Mysteries of the Mangroves

Rays of the sun cascaded through rustling leaves, making the water’s surface glow. The paddle boat moved forward steadily and formed small ripples that swept through the dark, twisted roots of the bakauan or mangroves.

Wearing triangular hats made of dried coconut leaves and orange life vests, six of us took a boat to visit the four-hectare mangrove forest in the Puerto Princesa National Subterranean Park. Mangroves are breeding grounds for fish with the submerged roots hosting organisms that become food for fish, crabs and oysters.

Four species of century-old mangroves thrive in this swamp. The male mangroves (Rhizophora apiculata) are used to make charcoal and house posts; the female mangroves (Rhizophora mucronata), firewood and anchors for small boats; the tabigi (Xylocarpus granatum) barks to treat cholera; and the busain (Bruguiera gumnorrhiza) whose sap is used to color clothes.

During the rice harvest in December, more than 20 species of birds gather in the area. Birdwatchers flock to the paddle tour in the morning and in late afternoons to catch sight of kingfishers, cockatoos, kabala, parrots, herons and other birds.

When the boat neared the limestone formations of the Underground River, tour guide Nanay Aida stopped for a moment, allowing us to feel the serenity of the place. As we neared the clearing, she pounded a familiar beat on the plank in tune with a famous Filipino nursery rhyme and sang, a lyrical invitation that echoed in the wind.

--This aticle was first published in the May 2008 issue of Mabuhay Magazine's Palawan feature. Photo taken with a Fuji Finepix digital camera. Rights of these photos belong exclusively to Leilani Chavez.