First Scuba Dive

 

Essay 2. FIRST  SCUBA DIVE

By Arnaldo Bernabe Mirasol

My first and only scuba dive was at Anilao. I thank my UST High School classmate Vince Tabirara for making that possible. Vince invited me to join him for what he called a neophyte diving expedition at Anilao. With us were Norman Legaspi and Dr. Froilan Ocampo, who are both certified scuba divers. That was way back in February 17, 2011, right after our high school batch's reunion at Indang, Cavite. I accepted his invitation with alacrity not only because I'm a certified sea freak, but also because he further sweetened his invitation with an '"all expenses paid" offer. An impecunious artist like me would be a fool to turn down an invitation like that.

Vince chose me to be his dive buddy because he knew that I'm an avid snorkeler, and he implied that he needed my supposed confidence in deep waters to prop up his own confidence and courage. But he was wrong there. I was not that fearless. He was quite taken aback therefore, when I confessed to feelings of anxiety and fear just before our dive.

But anyway, all such feelings vanished minutes after I made my plunge, when I noticed that the only discomfort I felt was a feeling of dryness in my mouth. Everything else was pure bliss, because what greeted us was the most magnificent underwater scenery I've seen yet. All snorkeling sites I've dived in paled in comparison.

Anilao is a barangay in Mabini, Batangas facing Balayan Bay, whose waters had been declared a marine sanctuary. Our dive master bragged that Anilao is the second best diving destination in the Philippine after Tubbataha Reef. It wasn't an empty boast, for I saw underwater not only reef fishes like clownfish, moorish idols, and butterfly and angel fishes,  but also a school of  talakitok (bigeye trevally),  corals, sponges, sea anemones, giant clams, and even a sea turtle. We were also told that a small shark was once seen cruising there.

The resort we checked into was Planet Dive. It was strategically located because the most visited diving landmarks in Anilao like the Twin Rocks and the Cathedral are just a few meters away from the shoreline fronting the resort. We enjoyed our stay there, especially Vince, who so marveled at the delicious food on the buffet table, that he asked to be introduced to the chef to compliment her.

I mentioned earlier that previous snorkeling sites I've been to paled in comparison with Anilao. That's true. And that's not good. I say that because when I went back after Anilao to the other snorkeling sites I frequented before, I noticed a diminished enthusiasm on my part for the old underwater sights they offer.

Cebu, Mindoro, Zambales, and Marinduque entice me no more. Only Tubbataha beckons. But a trip there is too expensive. I cannot afford it. Besides, Tubbataha I think is for scuba divers, not for mere snorkelers like me. It is in the middle of the Sulu Sea and I've read that the average depth of the water in the area is 65 feet. Now, now, not only is the budget way beyond my means, but that depth also. Because only exceptionally-skilled and champion freedivers with capacious lungs can dive somewhere near that depth on a single breath of air. 

Which brings to mind what Norman said to me after our evening meal.

He said: "Sabi ni Vince, kaya mo raw sumisid hanggang 200 feet." (Vince said that you can dive up to 200 feet.)

"Ha? Sinabi nya yon?" I asked surprised - and amused.  "Hahaha.... Nagbibiro lang yon. Hanggang 10 feet lang ang kaya kong sisirin."  (He said that? Hahaha.... He's just kidding. I can dive up to only 10 feet.)

In this photo, clockwise from left, Norman Legazpi, Dr. Froilan Ocampo, myself, and Vince Tabirara