Thursday, October 19, 2006 Shark tales in Malapascua By Dorothy Bangayan
HERE goes a conversation with friend Sarah over the week:
Sarah: Hey, lets go snorkeling in Malapascua!
Me: Saan yan? What is there to see?
Sarah: I'm bringing Malaysian friends there to go diving for sharks, but it's around that time of the month for me so we can go snorkeling instead.
Me: Are you saying you want to go snorkeling in shark infested waters during your period?!
Sarah: Malayo naman ata sila (The sharks are probably far away).
And this is how I ended up backpacking with old and new friends to Malapascua, an island at the northern tip of Cebu famous for thresher shark and manta ray sightings.
Getting there takes like forever.
We took a non-airconditioned bumpy ride on dusty roads for P80 from Cebu City to Maya wharf. Did I mention it took six long hours? From Maya, it's a 45-minute boat ride packed with pets and people to the island.
Arriving at a tropical island with the cliche of powder white sand against clear blue waters, I felt like being in a movie set from "The Beach", complete with the backpackers from all parts of Europe making up the majority of the tourists.
We had enough time to wind down, get a coconut oil massage from wandering beach ladies asking "massage, manicure? -- and a nice Italian dinner at La Dolce Vita. The place had a rustic Italian appeal and the most authentic pizza I have ever tasted. There are times I still wake up in the morning with a craving for Malapascua pizza.
Stopping by Divelink, we were briefed on the next day's schedule. The dive master, Gary Cases started Divelink in 2001 to compete with the foreigners who dominated the island's diving shops.
It seems the main event circled around the thresher shark encounters. The excitement of the tourists in the island was so infectious that my dark dreams of lost limbs and shark teeth gave way to anticipation. I asked if there were any freak accidents -- close encounters, many times but of the good kind. The sharks that we see there do not attack people. Manta rays are gentle giants.
So what is all the fuss about? It is only in this area of the world, that the rarely seen thresher shark, or Alopias pelagicus can be spotted quite so regularly.
The thresher shark can grow as big as 6 meters and has a scythe like tail. It is nocturnal with sharp teeth, big eyes and a carnivorous appetite for herring, squid and mackerel.
The next day, my friends left at the crack of dawn for a dive at Monad Shoal, a sunken island near Malapascua made into a marine sanctuary for sharks. Due to the increasing demand for shark meat and fin, there is a need to protect the sharks from the deadly human race.
Monad Shoal is also sort of like an underwater carwash where little fishes called wrasse clean up bacteria and dead skin from the thresher sharks. Other clients include the Manta rays, devil rays, squid, octopus, Barracuda, Lion fish, moray eel and on some occasions, a Hammerhead drops by.
Being the only uncertified outcast, I took an introdive with the group's second trip on Gato island, famous, aside from being a fish and seasnake sanctuary, for a tunnel where white tip sharks lounge.
The thrill is inside the tunnel, where certified divers swim inside to see white tip sharks conducting their internal affairs.
Exhausted, I opted not to go along the third dive back at Monad Shoal, which was a big mistake. A thresher shark jumped right out of the water and a manta ray was spotted at the surface. I could have skipped the introdive for this!
We spent the evening dinner at Sunsplash, a tropical bar festooned with lanterns and tie-dyed decor. They serve a mix of Italian, Filipino and American food at great prices.
Try their sandwiches with freshly baked baguette bread. A sound echoed from the ceiling and while we all ran out screaming "Tuko!" the rest of the customers gathered at our spot, curious at what a gecko looks like. We had to give a brief lesson on the nature of a gecko. Apparently, they don't have that in Europe.
The air-conditioned rooms of Cocobana resort was fully booked and our electric fans provided little respite. Since Malapascua is a safe and peaceful place, we dragged our bed sheets to the beach and slept there instead after a coconut oil massage on the sand and the sound of gentle waves lulling us to sleep.
Back in the city, a waiter plonked a bowl of Shark fin soup in front of me. As I looked at it, with lack of appetite, I remember the shy sharks back in Malapascua.
For comments, please email to wandergirl28@yahoo.com
How to get there:
Flights are available from Davao to Cebu via Cebu Pacific Air, Air Philippines. Travel time from Cebu City to Maya: on Bus 5-6 hours: Private Van/Taxi: 2.5 hours
