Oil spill in the Philippines

[Centrals]

If I had a trip booked for this region, I would cancel the trip and not rebook for several years.

When Cebu Pacific has special offer for HKG/MNL, I will be ready for Aug and Nov 2023.
At the moment the fare for Aug is US$144.00 return(no check bag).

 

[DrBarbarian]

There were conflicting reports last week about Puerto Galera. I did not see anything about Anilao / Mabini.

It appears as though the oil has reached some parts of Puerto Galera, and there is a "ban on swimming". This comes just a couple of days after the Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco went scuba diving for the cameras, and announced that things were normal there...so, obviously a rapidly changing situation.

DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire urged the public to avoid “occupational and recreational activities” in the 26 other areas in Puerto Galera’s waters with high levels of oil. The word “diving” was not mentioned.

The nine areas which met the quality standards on oil and grease contaminants were:

• Small Lalaguna Shoreline
• Big Lalaguna Shoreline
• Balete
• Central Sabang Shoreline
• Coco Beach
• Batangas Channel
• Paniquian
• Balatero
• West San Isidro Bay

Among the areas in Puerto Galera’s waters which failed are:

• Villaflor shoreline
• Dulangan shoreline
• Tabinay Marine Protected Area
• Balete Shoreline
• Dungon Beach
• Sabang Point
• East of Sabang
• Pier
• Control Point
• West Sabang shoreline
• Small Lalaguna
• Big Lalaguna
• Big Lalaguna shoreline
• East of Coco Beach
• Batangas Channel
• Sabang Central
• Asinan Cove
• Muelle Pier
• Boquete
• Balatero
• Central San Isidro
• Aninuan
• San Isidro Bay offshore
• Sabang offshore

But, just three days ago reports said it’s OK again…with a Scandi Divers manager interview in this article:

Puerto Galera’s dive-sites given all-clear

The main scuba-diving areas of Philippines tourist hotspot Puerto Galera remain uncontaminated by oil from last month's Princess Empress tanker spill.

divernet.com

“Puerto Galera is a large area but dive operations are focused around the three bays Big La Laguna, Small La Laguna and Sabang,” explained Dave Churchman, general manager of the Scandi Divers resort and dive-centre in Big La Laguna.

“These dive areas have all tested clean, as have those to the east and west of these three bays, which include both muck and wall-diving sites. This makes up the entire dive-site collection for this area, including Alma Jane and Canyons all the way to Kilima Steps.”

“Furthermore, we’ve had numerous trips to the local highlight Verde Island, where the water quality is equally clean. Batangas and Anilao are also testing clean, which means that the macro diving across the water from us is also still perfectly safe to dive.” These areas lie north of Puerto Galera on the other side of the Verde Island Passage.”

So, sounds like diving is happening in PG. no mention of Anilao, but Verde is also getting divers from the Scandi manager’s quote.

Also in oil spill news, reports a few days ago indicate that 11 of the 22 compartments on the ship are "bagged" and not leaking now, thanks to ROVs, but the siphon equipment is not yet in the country. Three tanks continue to seep oil, and the rest have already been emptied. That means 8 compartments leaked out.

Princess Empress still leaking oil: DENR, DOH warn vs swimming in parts of Puerto Galera

The public advisory comes days after Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco went diving in Lalaguna Point, one of the areas tested for oil contamination

www.rappler.com

Hope this helps.

Just came back after diving with Scandi Divers last week.... no oil spill there at the moment.... apparently lots of dive group cancelled their trip there though.....

 

[Mike1967]

Whaleshark in Oslob? Not everyone cup of tea.

It wasn't that long ago they were killing the whalesharks to put food on the table, I know what I prefer!

 

[Centrals]

It wasn't that long ago they were killing the whalesharks to put food on the table, I know what I prefer!

New report reveals Australia’s participation in unsustainable, global shark fin trade - Australian Marine Conservation Society

Australia’s role in the global shark fin trade is scrutinised in a new report, ‘Management of Shark Fin Trade To and From Australia’.

www.marineconservation.org.au

 

[Mike1967]

New report reveals Australia’s participation in unsustainable, global shark fin trade - Australian Marine Conservation Society

Australia’s role in the global shark fin trade is scrutinised in a new report, ‘Management of Shark Fin Trade To and From Australia’.

www.marineconservation.org.au

Cool story bro but wtf has that got to do with the Oslob locals using the Whaleshark tourism to feed themselves instead of killing them?

 

[Centrals]

Shark Laws in Phiippines | Shark Angels

The Philippines is one of the most important areas on the planet in shark and ray diversity. Learn about shark laws and loopholes in the Philippines.

sharkangels.org

 

[Micko1974]

Has there been any recent updates on the oil spill or has it completely dissipated? Hopefully, all the dive sites are still intact. I was hoping to get to PG for a dive trip very soon.

 

[Johncn]

Sadly, the siphoning of oil from the wreck has not yet begun. There is supposed to be a ROV from Singapore arriving soon, and siphoning could begin the first week in June. It is unknown how much “black oil” remains in the sunken vessel.

Oil siphoning to start in June, but is there 'black oil' still left in Princess Empress?

A new remotely operated vehicle will be deployed to the sunken MT Princess Empress by the first week of June, reports Defense OIC Carlito Galvez Jr.

www.rappler.com

On the positive side, it looks like the fishing ban has been lifted in the Puerto Galera area, and over 85% of the coastline impacted has been cleaned:

Over 84% of coastline hit by Mindoro oil spill now cleaned -Palace

The clean up of the coastline of Mindoro Oriental, which was affected by an oil spill, is nearly complete. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) reported 62 kilometers of the 74

newsinfo.inquirer.net

DA-BFAR: Fishing ban must continue in oil spill-hit Oriental Mindoro areas

MANILA, Philippines— Due to the risk of contamination, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has recommended a sustained fishing ban

newsinfo.inquirer.net

Hope this helps.

 

[DanBMW]

Typhoon heading this way.

 

[Johncn]

The current Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) track currently shows only the northern part of Luzon, and perhaps the most northeast bits of Sorgoson and Samar in the "cone of uncertainty". Of course, that could change, but for now most of the Visayas look off the most likely path of Mawar. Let's hope that holds...a path through the Visayas is not what that region needs right now.