Carla Denyer- My Philippine Expedition
Added to website: 23 December 2005
Scuba diving was something I had wanted to try for a while, and I chose the Philippines CCC Expedition because my Brit-Filipino friend had enthused about the country, and particularly about the quality of its coral reefs. I learnt to dive on-site, and despite some concerns I had about the training, (“What if I got all the way to the Philippines before I discovered that I have no skill for diving?”) I took to it like a fish to water (excuse the pun!). The science training was also excellent; I learnt to identify several hundred Indo-pacific species, including around 100 different species of fish! Being able to identify almost everything I saw underwater made it so exciting, and my observation skills improved too. I always felt proud to spot an unusual creature hidden in a crevice of the reef such as a Nudibranch, a Moray Eel, or a lethal but beautiful Lionfish.
When we were not diving, or helping to train the next generation of volunteers, there was plenty of time to relax. And what a location! The facilities were basic of course: no hot water, flushing toilets or glass in the windows, but that was irrelevant to me. We lived by the beach, and every sunset I could sit in the shack overlooking the Pacific, sometimes with a beer in my hand, usually stunned to silence by the view. The company was exceptional too: from teenagers and graduates to career-breakers and veteran travellers. I learnt some yoga from one girl, hemp bracelet making from another, cooking with a guy who used to work in film set catering, and was taught beach volleyball.
-Carla Denyer
Read more about the Philippines, Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (PH1)
