SANTUARIO DE TAKLOBO

By Arnel Mirasol

It was Boston Gallery's Andy Estella who tipped me about the snorkeling site in Masinloc Bay, Zambales. He said that the site is rich not only in corals but also in giant clams, or taklobo- it being a giant clam sanctuary. (below right, a giant clam I saw at Anilao, Batangas)

When I relayed this information to Bert Falsis, he immediately scheduled a trip to that place. It was May 2010. Bert took only three with him, since it was just a reconnaissance trip - me, his son John, and John's former classmate. The boats that took passengers to and from San Salvador Island (called Pulo) are moored at the dock just beside the market. Bert rented a boat that can accommodate more than ten persons for 600 pesos. The trip to the clam sanctuary, which is just off San Salvador Island, took less that ten minutes. Our boatman dropped anchor at a place where he thought the clams are. The place, indeed, is rich in corals of all types. There are tabletop corals, staghorn corals, star corals, and brain corals, among others.

But no giant clams. We have anchored at the wrong place. Cautious snorkelers that we were, we dared not venture very far from the boat to search for the clams. I can say that the farthest I've snorkeled from and around the boat was about fifty meters. It was near noontime when we gave up our search. We were hungry. There is in the middle of the sea, near the island, a big cottage on stilts built by Masinloc Mayor Fidel Edora. Excursionists can use it for free. We ate our lunch there. Although we didn't see any giant clam, I'd say that we'd had a worthwhile trip. The corals and the cottage on stilts in the middle of the sea certainly deserve a revisit.