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31 August 2006

Teh - Deckhand

What do you like most about your work on the ship?
Meeting different nationalities and being an active part of showing environmental problems to the public. I have always loved to travel and meet people. I am an active water sports man so when the Oceans Defenders started I became a member and was lucky enough to be able to be a part of it through the Pacific. I am Fijian born and from growing up in the islands I know the relationship between people and the ocean. The oceans are our playgrounds and livelihoods.

And least?
We have just come through the Philippines where there was a major oil
spill by Petron Oil Company. Seeing this first hand and knowing the way
in which it will affect the people for generations that rely on the
ocean is a hard one to take. Other than the bigger issues working on the
boat is great fun but cleaning is not really my cup-o-tea.

What is your favourite place on the ship?
It would have to be where ever we are having beers watching the sunset
after a hard days work. Either the smokers corner or the helideck.

Why this place?
Well mainly just to socialise, relax and build friendships.

If you were not on the Esperanza at this moment where would you probably
be instead and what would you do?
I would be in Fiji right now working on my family's tropical fruit farm
during the day and painting at night; praying for surf and hanging out
with the lads.

Do you have a dream?
To own a small, environmentally friendly, resort where I can relax and
have the world come to me.

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30 August 2006

"Only official reserves can protect the sea"

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Imagine a little island, green hills, palm tress on the beach, some small huts, one school, two restaurants, outrigger boats carrying tourists for a dive into an underwater paradise... well, that's Apo Island marine reserve where we arrived today. It's not to be taken for granted that Apo Island looks like this today. It's the achievement of its people. In 1982 they declared their island a marine reserve. As it was not official until 1995 they undertook the survey by themselves for years. I had the opportunity to talk to a local fisherman who used destructive methods when he was young. Jerry Mendez (39) is now a Sea Ranger and protecting the ocean.

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29 August 2006

Become an ocean defender!

by Angel Aquino, famous Philippine Actress

I am an Ocean Defender to learn, to find out how I can do my part. I love the earth, I love the place that I live in. The main reason why I became an ocean defender are my kids. I have two daughters and I would like them to enjoy some day the things I am enjoying now. I want to learn scuba diving with them and see what is there to see. When there is nothing left there would be no reason to learn scuba diving.

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Into the blue

by Mike and Remon onboard the Esperanza

To hold a banner. That is what they told Remon and me yesterday during the meeting. We are both very enthusiastic about the underwater world and love to dive, but we had never yet held a banner in the liquid. Without really knowing what to expect we agreed, of course. At land it is not a big deal to hold a banner, so what would be so difficult underwater then? However, it turned out that it wasn’t so easy as we expected!

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Dauin, a community of ocean defenders

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Today was one of the most beautiful days af our entire trip in the Philippines. We arrived in Dauin, municipal in the south of the Philippines that runs nine community managed marine reserves. It was a glimpse of how life in harmony with nature can be. We anchored some 500 meters from the shore and already from the ship we could see a crowd of people waiting on the beach.

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28 August 2006

A heart lost in the heli hanger

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Being on a ship on the high seas can be hard. Stuck together with so many people, the same faces every day... But sometimes it can also be romantic: Here is the true story of deckhand Miguel from Mexico and second mate Nadia from Canada who met on the Esperanza last summer and are now again sailing together into the sunset...

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27 August 2006

Musical welcome in the whale shark paradise

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

After all the marine pollution problems we have witnessed in the past two weeks we are now bound for the solutions. Meeting the people of the Philippines that are trying to make a difference and protect their ocean for future generations. Our first station today was Donsol, an area of whale shark ecotourism that is threatened by the Lafayette mine.

Assistant engineer Rania tells more about the welcome ceremony and the amazing food in her blog (see below). What impressed me the most was a boy from the village, 12 years old, who sang for us a traditional song about his beautiful homeland. Listen to Gilbert Lopez from Donsol singing "Dakilang lahi"!

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Seafood festival!

by Rania onboard the Esperanza

Finally I will get to spend a sunday ashore away from the ship. I woke up at 8.30 AM, which is a very early hour to wake up at on a sunday morning! I went out on the poop deck to see that everyone was in a rush to go ashore. We were taken ashore to the town of Donsol on board traditional fishermen boats. The minute I set foot on the beach I just closed my eyes and wished they would forget me here in Donsol. I must have wished that out loud because after I opened my eyes, Heike was staring at me and laughing…

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An elegy for you, my friend whale shark

by Tess Avisado, environmental consultant from Donsol

You are here with us in Donsol since time immememorial...
You have played with my grandparents, my parents, my brothers and sisters and friends...
Your are big... But, you are harmless, sometimes... my grandfather got mad at you coz you accidentally got into his fish pens, yet he never hurt you.
Many times my father scolded you, coz, you are interrupting his trip to the sea and his propeller broke coz you are there in the pathways not his own but yours,
You have wounds and get hurt because of this, but you never cried and complained.

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26 August 2006

A majestic encounter

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

When I had just switched on my computer this morning, Danny rushed into the campaign office: "Shark alarm! Are you coming?" A whale shark had been spotted in Legazpi bay, just about two kilometers from us! Normally they don't come that far in, so we took the opportunity, quickly packed our snorkling gear and hopped into the car. The point were the shark was seen happened to be right beside the house of Legazpi's mayor Noel Rusel. We got into the boats and onto the sea. And then - we waited.

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Memory of Legazpi

by Sabine onboard the Esperanza

Sometimes, being in countries like the Phillippines, doing actions or demonstrations, I get this sudden feeling of standing beside myself, watching myself and trying to tell what is going on to my friends and family back home in Germany.

And I have this feeling, no matter how much I talk and how many pictures I show, it will be hard for them to understand - not only with their brains, but also with their hearts. It was like this yesterday, when the crew of the Esperanza took part in that march against the mining here in Rapu Rapu.

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24 August 2006

Operation Goldfinger

by Tom onboard the Esperanza

10.30 A.M.: On the bridge preparing the climbing gear for my comrade climber and myself, the usual kit and a banner. The plan is simple, go to the dock of Lafayette mine, climb the conveyor belt and hang the banner under it...

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23 August 2006

Flotilla power

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

There are 67 of them. Wooden outriggers in light blue, pink, green and yellow circle around the Esperanza, flags at their stern: "No to Lafayette! No to Marine Pollution!" Men and women are standing on the ships roofs, dancing, waving to us. We all watch from the poop deck, and no matter who you meet this morning of the Esperanza crew, everybody is smiling. We are leading a flotilla against the destructive Lafayette gold- and silvermine on the island of Rapu Rapu. And we all feel we are on the right side.

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22 August 2006

Wärtsilädy

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Now as it is getting a bit quieter after the work on the oil slick it is time for another part of our little series "mysteries of the engine room". This time something very exceptional is going on down there. The engineers have been talking about it for weeks. You heard comments like "tomorrow we will start it" or "we are getting there". As the first part of the opus was done, the whole crew - seldom privilege - was invited into the engine room. The codeword to get in was: "Wärtsilä"...

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Mary Ann - Volunteer Deckhand

Hello! I am Mary Ann from the Philippines. I work as a volunteer deckhand, that means doing anything from rust busting, managing the garbage ( chief garbologist to you hehehehehee), cleaning the mess room, making sure and helping in the general management of the whole ship. Everyone is an integral part of the ship and otherwise the ship wouldn't be smooth sailing. So everyone onboard is very important and we make sure everyone does their work.

It has always been my dream to sail in any of the Greenpeace ships and this is my second trip (the first was the Rainbow Warrior last year). This has been a dream that was 10 years in the making and I know I have found my calling: to be sailing the ships all over the world doing
environmental work! Nowhere will I ever find such a combination. This has given me the fulfillment and happiness that I have always been looking for workwise. Not to mention meeting great people and being able to travel all over the place!

I am learning a lot of new things and gaining new skills as well. I am thankful to interact with such a great crew and my knowledge of things Greenpeace and about the environment we are trying to save is growing in leaps and bounds.

Working to save the environment is not always easy, nobody said it was. But at the end of the day, I thank God that we are given the opportunity and resources to do just that. And the Esperanza going to the Philippines with the Defending Our Oceans campaign means a lot and I do hope would help impact the importance of having marine reserves and managing marine pollution.

To my family and dogs, I miss you very much. To my good friend in Jever, don't be bored, nothing like a good bottle of Jeverpils can fix! I will see you soon!

Mga kapatid sa pananampalataya, Ipagpatuloy ang laban para sa kalikasan!

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21 August 2006

A cleaner, greener and safer world!

by Janet, scientist onboard the Esperanza

After delivering our cargo of relief goods last night, we arrived this morning at Taklong Island, the marine protected area affected by the oil slick to conduct a visual assessment of the oil slick. We drove one of the small inflatable boats along the coastline, noting the presence of oil.

The island is a beautiful place, hills of bamboo forests reaching down limestone escarpments. Everything you imagine of a tropical paradise. But a grim black line along the shoreline told us of the oil slick’s menacing presence that extended along several kilometres of coast.

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The spoils of oil

by Matthew onboard the Esperanza

It took two hours to clean the oil from the inflatables this afternoon. Lots of soap and muscle. But we got them clean - I have my doubts about the estuaries and beaches at La Paz in the Philippines. We have been out for two days now , documenting the spill, ferrying journalists and helping test locally made oil booms.

Today the oil was so much thicker than yesterday. The brown slick it was everywhere. On the beach, on the outriggers, on the locals feet and hands, in their back yards.

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Diving the slick

by Danny, campaigner and diver onboard the Esperanza

We left the port of IloIlo just before sunrise this morning and, even though there was no need for me to wake up early I got out of bed and went outside. A feeling of dread seems to surround us and, as people would say, it felt like the calm before the storm.

Around 2 hours after leaving port and as I was getting my camera and dive gear ready, Al told us that there were signs of oil on the port side of the Esperanza. I went out and saw the surface of the sea tainted by a multi-coloured slick producing all sorts of patterns.

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"I only wish that the oil goes away quickly"

by Francisco, schoolboy from Guimaras

I am 12 years old and I live in Citio Lusaran on the island of Guimaras. I am in Grade 6 now, my favourite subjects are mathematics and sports. In my spare time I go swimming and fishing. I learned to fish when I was seven years old. On friday 12 august I was on my way back from school along the beach when I found it all black. I didn't know what it was and thought it was just some mud the sea had brought in and that would go away quickly. But than I heard in the radio it was oil.

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"We are very angry with the oil company"

by Connie Gamuya, counsellor of La Paz, island of Guimaras

I am only counsellor since two months and now my community is facing the biggest catastrophe ever. As a counsellor it is my work to help the people to find solutions to their problems. That's how we always do it: We get together and talk, and then we draw a decision all together. But how are we going to face this?

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"I started crying when I saw the mangrove tree"

by Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, Mangrove-Specialist from the University of the Philippines

When I heard about the sunken tanker on the radio I instantly feared for the marine reserve in Guimaras we are taking care of. I rang up my collegues to put a team together. I was espacially worried about one mangrove tree from the species rhizophoro lamanckii. It is a very rare species, there is only this single tree on the whole island! I have been taking care of it for years, it is really my baby. When I arrived here my worst fears turned reality: My mangrove tree was covered with oil. I started crying when I saw it.

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20 August 2006

"I have no other place to go"

by Rodolfo Galuna, fisherman from Guimaras

My name is Rodolfo Galuna and I am 52 years old. I am a fisherman and live in the village of Citio Alman Sur in the south of Guimaras that was affected badly by the oil. I came here 12 years ago and built this house right on the shore. My wife Susana and I have six children, they all go to school, the eldest is in second grade high school. I have three boats. I built them myself, I need 15 days to make an outrigger boat.

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19 August 2006

A struggle for survival

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

"The arrival of the Esperanza means the same to us as the name of the ship: hope. You give us hope that we are able to overcome this disaster." It was this sentence we heard the most upon our arrival this afternoon in Iloilo, the nearest port to the island of Guimaras. I think all of us onboard had sensed that already. As we were approaching Iloilo we were all up on the front deck (except those busy of course). It was a bit like the silence before the storm: Everybody just watching the beautiful coastline, worried of how much damage we will witness in the next days.

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Preparing myself to see something worse

by Danny, campaigner and diver onboard the Esperanza

We left port a few minutes ago heading towards Guimaras, the site of what is now considered the worst oil spill in Philippine history. It is my first time to be on the Esperanza and I have joined the Rainbow Warrior and the Arctic Sunrise several times.

A while ago I sat on the port side of the ship watching floating plastics and other garbage on the waters of Manila Bay, I could not help but feel anxious about what awaits us in the waters of Guimaras. It is depressing enough to see synthetic flotsam on the water’s surface as well as taking pictures of corals and other marine life smothered by plastics and other garbage. However, I do not think I am quite prepared to witness an oil spill first hand after seeing several documentaries of other oil spills and pictures of this recent and ongoing disaster.

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18 August 2006

Bearing witness of a catastrophe

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

We are bound for the oilspill. At 8 o'clock we all had a briefing in the mess where we got the information that we are leaving at 3 pm for the island of Guimaras, 500 kilometers south of Manila. A sunken vessel is there spilling bunker fuel into the sea, threatening beaches, corals reefs, mangrove woods, even a marine reserve. We will transport material and experts and document the damage ashore and underwater. Everybody onboard is really enthusiastic we are going there to help the people!

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"The most important equipment is the Esperanza herself"

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Al Baker (42) is our logistics coordinator onboard and has some experience with oil spills. I have asked him how the Esperanza can support the help in Guimaras.

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17 August 2006

"As artists we get our inspiration from nature"

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

I promised to reveal today what is going to happen with the garbage we collected in Manila bay: Five Manilan artists are going to create ART out of it! Of course it will take some time. But one of them, painter and installator Ed Manaloh can already give us a glimpse of what he is planning with the garbage from Manila bay - and how art can help to protect the environment!

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Rania - Assistant Engineer

My name is Rania and I am originally from Lebanon, travelling with a turkish passport since I have lived and worked in Turkey for a couple of years. I work in the Engine Room Department.

I am an assistant engineer on board, which consists mainly on helping
the engineers with their work. It is a good opportunity for me to learn
more about the subject, since I am studying it during winter.

The best of being on a greenpeace ship is the interaction between the
different nationalities on board. I meet people who have different
interests and different backgrounds, and the nice thing about it is that
I am not the only female on board (which was my case on a commercial ship).

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16 August 2006

Manila harbour slideshow

These pictures cannot leave anybody indifferent. A bay where you can hardly see the water because there is so much rubbish floating on it. Mangroves, strangled under torn plastic bags, some still struggling to survive. And in between a handfull of dedicated activists trying to make a difference... Greenpeace photographer Gavin Newman has captured how marine pollution has already destroyed what was once alive and beautiful. His slides are an appeal to stop this - and to start caring for our sea, because we need it.

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Matthew - Deckhand

What do you spend your day with on the Esperanza?
I wake up in the morning and sit on the stern and watch the ocean for a while then prepare myself for scrubbing the decks, painting and general maintenance. If the sea gets rough or a storm hits the Esperanza it gets exciting with lots of running around securing things. I quite enjoy this in the tropics as it comes with a nice shower and a reality check that Mumma Nature is boss with Father Ocean to back her up.

What's the best of being on a Greenpeace ship?
Working with lots of people committed to a cause. The crew come from so
many different backgrounds with such a wide range of experiences. It all
comes together on a Greenpeace ship. It can be an unstoppable mix.

And the worst?
The worst is when the ship is rolling heavily as I can't sleep and start
getting grumpy.

What was your best experience with Greenpeace so far?
Working with the Catfish clan of the Kuni Tribe in Western Province of
Papua New Guinea. I was providing logistical and medical support to the
eco-forestry project happening in Lake Murray, PNG.
Mbumumba Tantaf

If you had three free wishes, what would those be?
I think I would go with the standard wishes about ending conflict,
shifting the balance of political and economic power away from the short
sighted people who hold the power.

But at the moment I would probably throw in one about having a cafe
breakfast on a beach or in the mountains somewhere.

Greetings to anybody?
All my family and friends, Sep, Murray, Jasper, Haroa and the FPCD
boys.

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Of insalubrious mussels and zombie mangroves

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

Sitting on a pier in a small yacht harbour is lovely, isn't it? Well, not in the yacht harbour of Manila, unfortunately. Because instead of a fresh sea breeze there is a strange smell, a mixture of chemicals, garbage and rotten fruits. When we met this morning at the harbour with the local Greenpeace activists the problem was obvious before we could even see it: rubbish, rubbish and more rubbish, simply thrown into the water. To make clear this cannot just go on we wanted to do two hours of cleaning up - and bring the problem back to the shore.

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15 August 2006

Esperanza mabuhay!

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

How does a poop deck sound? Well, the one of the Esperanza is perfectly tuned for Philippinan gamelans: When the members of the band "Kontra Gapi" set their traditional instruments onto the steel floor of the poop deck this morning the whole Esperanza - just having been docked at 8 am - swung in an irresistible rythm. And that was what the bunch of young Manilan musicians came to: give us a nice welcome - and encourage everybody to get going, move their bodies and protect the biodiversity of the Philippines!

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14 August 2006

Slideshow - Underwater Beauty

A serious-looking Hawksbill turtle staring at the observer, two friendly shining-orange clown fish swimming by, local fishermen bringing out their traditional "sudsud" nets in the evening dusk - the sea of the Philippines is a paradise you just want to dive in and never return to the surface. To show what we lose when we allow marine pollution to continue Greenpeace photographers have documented it in their slideshow "Underwater Beauty". The pictures urge us to try and protect this biodiversity for future generations. Have a look, dream - and act!

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Crew poll: How did you happen to become a Greenpeacer?

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

What brings reasonable people onto a 72 meter-long steel-vessel in the middle of the South China Sea, rolling from one side to the other every ten seconds, putting up with long hours, limited space, cleaning duties? All this often for less money than they could earn in other places, some for none at all - and still being proud of it, even sometimes having FUN? Well, there are as many stories as men and women on the Esperanza! I managed to get a few of them to answer one of the most important questions of their lives: How did you happen to become a Greenpeacer?

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Pep - Chief Mate

My name is Pep Barbal, I'm from Spain. I'm a sailor, I like my job, the sea, the sailor life. Half of the year I'm at sea, the other half on land on vacations, less if I'm run out of money. I started to work in GP in 2002, I was Captain on a 20 m sailing ship called Zorba, that was managed by GP Spain. We where doing an Educational Project in Balearic Islands, Spain. Since Zorba I come to sail on Greenpeace International ships, I have done 5 trips as Chief Mate on the three ships. That has been a good time too.

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13 August 2006

Miguel - Deckhand

What I like most of sailing is that I don't have to comb my hair and dress nicely. But I also miss to be with family and friends and playing soccer with them, cause we have a team that has improved very much last years.

Greenpeace has become a big part of my life, helping at Mexico office and now at the ships has allowed me to travel and to know incredible places and persons, but is not always that we see nice places, as Greenpeace bear witness principle you also have to be at the places where the pollution is or where troubles are, and that is not pleasant, but you know that a whole team of persons is behind you and that issue is also treated in different places.

The best rewards of this work is when you see the persons smiling at you for the work you are doing and obtaining big results from it fills you and keeps the movement on. It doesn't matter how you want to act, but you have to do something for obtaining it. I am a normal person with normal goals, but the difference is that I am doing something to achieve them.

Saludos a la familia y a los amigos de todos lados, ¡¡¡Fuerza Etanol!!!

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Timo - 3rd Mate

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

"Sea-Fever", by John Masefield

This is a part of one of my favorite poems - and maybe a short
explanation, why I am on board the Esperanza, as well. I love the sea:
Everything is so original at sea - hundreds of years ago the sea looked
the same, her beauty was the same. Still today, most of the secrets of
life in the oceans no man has ever seen.

But this beauty is endangered: man is polluting the sea and plundering
their rich ressources. Secrets, whose variety nobody knows, are sold for
a short term profit.

I believe that this is a big crime and I'm here on board the Esperanza
to give my part to withness how man is treating the sea and to be active
to defend our oceans! We just got them once!

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Tom - Radio Operator

What's the best of being on a Greenpeace ship?
Being part of the solution!!!

And the worst?
The worst part were my hat-donations to the ocean... so this time I have
a hat which should be mine for a couple of years... (knock on wood)

What was your best experience with Greenpeace so far?
That we managed to highlight the problem of amazon-soy and that we
succeeded in getting the companies involved (Cargill, McMurder,...) to
review their company policies from keeping there eyes closed to doing
something.

If you had three free wishes, what would those be?
1 will do: the rich less rich and the poor less poor.

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12 August 2006

"The environmental problems of the Philippines are as big as its beauty"

by Mary Ann and Heike onboard the Esperanza

No matter where and when you meet her - our deckhand Mary Ann always has a nice word for you. "Sailing with Greenpeace is a dream that has become true", she says. The 28-year-old from Manila is an activist from the very beginning in the Philippines.

It was actually through Greenpeace that she rediscovered the beauty of her home country for herself. I have asked her why she thinks for the Philippinos caring about the oceans is in their best interest.

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11 August 2006

Colin - Radio Operator

I first sailed with Greenpeace in 1999 from Manila, my returning now is like I have made it round the world after 7 years. Over the years I have visited many countries and witnessed some pretty terrible abuse of our environment. I often wonder what would the planet be like without 30+ years of Greenpeace.

My job on the ship is the Radio operator, it includes all the communications and
navigation equipment. I am the captain's helper for port entry and
departure and friend to all onboard I hope?

Why Greenpeace?
Greenpeace came to me really and I was glad for the opportunity and have
stayed with it. Greenpeace has changed a lot in the past 8 years.
Campaigns are more political these days and the terrorist bit has made
our job harder. Who are the terrorists I ask??

What are you doing when you are not on a Greenpeace-ship?
Living the quiet life in Tasmania with my family.

Is there anything special you hope for during this trip or that you
have planned for yourself, maybe to see a whale shark, to learn how to weld,
to learn dutch...
I hope that we all get home in one piece safe and sound. The seas can
be very unpredictable and can change your life in a heartbeat. Every day
is special not to be wasted.

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Birthday in the galley

by Kate and Heike onboard the Esperanza

Today is a special day for our crew member Kate: It's her birthday! She doesn't want to tell me which one it is, but I reckon the public is entitled to the truth: She is turning 29, of course. Kate spent the day as every other onboard - between her work in the campaign office on the bridge deck and in the galley on the main deck.

Kate reveals to us why she doesn' mind at all celebrating her birthday on a rocking Greenpeace-ship, 215 nautical miles from the next pub...

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Kate - Project Manager

Have you been on a Greenpeace ship before? I'm a towny and an office-bod - I have spent more time hanging around ships getting them ready to go to exciting places, rather than sailing, but yes, I was on the Esperanza in Iceland two years ago - stunning scenery and blue whales! Everyone should get on a ship now and again!

Why do you like it?
How many people get to see the things we see and go to the places we go - its a privilege.

What is your job on the Esperanza?
I swapped one office for another really - technology on the ship allows us to keep on emailing 24/7 - happily, when the project teams you work with are as far flung as Fiji and San Francisco - completely different ends of the time zone spectrum. I've also got myself a gig in the galley in the mornings - chopping onions and making salads for the cook - it's hot, but the lilt of the ship is less down in the kitchen - a welcome break from the swinging chairs in the campaign room!

What are you doing when you are not on a Greenpeace ship?
I've been working on the Defending Our Oceans project for over a year now - so more of the same in a less scenic environment! And the cooking is for fewer people!

Did you bring anything special for spare time ?
Spare time?? Sunscreen - but it's too hot - even for me!

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10 August 2006

Heike - Web Editor

This is my first time on a Greenpeace ship and I am pretty excited about it! Having spent my teenager-years at the scouts I like working and travelling in groups. You can reach much more than if everybody would just struggle for himself. And at the same time you have a lot more fun.

I joined Greenpeace as press officer in Germany but stopped two years ago because I wanted to be a journalist again. However a part of my heart always stayed... I now still do the German children's website and will also look for some stories for the kids here. I think the Esperanza is full of secrets to discover! What impresses me the most so far is... the food, to be honest. It's incredible what magic our cook Charles performs every day! I think it's great when people put so much passion in their profession.

I am also very much looking forward to meet the local people on the Philippine islands who also try to protect the ocean, because they depend on it. After all it's a question of who this world and its natural treasures are for: For a small few - or for everybody.

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9 August 2006

Destination: Marine Garden of Eden

by Heike onboard the Esperanza

On the road again! Punctually at 9 o'clock the lines of the Esperanza were loosened from the pier in Singapore. Captain Pete put the engine to full speed and took bearing northeast. 1364 nautical miles - 2526 kilometres across the south-chinese sea lie in front of us. We are heading for an area with some of the richest marine biodoversity in the world, an underwater Garden of Eden: the Philippines. But this paradise is threatened - by those who prefer counting coins instead of clownfishes.

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8 August 2006

Do you know anything about bunkerology?

by Heike onboard the Esperanza