Swimming with the dolphins

Everyone else is in the water but I opted to stay dry to write this  column. I must admit that doing this is a great sacrifice because the  seas around me are so tempting. But I have no choice as the pair of  shorts I had just bought for this trip was left behind in the van we  took in coming here.

But not to worry. There are other things to do in this place other  than swim. There's a fabulous restaurant which cooks three pieces of  crabs for P250 (you'd better believe it!), Fish kinilaw for P190, and  other mouth-watering items on the menu.

I am at the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park in Sinacaban town. I,  along with a crew of four from our television network, are here upon  the invitation of Governor Loreto Leo Ocampos, who decided to spend  the rest of the afternoon here in his pet project, after he held a  successful forum this morning and decided to come here to go scuba  diving.

I've been to a lot of places in the Philippines, but I must admit  that this Aquamarine Park of Misamis Occidental is something that  people, especially those from Misamis Occidental, must see. I am in  what they call Dolphin Island, ten minutes away by boat from the  mainland. As the name suggests, you see dolphins here. This is a  project of the Province of Misamis Occidental which was initiated by  the nationally-awarded Gov. Ocampos, who is the president of the Governor's League of the Philippines.

When I came in, I had my reservations about seeing dolphins in a big  pen and I thought of what many cetacean specialists have said about  placing wild animals in enclosed spaces. But I was told that these  dolphins are only here temporarily. They are actually rescued  dolphins which have been injured by fishermen who do not realize  their importance to the environment. Last week, there were 12  dolphins here but now, there are only eight, after four dolphins were  released as they were already well.

The dolphins which are here now are spinner dolphins. So every now  and then, I hear the water splash behind me as they leap about 12  feet in the air. If only I could get out of my long pants, I would  have been swimming with these dolphins.

And did I say I am in an island? Oh yes. I have to keep reminding  myself about that. You see, even when I am a good distance away from  the mainland, we have electricity, thanks to solar power, and I have  an internet connection to boot, thanks to the Smart 3G technology,  which gives me internet for P 20 per hour!

You might read more about this island from the website of Misamis  Occidental, www.misocc.gov.ph.

Incidentally, this is the reason why Misamis Occidental ranks second  nationwide in terms of tourist arrivals. I could hardly believe my  ears when I first heard it. It is next only to Cebu! Third comes  Boracay and fourth comes Baguio, said Gov. Ocampos.

Now that I'm here, I can see why people come here. If you come down 

to Mindanao one of these days, make sure you visit Misamis Occidental  and come to this aquamarine park in the middle of the sea.

It's worth it!*

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