Danjugan Island
Added to website: 06 December 2003
As the boat nosed up gently against the white beach of Danjugan Island, I, veteran of countless beaches and atolls, thought to myself—”There’s something different about this place.” I walked up to the dive camp and realized what it was.
I was at nature’s doorstep, the way mother earth intended it to be.
No phones, no cell signal, no music, no signs, no vendors, no hordes of tourists, no landscaping, no hotel amenities except for the basic sleeping and sanitation facilities.
I sat on a chair facing the ocean, with the thickly forested hillside at my back. I listened to the waves lapping at my feet and the shrieks of birds darting overhead. Like a King surveying its domain, a regal White Breasted Philippine eagle rode the air currents in circles above its solitary nest.
It was like being on organic valium.
As the sun sashayed into the sea, a swarm of fork tailed swifts descended on the camp, using the simple structures as their personal obstacle course. They careened and caromed at high speeds in between the buildings and amongst the tables and chairs, passing so close and so fast by my head they were just blurred streaks.
Solar powered lights came on and the smell of cooking wafted in with the breeze. That first night, my friend Alan and I feasted on a simple salad of tomatoes, red onions and grilled eggplant, the light vinaigrette dressing enhancing the smoky flavor of the vegetable, boneless bangus(milkfish), fried pork chops and perfectly cooked and seasoned water spinach. The mung bean soup was rich and thick with fresh native spinach.
Afterwards, we sat on the beach once more and watched the laughing moon set on the yellowed sea. Overhead, the night sky turned to the color of hot asphalt, with handfuls of diamonds stuck in the gooey blackness. I said: “Look ! There’s a shooting star!” before realizing that the star moved sideways, zig zagged and then settled among the leaves on the solitary tree beside our perch. Oops, it was a firefly.
We struggled to keep our eyes open in the cooling breeze but finally tossed in the towel and retired to a Filipino version f a Borneo long house, open along one side with liberal windows along the remaining three. Immaculate mattresses and fluffy pillows were waiting under wispy white canopies of mosquito nets.(insert photo of mattresses mosquito nets)
Lulled quickly to sleep, it was the major squawking and cries of the amorous pair of eagles that woke us at five-ish. “ Buti pa sila”( Lucky blank blanks) —grumbled Alan as he turned over. I grinned and ambled down into the living area where I made myself a hot mug of milky tea which I slowly sipped as I watched the sea turn blue, then pink then finally blue again.
Fely, the camp cook set down a plate of hot scrambled eggs and toast and insisted we couldn’t go diving without something warm in our tummies. I scarffed down the buttery eggs on toast and ran to the boat at the waters edge.
Less than 5 minutes offshore, Rudy our Dive master, peered at the surrounding hillsides of the mainland, triangulating our position. He dropped a 4 pound lead weight overboard and plumbed the depths before tossing in a plastic buoy.
We followed quickly into the refreshing water and descended onto an offshore reef. Filled with both hard and colorful soft corals, rivers of rainbow fusiliers ran between coral heads and blue tube sponges adorned with crinoids. In the deeper portions, giant gorgonian sea fans beckoned at me to be explored.)Like Jason being tempted by the sirens I shook my head. Closer to the Northern end, I spied a small school of Tuna as well as a King Mackerel or Tanguigue , which the reef was named after. All too soon, we had to ascend and returned to the beach for our second breakfast of the day.
Apparently afraid that the dive sapped all our energy, Fely stuffed us with eggs over easy, corned beef generously garnished with potato cube-lets and onions, baked beans, sausage and freshly steamed rice. Not wanting to hurt her feelings we made good work of her culinary efforts before heading out on a trek to spend our surface interval time.
Our guides Rhoda, who was the islands education officer and Mang Ipe briefed us about the various bird (over 70 species) and bat (9) species we would be encountering. Our short trek found us meandering through more empty beaches, mangrove areas and jungle trails. Halfway through, we went up a short path and the pungent smell of guano signaled the entrance to the bat cave. Alan slithered down to a ledge just beneath the entrance and started shooting away with his flash illuminating walls covered in fuzzy brown bat wall paper. (insert photo of wall with bats—lighten exposure)
Film exhausted, we crossed a covered bamboo over the western periphery of the third lagoon and reached a huge sand mound—the nest of the endangered Scrub Fowl or Tabon Bird, who liked to bury their eggs by throwing (“tabon”) sand over them after they were laid.(insert photo of sand mound with 2 people)
The sand trails were pock marked by hand sized holes and tunnels, made by crabs—said Rhoda, and warned us to be careful and not step onto one and creating a mini cave in. We ended up by the beach of the Marine Youth Camp where the boat picked us up in time for our second dive.
This time our destination was a reef filled with impressive gardens of hard corals. My heart swelled as we saw sights I though we would never see in our life time. Intact fields of the different varieties swept into the depths and I finished my film long before my air was gone. The existence of an almost pristine reef of spectacular proportions is a tribute to the conservation efforts of the local community (Barangay Punta Bulata) and the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Foundation (See Side Bar).
I grinned as we stepped back onto our beach, I saw Fely setting out plates and for lunch, we gorged on Bacolod Style chicken Inasal wit skin so crisp and tangy, a beautiful shortribs soup swimming with fresh vegetables and Fish Sarsiado. We ate everything down to the bones. Alan played cards with Rhoda and Fely while I sneaked in a 20 minute nap.
With the afternoon sun shining hot above us, we went towards Anajauan Island to do a shallow wreck dive. The Freighter Guimaras struck the broad reef around the pretty island. Although heavily salvaged, respectable parts of it are strewn about, with portholes to peer through and ladders to explore.( insert photo of diver peering through porthole) The shallow depth makes it a good site for snorkellers as well as nightdives.
Back on Danjugan once more, we opted to drag out the sea kayaks and explore the nearby 1st lagoon and the surrounding mangrove areas. We were told that this was a favorite activity of past visitors, and one could actually take leisurely half day kayak tour around the island, complete with birding and snorkeling stops. I however took the abbreviated version, opting to return to the main camp, knowing dear Fely would be anxious to feed us again. I was right.
By Yvette Lee
Philippine Graphic, 2003.
