I really had a good and sound sleep last night. Though I promised myself to be awake before the sun shines, my body simply gave in to its much needed rest. The alarm of my cell phone was no good and I only woke up to the voices of workers who report to work early that morning. Without them, most probably I would be still enjoying my solo romance in the bed.
Whenever I am out, I usually had this shallow sleep. But last night was an exception. I was totally tired because of yesterday's activities and my plan in getting up early and to start exploring the place early was not followed. I hurriedly perform my morning rituals and I did not bother to take a bath because I knew I would get wet during the course of the trip.
The sun was already up when I stepped out of my cottage but the morning breeze was somewhat cold. When I went to the shore to look for my ride, the heat of the sun slowly embraced me. And after a few chit chat with the boat operator, he took me to SEAFDEC (South East Asian Fisheries Development Center). The fare for the first 3 hours is 450 pesos and an additional of 150 pesos for every hour thereafter.
I knew for the fact that traveling by sea in the morning would mean a safer ride because the water is calm. Usually, it would be during the afternoon when the wind slowly builds up which causes waves on the water. Well, I was a bit wrong. After some few minutes and upon approaching the open waters, the current gave us a bumpy ride. After the tide tossed the front of the boat up, it went down with a thud and I was anxious about the situation. Aside from trying to protect my camera against the sea water, I must admit that I got nervous because I was expecting a smooth ride that morning and I don't know how to swim. Hehe. There were only two of us on board with plenty of life jackets around. The idea that my boat man is an experienced fisherman and that he would not allow me to get drown, still, I was on guard all the time. No matter what I do, the rough seas always give some discomforts.
I asked my guide if the sea always behave this way and he said yes. He would simply wait a signal from the tourists if ever they wanted to cancel the trip and go somewhere else safe. Wow! What an adventure?! But since I already made up my mind for this trip, I silently prayed and hold dearly to the side of the boat as we progress towards our destination. Along the way, I saw little boats occupied by three fishermen each and they cared less about the waves. Well, I guess it was just normal for them for they are on the waters almost every day. And no amount of turbulent waters can ever keep them away over empty stomachs and hungry mouths.
A little over ten minutes, the waves became gentle until the sea became totally still. It was a signal that we had reached SEAFDEC. If you will be going here, the moment you'll see erected bamboo structures in the middle of the sea, SEAFDEC is just a couple of minutes away. And I was glad that my ordeal that morning was over, at least, for the time being. In less than 30 minutes from our origin, we arrived safely at SEAFDEC.
SEAFDEC is a marine research facility located at Igang, Nueva Valencia. It's main office is located at Tigbauan, Iloilo. They have good rooms here that can be rented for 250 pesos a day, which is far cheaper than those of the resorts, but you have to call their main office and book in advance because researchers are their main priorities. They are selling also fresh fishes at a fair price and they can lend their kitchen to their visitors. But one situation I saw that will not be favorable to those who are looking for a good beach would be the absence of a shore line here. Come low tide, the water is knee deep and sands are not available within the area. And before I forget, an entrance fee of 25 pesos is being charged per head.
Anyway, we were greeted by the guard on duty that early morning. There were only the three of us at the facility and the guard gave me a tour of the area. He showed me those huge fish cages that houses bangus, pompano, giant groper, and lapu lapu fishes. Some of these fishes are used for their breeding program while others are being sold commercially.
There are also smaller plastic cages where they grow and breed abalone, a kind of sea snail. Honestly, I don't have any idea what an abalone is until the guard showed it to me. It was my first time to see and hold an abalone and it was fun. Unlike the other snails that we are familiar with, this one has a tiny shell at the top portion of its body and the rest are flesh. They are being grown here and commands a high price when sold commercially.
This was my third time to see a live starfish. My first encounter with a starfish was summer of 2008 at Zambales but unluckily I was not able to hold it. My second encounter was summer of 2010 when I went to Palawan and it was my very first to hold and examine it closely. This time around, though there were plenty of them hanging around the area, I was not able to touch one because there was no way for me to get down to the water from the top of the bridge.
And another first hand experience that I will definitely not forget was holding a live sea horse. It was my first seeing and actually holding a live sea horse. I was glad that when I hold it in my palm, it did not kicked me. Hehe. The guard was so kind to allow me to hold one and the sea horse that I was holding was a pregnant male. Wow! It was so tiny and so fragile. Along with its buddies, they are being placed in cages for breeding and research purposes. Hmmm. I was thinking if I can afford to change my work. A marine researcher would be a good job but the problem is, I am not a swimmer and I am not comfortable under water.
After nearly an hour of stay, I must admit that I learned some new things here and I had a couple of first time experiences. And I'll definitely not forget my encounters here at SEAFDEC. Hmmm. How about visiting their main office at Iloilo?
more pics at SEAFDEC
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