SUBMERGED TOWNS

One of the most popular panoramic vistas nearest to Manila is located in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Owing much to the view of the 26,000 ha Taal Lake and its active Volcano Island with the backdrop of the Batangas and Laguna sierras, the Taal calderas present the most spectacular view in the country.

Volcanic Activity:
History tells us that Taal’s volcano erupted 41 times since 1595. The Batangas towns of Tanauan, Lipa, Bauan and Taal have literally moved three or five times from their original locations due to the destructive boulders, sand, ash and mud laced with sulfuric acid unleashed by the volcano. Records also described how spectators from hundreds of kilometers away watched Taal volcano throw thunderbolts several kilometers into to the sky, while nearby residents were horrified seeing the destruction it rained upon their land. In 1754 the volcano is even said to have erupted continuously for 6 months. 


Transformation:
Located on the lake’s southwestern shore is the 8.2 km-long

Pansipit River. It’s lake side mouth starts in San Nicolas, passing through Agoncillio then ends in the town of Lemery fronting Balayan Bay, facing the South China Sea. Although surrounded by 37 streams, this lone feeder river is the lake’s primary source of water. Taal Lake also receives an annual average rain fall of 2,026 millimeters a year during the months of June to October.

Pansipit was once wide and deep enough to welcome Spanish galleons – and saltwater flora and fauna. Over the centuries, the multiple volcanic eruptions eventually changed its dimensions transforming what was a bay into a lake. But even as the river narrowed and became shallower, migratory fishes continue to spawn in the lake where most of their fingerlings stay inside, adapting to the fresh water environment. Currently, jacks, snappers, turtles, banded sea snakes, tarpons, smelt, damsel fish, mullets and other species take up residence in the lake together with freshwater fishes endemic to the area. Famous among its fauna are the sardines (tawilis) and the jacks (maliputo).

Other familiar species that retain the names of their saltwater counterparts include turtles (pawikan), large milkfish or (sabalo), eel (igat), and red snapper (maya-maya). Taal has a sea snake (hydrophis semperi) similar to its saltwater counterpart with venom as potent as that of land-dwelling cobras. Although not much can be read about this snake, this species is supposedly found only in Taal’s waters. This snake also has a local relative called the file snake or acrochordus granulatus. One can tell that this snake is not venomous like its neighbor by noticing that its tail is not paddle shaped, and the white bands around its hide are not continuous. A transcript dating to 1754 also indicated the presence of sharks and even alligators in the lake.


The Dive Site:
Of the lake’s 120 kilometers of shoreline, the most popular side is at Talisay, just below the 640m (2,100 ft) Tagaytay ridge. This section is accessible either from the ridge or through the Sambat Star Toll exit. The lake’s average depth is 60-65m and the deepest is 160m.


Although we have made previous dives beside the Volcano Island, this time we decided to dive along the mainland coast. Accustomed to the clear sea water, our new rockskipper team member, Bea L. Nakpil was quite hesitant in plunging into Taal’s fresh water. Intrigued by the book "The Mysteries of Taal" written by Prof. Thomas Hargrove, which describes the numerous dives and discoveries he made along Talisay and Balete, we chose a spot called Balas where the town of Tanauan was supposedly originally located before 1754. Hargrove wrote about finding the town’s submerged ruins along this shoreline.

We chose the Holiday Resort as our base, as well as our beach entry and exit points. The resort had a very minimal but comfortable facility which caters to activities such as camping, line fishing, sailing and trekking in the Volcano Island.

The local people were surprised to see that we were actually going to dive in the lake. Although they knew of the sapao or rock formations present in the lake, they did not seem to know much of its origins. 


Fresh Water Aquaria:
Accustomed to clear waters, some of us were having second thoughts in diving in the lake with very limited visibility. Nevertheless, we proceeded with care, following our dive plan to the letter. Knowing the presence of lush, thick Vallisneria Spiralis and Hudrilla Verticilatas, we snorkeled over them and noticed that they were as tall as the depth where they grew.

After swimming a fifty meters out, we shifted using scuba and started our descent using our float line making sure that everyone was in touching distance and had a hold of our buddy line. We touched bottom at 6m (20 ft) where the lake grass was still present, but not as abundant and tall. After a minute of acclimatizing with the 1.2m (4 ft) visibility we followed our planned compass heading, until we reached a depth of 9m (30 ft). From there we turned left. Due to lack of penetrating sun rays, the vegetation ended at a depth of about 7.6m (25 ft). There were seemingly undisturbed piles of vacant unionaceans or elongated mollusks about 10cm (4”) in length covered with brownish algae. Spongillidae or white branching sponges sprouted at random. Gourami fishes 10-15 cm (4-6") in length thrived along the grassy borders, and were startled by our presence. These fishes are just one of the 52 species recorded.

Visibility improved by 1.8m (6 ft) in the deeper areas. Though we encountered small areas with thermocline and halocline, the water was quite still with no evidence of any current.

The bottom sloped to about 45 degrees starting at depth of 7.6m (25 ft). We could not see beyond 4.6m (15 ft) further below due to the predominant brownish tint. After swimming for 50 minutes at 9m (30 ft) with still a lot of air in our cylinders, we decided to end our dive unfulfilled after not seeing any sign of the sapao. 

Coral:

On a separate day, we made another dive in Balas. We swam in the opposite direction weaving the slope at 9-12m (30 to 40 ft). The water visibility was a little better, allowing a clearer view of the fishes and bottom substrate. Small empty corbicula manila clam like shells littered the bottom with larger clusters of spongillidaes. 






















  After 30mins we swam back and came across an unusual massive outcropping, like uniformly stacked smoothened rocks (turtle shell shaped) about 30 by 20cm (12 x 8 inches) each covered with black brown algae type material. Bea was ecstatic seeing the unusual formation. We decided to slightly chip an inch-wide off the surface, and then noticed a white coloration underneath. The texture was not of cement, but was quite brittle. Although it didn't look like a well-carved wall, its   

shape and uniformity did not seem to resemble a natural formation either.

We further surveyed the surrounding area to see the extent of this formation. We later marked it with our descent line, terminated our dive and took land fixes from our surface float to mark the spot.

A Piece of History: 
Dr. Hargrove mentioned in his book of old church walls in Taal made of hewn coral blocks. Recalling the white coloration and texture of the chipped rock we saw, we could say that our dives were productive. Although it would take an archeologist to confirm our speculation, we strongly feel that what we saw was a part of a ruin from an ash fall, and we are content to leave it at that for the time being. Who knows what else we might discover in the habitats of Taal Lake’s flora and fauna?

A FLAT PLACE

With my dive buddies, Ramon and Dennis Nakpil in tow, the early morning fog and mist-filled ridge of Tagaytay all the way down to Batulao highlights the cruise en route to our dive excursion. Sadly, the once-scenic ridge in Luzon, Tagaytay has transformed into a horrific carnival and fast food row complete with candy colored street lights. Fortunately

though, past the Cavite–Batangas boundary only a few new residences have mushroomed saving the pleasantry in driving through. The rolling hills of sugarcane along Nasugbu, the 97-year-old Central Azucarera Don Pedro plantation, the WWII-era trucks hauling the harvests, the scent of molasses along Lian’s bridge, the small sugarcane hills towards Matabungkay, and the grass airstrip on the estate of Don Santiago Zobel and the Ayalas all seem to have been frozen in time. The only things that could be construed as “modern” were the air-conditioned buses that ply the Manila-Calatagan route, a bank ATM, and a branch of the ubiquitous fast food chain Jollibee in Nasugbu.

FLATS

We made a quick stop at the junction of Matuod and Lian’s national road to meet-up with our guest diver and friend, Ed Hontiveros.  Ed is an architect by profession. He and his sister Maan have supported De La Salle University’s Marine Biological Station in Matuod for decades. They work as volunteer research divers helping monitor the marine ecosystem in and around Talin Bay.

After an easy 2½ hour drive, we reached the main town of Calatagan, whose name translates to “a flat place”. The Sto. Domingo de Silos church built in 1913 greets visitors driving entering the town proper. Noticeably, there are more residences and sari-sari stores standing than before as well as a handful of resorts, but no fast food chains. The end of the road wharf that used to accommodate a small cattle barge and a few outrigger boats or bankas is now five times as large, heavily built to accommodate midsized “roll-on roll-off” ferries transporting passengers and goods across the islands of Mindoro.

Calatagan does not describe its own rather hilly landscape as much as it does its underwater terrain. From the inner shores of Pagapas Bay, around the 120-year-old Cape Santiago lighthouse or Punta de Santiago, Lian and all the way up to Nasugbu, the flat sandy substrate is quite consistent, varying only in reef formation.

The Punta de Santiago lighthouse stands 20 meters away from the bluff of the southern most point of Calatagan. It has a 15.5 m

high brick tower topped with a relatively new Japanese-made aluminum lantern. Around which, is a balcony supported by Spanish-designed wrought iron angular grills similar to those in the Capones island lighthouse. Named after its land donor Don Santiago Zobel, Punta de Santiago’s tower can be reached via a cast iron spiral staircase. Its beacon serves as a guide for ships plying the Verde Island Passage between Luzon and Mindoro to and from Manila. For decades, even with this navigational light, Calatagan’s shallow reefs have caused several ships to run aground especially during the stormy months of July-September.

Barrier tidal reefs spread parallel to shore all the way up to the Matabungkay and Nasugbu areas. The reef provides tide pools between the mangroves and the open sea that keeps marine fingerlings safe from large predators, allowing them to grow bigger and stronger before swimming out
into the deep.
 

In the 1950’s, approximately 133 hectares of mangrove trees could be seen in Pagapas Bay alone. In the early 90’s only 27 hectares were left. Although Pagapas Bay and the whole municipal waters of Calatagan were declared a Marine Reserve, today the shoreline of Calatagan continues to lose its mangroves, some of which have been replaced with either fish ponds or private beach properties clearing away corals from their frontages, to allow room for more recreational areas or ponds using the same corals as walls or dikes.

HISTORY

Calatagan also has a special place in our country’s history. As early as 1958, archaeologists have found many traces of pre-colonial trade in Calatagan. The Archeological Division of the National Museum made burial site diggings in Kay Tomas (part of the former Hacienda de Calatagan, acquired by the Zobel de Ayala family in 1829) and Pulong Bakaw.  They unearthed 14th and 15th century ceramics such as glass bracelets, bowls, and vessels from China made during the Ming Dynasty, Celadon and Sawankhalok vessels from Thailand and Indo-China, as well as Annamese vessels from Vietnam. They also discovered locally-made pottery such as earthenware jars, plates, basins, pots, and other vessels with different patterns made by incisions and impressions. One of the more famous jars found was called the Calatagan Jar or Bangang Kalatagan, which has inscriptions in the Philippines most ancient script, Baybayin.

Other than the National Museum, a few of these artifacts and replicas can also be seen in a resort in Kay Tomas, whose frontage was once a mangrove area.

FISHING GROUND

Since we were not aware of any dive resort in Calatagan, we rented scuba cylinders from Milton Pedrigal the day before leaving Manila. Milton is a good friend and one of the old salts in the diving community who specializes in rebuilding and repairing scuba compressors.

Finding a boat for diving in Calatagan was quite a task. Luckily, Ramon managed to find our aging boatman, Mang Joaquin who arranged the most suitable boat for us. Though he no longer steers boats, his nephew was just as skillful. A relic of the past, only a Briggs-and-Stratton powered Bangka fit for three divers (we were four with 8 tanks plus gear) allowed us to slugushly access the sites. 

We set our base beside a nipa hut adjacent 

to Playa Calatagan, a leisure-commercial-residential resort. The frontage consisted of white sandy beach that stretched out flat to the intertidal zone ending in a natural barrier reef. It was the closest place for the boat to dock and load our gear. 

We made our first dive near the dead lighthouse or parolang patay. After missing the reef for almost an hour, we finally found one and were surprised to see a few healthy reefs with some juvenile groupers, gray sweet lips, and a juvenile turtle. Dennis and Ed missed the reef and spent their bottom time swimming on the sandy bottom. Not all the corals were as colorful; some were covered with brown algae.

Since we didn’t see any access to a nearby shore, we decided to motor back and have lunch in our base. Under the coconut trees, on a bamboo table and benches we exchanged pleasantries as we ate our meal and enjoyed the cool sea breeze and view.

Reef clusters or pulo-pulo are quite abundant in the deeper reef of Calatagan. Though a bit hard to spot, they are located several meters out from the barrier reef and extend past 90 feet deep almost a kilometer away from shore. Flat sandy beds are quite common.

Decades ago, gargantuan predators such as the marble grouper or kalatang (or super large lapu-lapu) dominated the reef together with the square and moon tail or secilla groupers, hunchback or apahap groupers. Red snappers, huge moray eels, sweet lips, sting rays, and cuttle-fishes hopped from one reef to another in seek of their prey.  Spiny lobsters such as the green, blue, brown, curacha, and the pitik also lived communally in the area. Green turtles can often be seen surfacing to take a breath of air if not resting on a reef. Large needle-nose fish, flying fishes, jacks and mantas would from time-to-time jump out of the water escaping from a predator, while a few sports fishers/anglers would also wait out at sea for a jack or a king mackerel to take a bite off their baited hooks.

According to the 2006 initial samplings made by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, the water circulating within the Verde Island Passage corridor distribute spawning areas and settlement sites in certain months of the year. The western part of Balayan Bay including Calatagan’s Pagaspas and Punta de Santiago area have high densities of fish eggs and larvae. Even higher concentrations can be found around Tingloy, Verde Island, the islets and shoals of Calapan and Puerto Galera.

OVER FISHING

Even with the intervention of coastal resource management groups along the Nasugbu, Lian and Calatagan shores and the presence of the Bantay Dagat, the effects of illegal fishing have taken its toll in Calatagan’s reefs. Empty coral heads and the presence of brownish slime encapsulating sections of its reef give it a ghostly aura.   

Regarded as sea guardians by the local populace, the Bantay Dagat (lit. “Sea Guard”) are made up of civilian volunteers tasked to keep a 24-hour watch on Philippine coastal waters up to 15 kilometers from shore. Equipped with patrol boats, they are only allowed to protect municipal waters as mandated by law. Calatagan’s Bantay Dagat has a base near Punta de Santiago where they also provide a dive guide and a few diving equipment for hire for those wishing to tour the several artificial reefs in front of the Madrigal’s beach house.

The Calatagan Artificial Reef and Fish Sanctuary was established in 1999 by Vicente Madrigal Warns with the cooperation of the Barangay Bagong Silang and help from volunteer divers. In response to the rampant blast and cyanide fishing occurring in the area, the project was conceived as a tool for community awareness to protect and preserve their marine ecosystem and for the artificial reef to serve as a new breeding haven for both new and displaced marine faunas.

We decided to make our second dive on the artificial reef site. As we descended past one of the buoy markers, one could see a strange looking dark and massive object at the bottom. Once the view became clearer, you get to feel as if you’re landing on a Mayan-pyramid. The main artificial reefs truly looked like one, measuring around 13 meters tall on its apex and 10 meters wide at the base the monolithic structure is a pile of molded

blocks made of mortar mixed with discarded corals with interconnecting open canals from one reef to another. Each hallow blocks had tube entrances leading to its inner chamber. There were also some four foot hallow pyramids littered on the sandy bottom. Young coral encrustations and small reef fishes have already taken foot on these man made structures.

After the dive we headed back to our base. We took turns in bathing, one pumping by hand the cold deep well water outside the hut.

The end of the dive brought us mixed feelings. The unexpected sighting of a variety of marine life and seeing the artificial reef was a treat. On the other hand, we were disappointed to see traces of dead coral heads and wondered if the remaining reefs and surrounding ecosystem are being monitored.

TREASURES

After decades of skipping out on Calatagan in our dive destinations list, we found some of its marine resources in a much better state than Matabungkay and Nasugbu areas. The effects of fish pond expansion, its discharges and resort development should be of great concern to the community.

Hopefully, the communal guardians and residents will continue to work in unison  pursuing their mission in helping Calatagan’s reefs, tidal flats, mangroves, and interconnecting natural resources to recover, and bring back its myriad of marine treasures for its people and future generations.

Amidst all the changes it has undergone, Calatagan is still a quiet provincial town. Whatever transformations its settlers and migrants wish to make, it must be tempered with a continued proactive concern and respect for their coastal environment.