Two tragic developments . . .

First, the ongoing oil spill disaster in the Philippines.  An unlicensed tanker transporting 200,000 gallons of oil, sunk in the waters off Mindoro Island and lying on the bottom, badly damaged.  Verde Island is already closed, and Anilao appears to hang in the balance.  Second, it appears that SCTLD has been confirmed in the waters off the west side of Bonaire, affecting hard corals between (so far) the Something Special and Windsock dive sites.  

https://www.msi.upd.edu.ph/News/news-headlines

Up to date information about the oil spill . Seems Verde island has also re-opened.

Shipping in the Philippines is such a disaster - literally - with regular wrecks of ro-ro ships, tankers, cargo ships, passenger ferries, and countless small craft.  Poor regulation, corruption, shoddy cut rate operations abound, putting ships at sea in dangerous conditions.  As of my final visit to Anilao in mid 2021, there was still a wrecked very large ro-ro aground on Maricaban island across the channel, with no efforts to remove it.  I hope the damage from this latest one can be contained. 

That’s a good information source, makarOn.  Hard to find, for me anyway.  Thanks for posting it.  

Living here in Manila and diving regularly in Anilao, none of the resort operators or diving friends have seen any oil or ill effects last I heard a week or so ago.

I'm going down for the day on Saturday so I'll ask again to see if it's spread in the meantime.

I asked around and have not heard of any oil sighted in Anilao to date, but there has been some patches seen by the coast guard at Verde Island is my understanding.

Here's a website which admittedly relies on people reporting oil sightings so take it with a grain of salt.

http://karagatanpatrol.org/?fbclid=IwAR1LUHml2D2WeMljVgBkfhNQEVM7XvBlbjEoqjENUMOkAIcdN9pZ8TAOumM

On 3/27/2023 at 7:43 PM, troporobo said:

Shipping in the Philippines is such a disaster - literally - with regular wrecks of ro-ro ships, tankers, cargo ships, passenger ferries, and countless small craft.  Poor regulation, corruption, shoddy cut rate operations abound, putting ships at sea in dangerous conditions.  As of my final visit to Anilao in mid 2021, there was still a wrecked very large ro-ro aground on Maricaban island across the channel, with no efforts to remove it.  I hope the damage from this latest one can be contained. 

This ro-ro (wrecked after a typhoon I believe in Dec 2020) was removed some time ago, late 2021 or beginning of 2022. It was very unsightly indeed.

On 3/26/2023 at 1:41 PM, rickmorgan said:

Second, it appears that SCTLD has been confirmed in the waters off the west side of Bonaire, affecting hard corals between (so far) the Something Special and Windsock dive sites.  

I understand from a local marine expert that Curaçao is also effected.

8 hours ago, TimG said:

I understand from a local marine expert that Curaçao is also effected.

Not surprising, and likely inevitable.  But awful.