By JENNA SY
Photos James Magsino
 

Every day, hundreds of sea vessels embark from the Batangas International Port to all points in South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. They can carry a laptop from Korea, agricultural crops from Nueva Ecija, or even a Manila-based student heading home to Iloilo; one can only imagine the immense significance of sea transportation in the Philippines.

As a scuba diver who frequents Mindoro, I would frequently head to my favorite Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort in the small town of Sabang, Puerto Galera. Water taxis are my chosen mode of transport, and I would excitedly board one from Berberabe port in Batangas. The little boat would skim the waters of the Verde Island Passage, an important sea transport channel that acts as a gateway to South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For me, it’s a portal to adventure, my answer to the siren call of the famous Verde Island.

For years, I’ve only known about Verde Island being a dive site under the province of Batangas, with closer proximity from Puerto Galera, Mindoro. It comes as a surprise to myself (and certainly to many) that Verde Island is part of the Verde Island Passage, which I apparently always cruise through, whenever I travel from Batangas to Puerto Galera. And, unknown to many of my fellow water taxi and ferry passengers, the deep waters of the strait are teeming with some of the most fascinating marine life.

In the science and diving world, the Philippines is the apex of the Coral Triangle and hailed as the world’s center of marine biodiversity. This means we have one of the most coral reefs in the world in terms of total area, as well as the most number of fish and coral species, including those that are endemic. While the Verde Island Passage is one very busy strait with boats and ships crossing every day, it is also bustling below surface, as it is identified as the heart of the center of marine biodiversity. Hence, I knew I had to bring my friends who had never experienced diving in Verde Island when we spent the weekend in Puerto Galera.

It was quite unusual for my friends and myself to be up at 7 a.m. on a Sunday, but there we were, half-asleep getting breakfast and coffee. Our bangka to Verde Island was supposed to leave in an hour. So, after breakfast, our half-awake selves prepped for the full-day expedition. Not only did we bring our dive gear, but also our precious boat snacks–so Pinoy!–and lunch. Finally, we dragged ourselves to the boat to start our journey. 
Sailing the Verde Island Passage isn’t always one for the seasick. Luckily, the weather and the tide were perfect when we went. So perfect that it did not take long for us to jump into the water when we reached the drop off.

So how was it diving the center of the center of marine biodiversity? Unexplainably fantastic. Verde Island never fails to impress me with its marine ecosystem. I have dived Verde Island a couple of times, and its aquatic environment just leaves me astonished every single dive. My entire time underwater is consumed just by watching thousands upon thousands of reef fish swim as though they are dancing to the music of a symphony orchestra. Their abundance is so limitless, it is difficult to count and identify the marine species gracefully gliding through in front of you. As much as I intend to live in the moment and witness the marine creatures with my bare eyes, I must confess I always end up getting my GoPro to document everything as if it were both my first and last time diving there. Verde Island is that spectacular.

After experiencing Verde Island, we did an adventure dive at a site nearby, still within the Verde Island Passage, called the Washing Machine. It’s called Washing Machine for a reason, and it is one for the adrenaline junkies. The first time I dived at Washing Machine, the current took us round and round in circles, like how a washing machine does its job spinning clothes. In another trip, we had to abort the dive early on due to the unmanageable strong current. Likewise, this time, the tide was in our favor. The current was strong enough to nearly blow away our diving masks and regulators, and for us to hold on to the rocks so as not to be swept outside the strait. It doesn’t sound fun cutting our dive to half an hour, but on the contrary, the daredevils were all smiles when we surfaced from underwater and came up to the boat. It was easily the highlight of our day.

Diving at the Verde Island Passage is truly a unique and wonderful experience. Though I must say, its topography can be a little overwhelming. While the pinnacle at Verde Island is entirely covered with a remarkable variety of corals, it is steep and deep, and the current coming from the South China Sea can be extremely strong. It does take a certain level of experience to be comfortable diving in the passage, but the site underwater is absolutely wonderful. The marine life is thriving.

Exhausted from the dives, we ended up with a late barbecue lunch in Sawang Beach at Verde Island. The trip was one for the books.

Verde Island is accessible from Anilao, Batangas, or from Sabang, Puerto Galera. The author co-organized the trip with Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort in Puerto Galera.