68
{
}
Protecting the
seas
Because
development
has happened
gradually over
the years, there’s
been time to do it
properly. Though
there have been
issues with the
environmental impact
of diving activities, the
Anilao diving community has
been good at self-policing. Divers and
resort operators keep an eye out for
violations, and they haven’t been shy
about rousing the community to action.
The result has been steady, and —
with the odd unfortunate exception
What I didn’t know then was what
has been keeping Anilao loyalists
coming back for decades: that amazing
experience would be replicated
time and time again, in many
surrounding dive spots.
“
To paraphrase Forrest
Gump, diving here
is like a box of
chocolates — you
never know what
you’re going to
get!” says Renoir
Amba, who, with
his wife, has been
an Anilao regular
for 13 years now. “You
can be surrounded by a
school of jacks, or swimming
side by side with a green sea turtle, or
seeing my reflection up close to the big
eye of a squid. The diversity of the dive
sites allows a different awe-inspiring
experience every time — that’s what
makes me long for Anilao.”
T A K E T H E P L U N G E
The Philippines
is a center for
marine
biodiversity
Top to bottom:
Morning calm in
Anilao, Mabini;
the colorful reef
life; when the
water recedes at
low tide, there’s
more room for
seaside walks
