Clean Up Dive at Anilao

Since I became a certified open water diver in 2005, I was already bombarded with a million reminders that the clean up dive done usually in September is something I shouldn't miss. Not only is it for a good cause but the time you get to spend with the coolest people on earth is something worth the 2 1/2 hrs. travel to Anilao.

This weekend was more than just enjoying the sea. On board the Eco Explorer, we planned, organized, and discussed the most productive way to go about our goal for the day -- get as much trash from the sea as we can. Actually, they planned, organized and discussed.. as I waited anxiously for instructions. I haven't gone diving since my certification, and not so sure if I still remember full well the basic rules of diving. One thing I won't surely miss -- don't get my eyes off the dive master. Good thing.. our dive master was a pleasant site to see -- towering over me at 6'4", and having all the gadgets securely attached to his very professional looking diving aparatus, somehow gave me a level of comfort. And a plus... a friend approached me after the briefing, just to teasingly tell me that God has answered my prayer -- the dive master is actually cute!

So at 11:30AM we boarded the speed boat and headed to The Pier, the assigned place for us to clean up. Just by the name, we know we have a lot of cleaning up to do. Located near the residence area, we were warned of all sorts of trash - hoping it will not get any yuckier than a used diaper. Three speedboats were already in the area when we arrived, one team was already in the water. The DM of that group decided against diving as the visibilty is so poor that we face the risk of getting lost under water. And so the group had to settle with just cleaning up the shore instead. But our DM insisted that I still use my diving gear, and still do the back roll entry to get me acquainted again with the whole diving experience. The moment I hit the water, I know I had a lot of remember-this-is-how-you-should-do-it programming to do. Good that after a few kicks, I could actually feel my fins hitting the sea floor. I took them off and all the other gadgets and started picking up the plastics floating everywhere. Thankfully no used diapers on site... just all the plastics you want in this world, all sizes.. all colors. It's actually an OC's paradise -- all we were wishing for the whole time was a giant net to fish all the plastics out of the sea. The organizers made clear that the clean up is only symbolic of our committment to keep the sea clean, it's not to literally make the sea trash-free, so after filling up a few sacks with plastics, we headed back to our boat for lunch.

A morning of community work earned us a fun dive in the afternoon. We headed to the Cathedral, a good 75 feet deep dive to a haven of beautiful fish & coral. I was feeling too light and couldn't maintain a good balance.. too light in fact that I ascended faster than required. The water was choppy that afternoon, needless to say I was experiencing the worst of motion sickness as I waited for the rest to pop out of the water. I asked the bankero to get me out of the water, or else I will give the fish a feast of what I had for lunch. But it was generally a pleasant dive.. and a pleasant day, as I watched the sunset on board Eco Explorer.

I started my Sunday unsually early. Sleeping at 10PM the night before earned me that.. my headache may have killed my party spirit but it actually gave way to a time of solitude at the boat's deck the next day. Lost in the beauty of the sea and stillness of that morning, I was travelling through the wonderland of my deep thoughts when I was interrupted by the voice of the crew offering me breakfast. One by one, people were coming up to have breakfast. And as people were settling down, discussions on the next dive were being made and finalized. So the groups will be divided into 2, I will be with our lady DM together with 6 more people. While the group of all boys will try their luck again to see a Manta in a relatively difficult dive meters away from us. The sunday dive at Layag Layag was so much better than the dive at the Cathedral. The water was more still and the sun was brighter. We descended at 30 feet and started our way deeper to about 50-60 feet. My weight was just right with additional 2 pounds on my belt so I was perfectly hovering over the bed of corals. A good 30 mins and we were asked to resurface. It was one my best dives, the greatness of the sea world just mesmerized me that on my way back to the boat I was again lost in my thoughts.

My batchmates in the diving lesson always complain on what a hassle it is to prepare for the weekend of diving. It is not exactly a cheap hobby too. And all the preparation for a dive can sometimes take you out of your wits. But when you're 70 feet under sea water, suspended comfortably above the beautiful corals, and just simply in awe of the grandeur of the sea world... all the preparation becomes all worth the experience. This is a strong reminder of how truly awesome God is. That God has a grip on such vastness and in the midst of this immense and complex world, he puts order, beauty and perfection.

And this is the very reason I got my hands into diving to begin with. Aside from the fact that..generally there are a lot of boys in the diving community =)

Simple Abundance: My working BCD, the malfunctioning regulator that got attention on time, my moist-free googles (I need not clear them under water!), the crew of Eco Explorer who treated us like royalty, and the site of juan mig.. in his see through rash guard.. winner!