Experiences from Anilao – a happy bunch beneath the surface
Arrival and first dive
We are a large group of divers who have traveled for 24 hours with different airlines. Everyone has traveled at different times and is waiting for magical experiences from Anilao. Now we have all gathered at the resort here right by the sea. After a couple of hours on the highway,andat with winding little roads away from the hustle and bustle of the big city of Manila, everyone is in place. Some came here in the middle of the day, others came late, almost midnight but what does it matter. We are all here and already the desire to dive has arrived. After breakfast the rattle from the dive center began and as expected a bit of chaos blandat with attempts at organization. Everyone is eager to get going and now it begins. The sea glittering in front of us, several boats, so-called Bangkas. Bangka which means boat, are lined up and we are divided into several smaller groups.
Everyone is leaving, the expectations of what will be experienced are, among other things,andade. You never know for sure. Sometimes surprises appear, big fish like mantas, eagle rays and whale sharks are sometimes seen. It is mainly for its rich marine macro life that people normally go here. To photograph and experience small strange animals and be amazed by how so many incredibly different creatures can gather in one place. In the relatively and according to the season a little cold water, only about 25-26°C, we are met by sandy bottoms, among other thingsandat with corals in different colors and shapes. Small fish swirling around us, small crustaceans hiding in the corals. Nudibranchs or nudists that have all crawled out to welcome us. A flatworm gliding over the sand almost collides with a peacock flounder and we also see seahorses and frogfish. First dives deliver, a good start!
A little correction between dives
After the dive, when everyone is back and gathers to adjust weights, change camera setups, and adjust equipment, there is a great atmosphere and many lovely smiles. “I saw a really funny thing, it was black with blue stripes and crawled really fast on the bottom.” “Did you see the cute little seahorse?” “Did you see me being attacked by a clownfish?” “I lost my mind.” Experiences from Anilao can undeniably take many forms and provide many different experiences.
One more dive before lunch and then it's time again. New dive sites, new experiences. Mantis shrimp, several new nudists, leaf scorpionfish, comb jellyfish that crawl on the bottom, one called "Madonna's bra", ghost pipefish and several different species of them. Hairy frogfish, starfish and anemones full of shrimp. Porcelain crabs in different sizes, among others.andas with spiny lobsters in soft corals and even though I was short of breath and went up I got to see blue-spotted stingrays mating on the way to the surface. It felt like some kind of magic was waiting around the corner. Maybe it's mating season among many of the reef's inhabitants? Even ladyfish and clownfish were laying eggs, Ghostpipefish with eggs in their pockets and the occasional triggerfish was unusually aggressive.
Upcoming days diving and presentations
After lunch there will be a short informal briefing about what to expect in the coming days. Lectures or presentations by the respective ambassador, ecologist, marine biologist and photographer and image editing professionals will be held every day and of course there will be diving every day.
After the first evening's presentations, includingandad other things included "What or which animals should you be careful with in the sea - or with the motto "Look but don't touch"
The day ended with dinner. Most people were quite tired after the day and went to sleep quite early with the feeling that they had probably only scratched the surface of what awaited them.
Those of us who still had a few ounces of energy left managed to have a small gathering in "The Nudi bar" where we had a cool refreshing drink along with looking at some pictures from the first day and of course talking diving.
Frogfish, Ghost Pipefish, Octopuses, Nudibranchs, Flatworms, Cnidarians, Echinoderms, interactions in nature and editing and composing images.
After a hearty breakfast of rice, eggs and tropical fruit we set off again. The boats filled up and disappeared out to sea. Today there were two dives and then we came back to the resort for lunch.
It didn’t take long before the guide pointed to an orange, plump lump sitting on the bottom, a sponge. At first we only saw a sponge, but when we looked closely we saw a mouth slowly opening. The frogfish lay there perfectly camouflaged and then it moved a little, it almost “walked” over the bottom with its fins. We also saw a black frogfish that blended in with a black sponge. Finding these strange fish is like walking or swimming on a treasure hunt. Every time we succeeded it felt like “Yes! – found it”.
After the dive, it's a bit of camera care for many and then time for lunch, lectures and then it's diving again for many. Others take it easy and feel satisfied for the day. Everyone goes at their own pace but shared meals and lectures mean that almost all of us come together and learn, ask questions and socialize even though the time below the surface is what we are here for.
The days go by quickly, yet it feels like we have a lot of time.
The days go by, breakfast, diving, lunch, lecture, diving, lecture, dinner, night dive or almost like that. Some take time to chill, look at pictures, relax by the pool, edit pictures, take an afternoon power nap.
The days flow by and there are new surprises every day. On one dive there was an area of seaweed, and there were some robust ghost pipefish floating. Almost invisible, with their long, narrow bodies that look exactly like leaves. Thanks to the fantastic guides we find lots of fun animals. Inside a group of sea urchins we find a couple of rarities. Shrimp and zebra crabs that live on these sea urchins.
What use is the sea urchin to the wheat seventeen and although it was debated, we came to the conclusion that it is probably the shrimp that glides through life on a "shrimp sandwich", protected by the sea urchin's poisonous spines. To lie still and observe and photograph the fascinated nature and the species that live here is role-binding. It is amazing that evolution can create such subtle, strange and beautiful species.
Reproduction on reefs
Diving and lectures alternate over the next few days. One dive, a mantis shrimp can poke its head out of a hole with its eyes moving independently of each other. Another is relatives with small shrimp hiding in anemones or a crab carefully crawling on a soft coral or sea pen. During an afternoon dive, I see hundreds of sea cucumbers crawling across the sand, all heading in the same direction. It is mating season and they are going up to “high altitude” or shallower water. There, they will all simultaneously perform their swaying dance and release their gametes into the sea.
After that day's night dive, I washed my hair extra carefully.
A presentation in the evening one day was about the strange behaviors of crustaceans. We learned that some shrimp live in symbiosis with fish, and that the mantis shrimp can strike with a force that can shatter glass.
Night dives and black water dives
Many did night dives and several in the group tried so-called black water diving or "black water". Simply put, a dive in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of the night to see and experience all the small strange animals that migrate from the depths to the surface at night. Some had fantastic experiences and very nice photos. Seahorses on the drift, octopuses and several other strange animals were caught through the camera lens.
Night dives were popular as many species emerged at that time, especially nudibranchs but also many crustaceans, flatworms and squids are seen at night. Even the diabolical “Bobbit-worm” which many saw showed itself frequently.
A truly terrifying creature if you are a fish, luckily they are not as big as in the movie “Tremors”. Jumping into the sea after dark is always a special feeling. The lights that illuminate small parts of the world and everything feels much more intense.
Nudibranchs or nudibranchs
Anilao is known for its enormous variety and diversity of nudibranchs. What many call nudibranchs, and we saw them in all imaginable colors, shapes and sizes. Some photographed an emperor shrimp and did not notice that it was sitting on a huge nudibranch, others saw species they had never seen before. As the icing on the cake was probably Miamira alleni – a rather rare species and Melibe colemani or ghost nudibranch the real rarities. The last mentioned is a bit of a “holy grail” in the nudibranch world. Some species are mostly just strange and difficult to understand what is front and back, other more picturesque species we saw crawling among corals, sea squirts, sponges and hydroids. Real works of art and orchids of the sea.
One of the talks was about the defense mechanisms of nudibranchs – how they can absorb poison from their prey and use it themselves. We sat for a long time discussing how evolution can create such strange strategies.
Coral planting and the end of the trip
On the penultimate day of diving, we had acquired some aluminum chicken netting and lots of rebar that I had sawed and bent to build an artificial coral reef.
We improvised a lot as it was a bit of a trial and error. In the end we had put together pieces of coral that would otherwise have died in the sand. We fixed all the pieces in place in the net and among bottles and rebar. It was half chaos but also a certain form of disciplined self-organization and it was very fun to see how enthusiastic everyone was in attaching corals and arranging so that the net came up a bit from the sandy bottom, etc. There will be a separate little story about that.
Of course, we will make sure to follow up on this and see if or how it works and if it produces results over time. We have at least tried it. Some corals will die, but if some survive instead of everyone dying anyway, it feels like we are doing something useful. Helping nature with small, simple means, learning something and having fun at the same time. This was an experience everyone should try.
Last day in Anilao, return trip awaits
On the last day, all the diving equipment is packed and dried. We go home in different batches as everyone has different flights. Considering the chaos that has been at airports around the world, it was a great relief that almost everyone was able to travel home as planned. It was great that everyone woke up on the last day too, I heard that some had been up and running until the early hours of the morning.
When we left Anilao, we all felt that we had had a rather unique experience. Sure, the sea was a little colder than normal, some problems with equipment or cameras, etc., that's part of it. But it wasn't just the diving and all the experiences from Anilao that made the trip special. The community at meals, at presentations and in the evenings when we learned more about life below the surface and also at the bar. Traveling in a group with others who love diving, photography and sharing and who also want to learn new things is a lot of fun. When we also get to have such fantastic ambassadors on the trips. They really contribute with knowledge and valuable tips, it's not just an ordinary diving trip but something much more.
Every day without learning something new is a day lost. I really want to give this type of trip a shot, they provide amazing memories for life. They create relationships and community and at the same time they are a lot of fun.
So thank you for all the experiences from Anilao this time, I will be back!
