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Friday, March 29, 2024

Rediscovering Sarangani’s underwater world

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Sarangani Bay has been, for the longest time, among the country’s unheralded dive spots.

Kept under the radar for so long, this rich body of water is a secret no more as the Provincial Government of Sarangani and the Department of Tourism Region 12 recently held the first-ever Sarangani Dive Safari. 

Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, Provincial Tourism Council Chairman Michelle Lopez-Solon, and DoT 12 Regional Director Nelly Nita Dillera welcomed the divers and underwater photographers from Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

“It takes tough people like you coming from different regions outside of Sarangani to come and experience what we have, and tell the whole world how beautiful Sarangani Bay is,” said Dillera.  

“We are trying to recover the negative impressions of Mindanao, and through you, we can change this reaction and promote Sarangani as a new diving destination,” she added.  

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One of the country’s unheralded beautiful bays, the province of Sarangani has been proclaimed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as a Protected Seascape and listed as one of the country’s Key Marine Biodiversity Areas. 

Sarangani Bay’s Lemlunay House Reef (left) and Maasim Reef (right). Photos by Uwe Michaelis

It covers an area of 215,950 hectares with a 226.4-km coastline, covering the municipalities of Maitum, Kiamba, Maasim, Alabel, Malapatan and Glan in Sarangani, and General Santos City.

“We are doing marine preservation efforts as we are in the middle of a protected seascape.  We have whale sharks, sperm whales, yellow fin tuna, pilot whales, dolphins, clown fishes, lion fishes, sergeant fishes, and sea turtles,” Solon, a certified diver, enthused, adding, “We are happy that you are here and help us spread the good news for the future of diving tourism in Mindanao.”  

Its coral resources cover more than 2,293 hectares spread over 20 coral reef areas with about 60 important live hard coral genera, 411 reef species in 46 families. Seagrass cover is placed at 912 hectares, with 11 species in the coastal towns. 

The Dive Safari exploration is a mixture of easy and difficult dives. Upon reaching Lemlunay Resort in Maasim town, a night dive was immediately scheduled.  This dive took place at the house reef, where some critters come out only at night.  An interesting marine behavior the divers witnessed was a bob head squid feasting on a shrimp. Other critters that showed up were cuttlefishes, nudies, a lobster, Spanish dancer, and parrot fish.

Lemlunay, which means “paradise” in the Blaan tribal language, has the South Point Divers shop, which is the only dive center in the province. Just below it is the Tinoto Wall or Tinoto Express, known for drift diving.

Divers prepare to plunge in Sarangani Bay, which is proclaimed a Protected Seascape 

The following day’s dive was at Tuka Marine Park in Kiamba town. The divers experienced some current and low visibility, which are natural elements in diving, depending on the season. 

The two dive sites revealed one-of-a-kind giant bump head parrot fishes, approximately two meters long, looking like a herd of cows underwater.  These gentle giants are found in the shallow waters at around 10 feet, and can be seen even by snorkeling. Other interesting marine life found included dorid nudis, various chromodiris, batfishes, and sea turtles.

Not for the faint of heart, this dive is more for advanced divers. Experienced divers witnessed strong currents, did negative entries, and used a descent line to reach down to Maasim Reef. The bottom offered better visibility, milder current, and a more astounding garden of marine flora.

The reef boasts of juvenile white-tipped sharks nestling under a table coral, as well as huge fan corals and gigantic batfishes.

Derived from huge, sloping rocks descending to the bottom of the dive site, this boasts of colorful fishes, surrounding colorful sea fans. It is home to a school of napoleon wrasse, and a ribbon eel.  Soft and hard corals decorated the rocky area, with sea stars basking in the rays penetrating through the waters. It was an easy drift dive, which eventually led the divers back to the Lemlunay house reef.

The success of the Dive Safari is just the initial step in promoting dive tourism in the province, in line with the DOT 12’s “Sox is Next” campaign. 

And with a profusion of an amazing marine life, Sarangani’s underwater world packs a knockout punch just like its famed boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.

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