DIVE HAPPY

It's no surprise that the recent oil spill off the Philippines has been causing havoc with the marine life of the region - and now looks like the slick is set to damage the ecosystem of Negros, a popular dive destination

The impact of this spill is going to be felt by the local population and the environment for years to come, and it's not even clear if the worst is still to come:

AFP: Oil from the tanker has contaminated some 220 kilometres (136 miles) of coastline, destroyed 454 hectares (1,121 acres) of mangroves and 58 hectares of seaweed farms, the governor of the Guimaras, Joaquin Rahman Nava, said at the weekend.

He said the spill had also destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people dependent on fishing for a living.

Nava described the island province as a "gem" with its long stretches of white beaches, clear seawater and rich abundance of marine life.

"Over years, we have devoted a sizeable chunk of our development fund to the improvement of our coastal treasures, from projects in coastal resource management, mangrove reforestation, seaweed, pearl and shellfish industries," he told local media.

"What has taken us decades to build up has been destroyed overnight."

The Solar I sank in rough seas off Guimaras island and spilt over 50,000 gallons of bunker oil.

Resting in 3,000 feet (900 meters) of water with 450,000 gallons of oil still inside, the tanker is said to be an ecological "ticking time bomb".

Coastguard commander Harold Jarder told AFP that the slick, stretching 15 nautical miles, was slowly being carried by ocean currents into the Guimaras Strait opposite the sugar-growing island of Negros.

"At present Negros is not directly affected," he said.

On land, hundreds of villagers are trying to mop up the slick with improvised tools such as bamboo poles, rice straw, dried grass, used sacks and even clothing.

At sea and off beaches booms have been errected to contain the oil which is scooped out and taken away for disposal.

A spokesman for Greenpeace said divers, using inflatable boats, started to inspect reefs and the seabed at first light. But it was "too early" to give an overall impression of the damage caused by the spill.

ScubaBoard has a good discussion ongoing about the spill, with people posting in the latest reports and local divers discussing which dive areas might be affected. Let's just hope the Filipino government gets the foreign aid it requested to help contain this mess.

Meanwhile, here's the website of Dive Negros which shows off the island's awesome looking diving.