPA programs.

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My key message: Help raise awareness about this special heritage – we can only preserve and conserve something that we can truly appreciate.

Last note: The Center of the center? Coral Triangle spans many countries and territories and includes the seas of south Asia, south-east Asia and western Pacific. Sulu-Sulawesi (bordering Philippines and Malaysia) is like the center of this triangle, and the ‘center’ of this sub-area is the Verde Passage – it is THE MOST BIO-DIVERSED marine area in the world.

Ep8 Jan16: Zoo vs. Wild?

One of the biggest and endless debate about animals or wildlife - is whether to keep them in zoos, or just leave them in the wild. There’s an obvious answer to this. (You don’t have to guess, just ask yourself how you want to be treated).

But given dwindling and degrading habitats, uncontrolled illegal hunting and trading, and unregulated or unsustainable harvesting – some folks are starting to think twice.

In my opinion – the best (or wishful) scenario is to have protected natural parks so that animals can roam freely in their natural habitat, but at the same time enjoy the luxury of getting security from park rangers (to stop illegal poaching or habitat destruction), and even medical attention if park resources permits. My visit to Serengeti and Ngorongoro park reserves (in East Africa) allowed me to see a better way of conserving our animals and their habitat. There, the school kids do not need Zoo for wildlife education, they just visit their parks!

In the Philippines – the rate of habitat destruction is simply alarming. With 3% old forest growth, & 5-10%(?) coral reef remaining – how do we expect keeping healthy animal population in the so-called ‘wilderness’?! The culprits -- too much commercial development and mining, the 2 biggest ‘destroyers’ of our forest. Behind that are various ‘powerful’ people who are successfully leading the way to our self-destruction.

What can we do?
- Kill the demand. Don’t buy wild animal products / derivatives. (Shark’s fin soup, fur, wild animal-carpets, turtle ‘shells’, crocodile-skin bags/wallets, corals, etc.)
- Easy on the old-wood furniture. Why not bamboo? Rattan?
- Help on the campaign against bad mining? (they destroy trees, mountains & rivers).
- When in doubt, just plant a tree! Then some more trees… hehe.

Zoo vs Wild? The bigger issue is habitat & wildlife destruction. You keep the zoos, but help protect the wild! If we have enough safe places for the animals – we may not need zoos or oceanariums!

Ep7 Jan9: Hidden Treasures

Born to be Wild is not just about animals, it also features natural wonders. Natural wonders - that inevitably connects to our eco systems either as a direct habitat, or just an integral part of the life system.

This time, I revisited the trails and crater of Mt. Pinatubo – famous for its gigantic eruption in the early 90’s, as well as its devastating Lahar flow in the years that followed its eruption. When I visited Pinatubo in the mid-90’s, it was a desert exploration! Blinding dust, hot winds, burning sunlight… and the place was a completely dead, barren place!

Today, it’s perfectly ALIVE! It simply showed how nature can reclaim a no-man's land, or how it can heal its own wound. Trees, variety of plant life, hundreds of birds, some small mammals – and indigenous Aeta people now thrive in this once forsaken desert place. And the crater – it is still the enchanting beauty of a mystical (crater) lake, with its color magically changing from blue green, to green or blue. Here, sitting in the beach side of the crater lake, and listening to the whistling of wind, or chirping of passing birds – you’ll easily find peace and serenity (and forget about your credit card debts, work issues and the fact that you still need to walk a few kilometers to get back to your jeep. Hehe.)