Romblon Island, located in the Coral Triangle in the centre of the Philippines, is home to a great diversity of marine species, many of which have only recently been identified. Here, Scott Bennett recounts his adventure to this haven for underwater macro photography.
Flower butterfly sea slug
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For the dedicated macro enthusiast, there are a number of locations worldwide that have gained legendary status, and the Philippines certainly has its fair share. Yet one had always eluded me: Romblon. Although I had been aware of it for years, the opportunity to visit had never arisen. My last trip to the Philippines, ten years earlier, was hampered by an international summit that closed Manila’s airport for days, thwarting a planned visit. Now, a decade on, my chance had finally come.
Positioned at the end of the Verde Island Passage, Romblon is a small island that remains firmly off the radar of mainstream tourism. Long renowned for its marble, diving is its new claim to fame, offering a diversity of habitats, from coral reefs to seagrass meadows and mangrove forests. The biodiversity results from its location in the Coral Triangle, a vital global marine hotspot. From coral reefs to blackwater dives in the open waters of Romblon Pass, Romblon offers a wide range of diving experiences. However, it is its macro life that has put the island on the photography map, with super macro subjects in particular.
Getting there
The saying, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” most often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, is an especially apt statement when applied to travel to Romblon. From my home in Toronto, that entailed a 16.5-hour nonstop flight from Toronto to Manila, a 2.5-hour drive from Manila to Batangas and an overnight ferry to Romblon. However, experience has taught me that the greater the effort, the greater the reward, and Romblon was no exception!
Although I arrived in Manila, my luggage had other plans. Checking my email, a message from Air Canada stated, “Not all luggage would be accommodated on the flight.” The airline promised it would arrive on the next flight, but that was two days away, resulting in my overnight stopover being extended to two. After a quick call to the resort to postpone my overnight ferry, I ventured out to buy some clothes and toiletries. Inconvenient, yes, but not the end of the world. Besides, it gave me an extra night to enjoy the great restaurants near my hotel in Makati.
Fortunately, my luggage arrived as promised, and I made it to Batangas Pier in plenty of time. Boarding the 4:00 p.m. Starlite Ferry, a porter helped me with my luggage to my private cabin. While not exactly the Regent Seven Seas, it did have a bed and ensuite bathroom, with dinner included. After eating, I settled in early for the nighttime 10-hour journey.
Despite arriving in the middle of the night, I could already sense Romblon would be unlike anywhere I had been in the Philippines. For starters, there were virtually no cars. My transfer from the ferry terminal to the resort was by tricycle, also known as a tuk tuk. I was dubious my two large bags, plus carry-ons, would fit, but my driver Oscar proved me wrong! After a 15-minute drive, we arrived at The Three P Resort, my home for the next five days.
Oscar took me to my room, and I quickly unpacked. Before falling asleep, a dilemma had to be addressed. With a dive scheduled at 8:00 a.m., that left under four hours to sleep. Do I go, or wait for the second dive? Having already lost a full day, the decision was simple. Diving, of course!
Dive centre and special critters
I awoke early to assemble my camera gear and headed for the dive shop. It was not far, literally at the bottom of the stairs to my room. After meeting the staff and getting fitted for gear, I headed to the dining room and some much-needed coffee. During breakfast, I chatted with a few of the other guests. All were photographers, and most were repeat customers. Right away, I knew there were special days ahead.
Before diving, I headed to the office to say hello. On hand to meet me were owners Philipp and Kati Eschweiler. Situated on the island’s west coast, approximately seven kilometres south of Romblon Town, The Three P was established in 2002 as a restaurant by Sally and Oswald Eschweiler for their sons Peter, Philipp and Patrick. Transitioning into a dive resort in 2009, it is now renowned for its focus on macro photography and nudibranch research in a family-run atmosphere.
The Three P pioneered underwater macro photography in Romblon. A look at their website reveals how extensive the critter count is. From shrimp and crabs to cephalopods, frogfish and pygmy seahorses, the diversity is staggering.
Romblon is especially famed for its nudibranchs, and several have long been on my wish list. In particular, the butterfly sea slugs (Caliphyllidae) and the ghost melibe nudibranch (Melibe colemani), the latter being one of the Holy Grails of underwater macro photographers. In fact, The Three P Resort was the first to document Melibe colemani, the butterfly sea slug Cyerce nigra and sashimi shrimp in the Philippines. With new discoveries being made all the time, I could not get in the water fast enough!
Diving
Fed and caffeinated, I headed to the dive centre. While gearing up, I met Cymar Alojado, who would be my personal guide for my entire stay. He asked what I would like to see, and my response was simple: “Everything and anything!” After a ten-minute boat ride from the resort, we plunged in at dive site number one, and I could not wait to see what was in store.
Descending to around 20m, we slowly patrolled the bottom to look for subjects. Scenically, the terrain looked fairly ordinary, the substrate punctuated with rocky outcrops and clusters of coral. But, as any macro enthusiast knows, looks can be deceiving. There were treasures to be found!
Straight away, we discovered the first: a green dragon shrimp sitting on a whip coral. I had seen the orange species on previous trips, but never a green one. It was in an awkward position, and getting it parallel to my lens was challenging. Even with my 105mm macro, it was still small in frame. Moving on, a cluster of nudibranch eggs led to the egg-layer, an orange Dendrodoris sp. nudibranch seamlessly blended with the coral it perched upon. A candy crab made another colourful subject, but Cymar saved the best for last.
Nestled within the crevices of a coral was a shrimp I had never seen before. Boasting an exquisite pattern of white spots on its transparent body, a tiny scorpion shrimp was the star attraction. With such a great subject, we decided to stay put. Cymar patiently indulged me as I photographed it from every angle.
Sought-after species
Our second dive proved even more extraordinary. Among Romblon’s most sought-after species are the butterfly sea slugs, and the one I coveted most was the tiger butterfly sea slug (Cyerce nigra) featured on The Three P company logo. Incredibly, I got my wish right out of the gate!
Boldly patterned with black, white and orange, this tiny creature is a true wonder of nature, its overlapping cerata resembling an extravagant ballroom gown. I was also surprised by just how small it was. Despite its ornate wardrobe, I would have passed it by if not for Cymar’s eagle eyes. And it was not even the only one.
There was also a flower butterfly sea slug (Cyerce blackburnae), one of the most recently described of Romblon’s butterfly sea slugs. Equally spectacular, its projecting cerata resembled a delicate tropical orchid. I would have been content with the first two, but there was more to come. A thread-sized pygmy pipehorse, painted tunicate shrimp, Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse, popcorn shrimp and nudibranchs Phyllodesmium jakobsenae and Phyllodesmium rudmani continued the macro parade. Incredibly, all of this was before lunch. It begged the question: What would we see next?
After lunch, I had my answer. An assortment of nudibranchs, gobies and a peacock mantis patrolled the bottom, while a juvenile warty frogfish was a lucky find. These were promptly overshadowed, as a muffled yelp from Cymar indicated something special. Looking like a creature from another planet, a ghost nudibranch (Melibe colemani) was virtually invisible amongst the coral. Almost completely transparent, with visible internal organs, this ambush predator blends in perfectly with the environment to trap unsuspecting prey. My wish list was getting whittled down in record time.
Night dive
Despite such an extraordinary day, I was eager for more. Fortunately, a night dive was planned and I needed no coercion! After a coffee and a quick change of strobe batteries, we were back on the banca dive boat. Night dives have always been a favourite of mine, and I could not wait to see what else Romblon had in store.
Sea cucumbers patrolled the substrate, feeding with outstretched tentacles, while bristleworms and tiny crabs scurried about. Nudibranchs were plentiful, too. Some, such as Chelidonura amoena, were familiar, others were not, and all were tiny. One turned out to be an Aplysia nigrocincta sea hare, but another subject proved especially perplexing. I initially thought it to be a Phyllodesmium sp. nudibranch. Or was it a piece of coral? Shifting my position, I faced it head on and discerned a pair of eyes peeking from underneath. It was a crab carrying a soft coral.
With air getting low, Cymar gestured towards a piece of coral. He obviously saw something, but I had no clue what that something was. Nevertheless, I took a picture. Later examination of the image revealed it to be a tuberculated frogfish, yet another species I had never heard of before (I could sense a pattern developing). From that moment on, I learned a valuable lesson: Even if I could not see what Cymar was pointing at, take a picture anyway!
Editing my photos after dinner, I could already sense that nudibranch identification was going to be a challenge, complicated by the fact that a number of species have changed names in recent years. Fortunately, it was Kati to the rescue, as her ID skills proved impeccable. In fact, her contributions to marine conservation and education led to the discovery of a new species of butterfly sea slug, named Cyerce katiae in her honour. How cool is that?
More diving and critter sightings
The remainder of the week followed a similar pattern, with two dives in the morning, followed by a dive in the afternoon. Most of the sites were only a short distance away, with a few a bit further afield. Most were reasonably shallow, usually not in excess of 20m. I also realised a strategy would be in order, one that concentrated on quality over quantity. Rather than take a few shots and move on, I opted to work the subject, experimenting with various compositions, exposures and strobe positions to get “the shot”. As many subjects were also exceedingly small, I kept my 105mm macro lens on my camera at all times.
Day two really started off with a bang. Our first critter was the Hippocampus denise, a pygmy seahorse, another one of my favourites. While later reviewing photos, I discovered the pygmy seahorse had company: an even smaller skeleton shrimp straddling an adjacent coral branch. Other notables included porcelain crabs, twin-spot gobies and a jewel-like margarita pearl-ovulid cowrie.
I was able to add a few new species to my nudibranch checklist. Distinguished by its cluster-like body shape, a Doto ussi nudibranch, also known as a grape doto, was perched on a hydroid. Another was a Sacoproteus nishae, a newly described sacoglossan sea slug species that mimics toxic “sea-grape” algae. It was so perfectly camouflaged, it took me ages to see, despite looking right at it. Equally tiny was a golden butterfly sea slug, Cyerce basi, another hard one to spot, sitting atop a green leaf (see this issue’s cover).
Our final dive began with a pair of brown robust ghost pipefish patrolling the substrate. Approaching a coral, Cymar stopped, intently scrutinising the polyps. Moments later, a muffled exclamation indicated success as he pointed at a wisp of white thread. I could not figure out what I was looking at, so it was time to bring out the big gun: my 10x diopter.
Although I have owned it for quite some time, I had never figured out how to use it properly. Inching closer, everything was blurry as I attempted to focus. Suddenly, my subject popped into glorious view! It was a spotted xenia pipefish—the smallest one I had ever seen. Bizarrely, it even had a minute crab leg attached to its back. I finally understood my previous difficulties; I just had not been getting close enough. Even so, focusing was challenging with a narrow depth of field, even at the smallest possible aperture. Persistence paid off, and I was able to get a number of images.
Moving on, we found another green dragon shrimp. This time, with the diopter, I was able to get a frame-filling image, while a candy crab atop a soft coral gave me a similar opportunity. From that moment, I knew the diopter would be getting a major workout. I was already kicking myself that I had not been using it since day one!
Delicious meals
Between dives, there was plenty of time for relaxation. Mealtime was a real treat, with the daily menu featuring the freshest of ingredients from the local market. Apart from the breakfast buffet, meals were à la carte, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. From grilled chicken and vegetables and salads to Filipino favourites such as lumpia (spring rolls), the food was a nice blend of Asian and European. Seafood was a standout, my favourite being the fresh tuna, caught and cooked the same day.
Logbon Island
One day, we ventured to some dive sites around Logbon Island. Under a clear blue sky, the coastal scenery was quintessential Philippines, with palm fringed shorelines lapped by turquoise waters.
Underwater, the marvels kept coming. Another Hippocampus denise occupied all of dive one. Like its camera-shy relatives elsewhere, getting it to face camera was a near impossibility. This time, I had on my diopter, and as we were not especially deep, I could afford to be patient. Not wanting to blind the poor creature, I avoided rapid fire flash bursts, choosing to wait for the precise moment.
And the sea slugs kept on coming. A Thecacera pacifica, also known as the “Pikachu” nudibranch, started the ball rolling, followed by a Flabellina rubrolineata nudibranch and a Chelidonura sp. headshield slug with a striking black and white pattern. Best of all was a fireworks stiliger (Stiliger sp.) sacoglossan sea slug, whose colourful cerata really look like exploding fireworks. And if that was not enough, there was another Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse, this specimen with a chocolate, tan and yellow colouration and exquisite appendages on its head. Another day, another pygmy seahorse!
Bon Bon Beach
For our surface interval, we ventured over to Romblon’s famous Bon Bon Beach. The Philippines has no shortage of beautiful beaches, but this one was a standout. Bon Bon is one of those expanses of sand that leaves travel writers grasping for adjectives. Sugar white in the midday sun, a finger of sand extended into the bay, allowing visitors to walk across to neighbouring Bangug Island at low tide. I hoped to get some aerial shots with my drone, but the wind was a bit strong for my liking.
Further critter hunting
After lunch, the afternoon dive revealed another miniscule pipefish, but this time, I was ready. Another new species for me, Braun’s pughead pipefish, was a stunner, its crimson body capped with a white head patch. Another tiny critter was a green algae shrimp, a variety of hairy shrimp. This one set a new definition of small. The end of Cymar’s pointer looked like a tree trunk in comparison.
But the day was not over. Cymar asked if I wanted to do a night dive, and he had a particular critter in mind. Prior to arriving, I had never heard of a sashimi shrimp, but photos at the resort had me intrigued. The colour phases were stunning, from reds and pinks to iridescent blues. There was only one caveat. Being smaller than a grain of rice, I pondered how Cymar would even find one. Fortunately, he had a secret weapon: a torch equipped with UV light.
Our entire night dive would be devoted to our search, but Cymar was the man! Only ten minutes in, he found the first one, a hopping bright UV dot on the sand. Then came the second challenge: photographing it. Even with a 105mm macro lens and a 10X diopter, the subject was a speck in my viewfinder.
Following it along the bottom, it eventually settled on a white shell. I could then see where the name came from. It looked like a piece of sashimi with a tiny dollop of wasabi on its head. Fortunately, it proved incredibly tolerant, posing motionless as I struggled to get it in focus. With a number of shots in the bag, we moved on to find several more, each with distinct colour patterns. Superb!
My last few days was a nonstop critter exhibition, with orange dragon shrimp, disc anemone shrimp, humpback shrimp, striped xenia coral shrimp and various cowries competing for my camera’s attention. Another Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse (this one white), a coral gall crab, cryptic shrimp and a magnificent Goniobranchus rubrocornutus nudibranch ensured my photo happy place.
On one dive, Cymar promised something special. Descending the slope to the sandy bottom, around 25m, we came to a solitary, nondescript dark coral. After searching with his torch, the beam illuminated something that was anything but nondescript. It was a pair of shrimp, and incredibly, they were chocolate brown. And yes, they are really called chocolate shrimp! Seriously, how have I been diving for over three decades and never heard of them before? It just goes to show, the wonders of the sea are limitless!
Before I knew it, my last day had arrived. However, a real advantage of diving Romblon is the absence of the no-dive-before-flying rule. With my overnight ferry departing around 10:00pm, I was able to dive right into the afternoon. My final dives yielded both new and familiar faces. A golden butterfly sea slug (Cyerce basi) and an undescribed Eubranchus sp. nudibranch provided wonderful photo ops, along with Sacoproteus nishae, Ussi doto, scorpion shrimp and a red cowrie. It was also fitting that I finally got to see Kati’s butterfly sea slug.
To cap things off, my final critter was a tiger butterfly sea slug. This time, I had my diopter and was able to get closer images. And with that, it was a wrap. Of course, one always wants more, but I was one happy camper.
Topside excursion
With everything packed, I had several hours of free time at my disposal, the perfect opportunity for a bit of topside exploration. Kati had arranged for Oscar to pick me up with his trusty tricycle, and we set out for Romblon town by way of Bon Bon Beach.
Once again, I marvelled at the sight of its powdery expanse, now luminous in the warm hues of late afternoon. Anywhere else, a beach like this would be jam-packed, but it remained virtually deserted, with only a smattering of people. Better yet, the wind had finally subsided, and I had the chance to get the drone up. From the air, it was even more stunning.
We then headed into town for some exploration. The downtown was bustling with activity, but with tricycles and scooters replacing cars. Compared to the chaos of Manila, it was downright peaceful! Seeing my camera, the local kids virtually queued up to have their photos taken.
We then stopped by Saint Joseph Cathedral Parish, also known as Romblon Cathedral. The oldest church on the island, construction began in the early 18th century, and it became a cathedral in 1974. Older still is the Fuerza de San Andres, the town’s Spanish-era fort. Positioned on a hilltop overlooking town, the 17th century fortress offered spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, Romblon was a revelation. In over 30 years of diving, I had never seen so many new species in such a brief period of time. During my five-day visit, I easily saw ten different shrimp species. All but two of them I had never seen before, and most I had never even heard of.
Judging from The Three P website, I had barely scratched the surface. And that pretty much applies to everything. The number of species to be found at Romblon is overwhelming. And, believe it or not, there are also walls, reefs and corals with abundant fish life. Being so preoccupied with the critters, I never got to see them. It looks like The Three P has another repeat customer. ■
References:
Coleman n. 1001 nudibranchs: Catalogue of Indo/Pacific sea slugs. Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic; 2001.
Romblonisland.com
The-three-p.com
Wikipedia.org
