Just like the other major diving spots in this country, Balicasag island didn’t escape the massive coral bleaching of the past 4 years. The entire coral ridge is dead. Dead. Deader than dead. No more fish. It’s grey. It’s a graveyard.

I want to cry. Climate change is killing everything.

We skipped the dolphin watching thing because it was such a waste of time, plus it was already late. The sun was already beating down on us when we left the resort.

It was a very rushed affair compared to our trip in 2003 and in 2019. This time, there’s a queue for boatmen and it’s strictly 1 hr: 30 mins for sea turtle swimming and coral snorkeling/diving. Can’t extend because there is still a long queue of tourists waiting for their turn to be ferried by our boatmen.

Compared to 5 years ago, swimming with the turtles now is super chaotic because you bump into so many boats. Same with the coral snorkeling.

Over-tourism is ugly.

Climate change is uglier.

I no longer know how to express this grief. It hurts so much. A scuba diving friend reacted to my Instagram post about the coral bleaching. She said the same thing is happening to Danjugan Island marine sanctuary in Negros Occidental, the coral bleaching has become a problem and the pawikan are getting sick and dying.

I wasn’t able to practice diving deeper because I was assisting my 74-year-old mom. I was tugging my diving buoy that she was holding on to while she snorkled. The waves were strong since it was high tide, so she was constantly being swept away to the open sea. I had to fight back and keep her in place.

I guess I need to go back to Anilao to do my thing before we go to Coron, Palawan…

But then, I don’t think things are better there. Even the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is dead. My sister did scuba diving there and she said the house reef in Eaglepoint Resort in Anilao was much better than that. That’s how bad the coral bleaching there is.

My heart is breaking.

As Joey Ayala sang:

Karaniwang tao, saan ka tatakbo

Kapag nawasak iisang mundo?