Paddle-Flaps in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete Text and photographs by Atlantis Photography Ambassador Marty Snyderman Over the course of a diving lifetime it is almost
We are hovering over the shallow bottom of the black volcanic sand on the Atlantis House Reef. It is February, on a gorgeous sunny day, and our dive guide points out a half coconut husk lying face down on the bottom; we carefully approach as he flips the coconut husk using his pointer stick. Hundreds of tiny, semi transparent whitish eggs are inserted in between the husk cracks.
Negros is the fourth largest island in the Philippines, home to four million people – about four percent of the nation’s population of around 100 million people, spread around its 7,641 islands. This lush volcanic island offers an abundance of little explored terrestrial and aquatic wonders, and a laidback environment without hordes of tourists.
Some diver chase mantas, some chase whales. But all will agree that a once in a lifetime experience is seeing a male Seahorse (Hippocampus) give birth.
A true feminist, in mating, pregnancy and birth, it is the male who carries most of the burden. Seahorse mating dance begins with the male opening and closing his pouch to show off its emptiness to the female, signaling to her he is ‘free’ for breeding action. This action also inserts salt water into his pouch, which in turn activates his sperm to be able to fertilize the female’s eggs. They then place their pouches against each other and the female inserts her eggs to the male’s pouch (how romantic). Pregnancy lasts between 9-40 days, depending on the specie, with as many as 2000 offsprings!
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5040″ style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”img_link_large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5036″ style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”img_link_large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5056″ style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”img_link_large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dumaguete is called “The City of Gentle People”. It is a college town
