Being there/The Sandbar

In the middle of the Tanon Strait, between the islands of Cebu and Negros, three cottages "float" in the ocean. The light blue colored water is knee deep, or waist deep, depending on one's height. The dark blue water at the right side of the picture and at the horizon indicate a sudden dip ocean depth.




It was "high tide" when we arrived, the water reaching up to the cement platform where the stairs leading up to the cottage begin.



In the afternoon, it becomes "low tide" and the light blue water recede to reveal THE SANDBAR.

View from atop the cottage: kid and adult play in the crystal clear water, catching tiny little fishes darting along.

Barnacles and other sea creatures cling to the cement posts that hold the cottage up.

After lunch (Or was it before? Hard to tell. In the middle of the ocean, time for eating, swimming and playing sort of got jumbled up) we took a ride in the red and blue bangka away from our cottage home base...

... and went farther into the sea to look for dolphins. Our bangkero was an expert. He knew exactly where to look for the dolphins. Or so he thought. For on this day the dolphins went ahiding. We called out to them, clapped for them, strained our eyes for them, but, alas, they were nowhere to be found. We were hot and thirsty and hungry (so maybe it was before lunch afterall!) and disgruntled and Ivy was getting seasick already and so we started to head back to our oceanic home base.

.

When suddenly, perhaps sensing our dismay, a school of dolphins came with alacrity and danced, swam, jumped into the air, dove deep into the depths, dazzling us with their magnificent display of speed, agility and power. Yes, that was what came to my mind. These sleek huge mammals were powerful. They had superb control of their bodies and they could move really fast despite their size. If they had a mind to, maybe they could have even overturned our bangka. Such was the "bigness" of the show they put up for us.

Well, thank goodness they didn't. Overturn our bangka that is. I must say those dolphins were kind of domesticated. I mean they were not afraid of people and in fact I think they reveled in our applause and cheers. They were showoffs! :-)

And so we returned to our cottage. Happy and fulfilled. Glad to have been recipients of an amazing nature treat. A dolphin dance. And a day in the sand in the middle of the ocean.

P.S. Thanks to Arvie for the pictures!