m/y philippine siren damages reef in apo island

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Yeah, I read something pretty similar, but then I stumbled upon this thread, which seems to cast a bit of doubt on the accuracy of the reporting.

Start reading from about post 17...
 
I could not open the link in the OP so here is an article taken from the Visayan Daily Star:

Source: Welcome to the VISAYAN DAILY STAR Website

Luxury boat destroys Apo Island coral reef
Report will be investigated, Dauin mayor

BY JUDY F. PARTLOW & MARICAR ARANAS

Mayor Neil Credo and Vice Mayor Rodrigo Alanano of Dauin, Negros Oriental, yesterday vowed to investigate and possibly seek remuneration for the damage to about 76 meters of coral reefs in the internationally renowned dive destination, Apo Island. The officials said they were incensed to know about the incident that took place June 26, but Apo Island chief sea warden, Mario Pascobello, informed them about it only yesterday.

Pascobello said he has reported to the island’s Protected Area Superintendent Viernov Grefalde. This is the second time in just nine days after another vessel, the M/V Lorcon Davao, encroached on the waters of the Mandarin Marine Protected Area in Maayong Tubig, Dauin, on June 17 and destroyed about 100 square meters of coral formations.
Pascobello said that on June 26, the S/Y Philippine Siren, a 40-meter luxury live-aboard dive boat plowed through a portion of the coral reefs where the chapel is located on Apo Island.

Based on his investigation, he said, the yacht had moved that day from its authorized regular mooring area to the Rock West Point of the island for unknown reasons.

The S/Y Philippine Siren frequents Apo Island and has the proper permits from the local government unit and clearance from Protected Area Management Board to operate dive tours at the island.

On that day, Pascobello said high winds hit the island at around 3 p.m. but the ship captain reportedly did not transfer the yacht which had dropped anchor at Rock West. The S/Y Philippine Siren sailed from the island at around 4:30 p.m. on the same day. Alanano said the yacht was also previously fined for violating the law in Dauin. He said the S/Y Siren had paid P19,000 in fines for conducting night diving at a marine protected area.

Meanwhile, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer Oscar Magallones said that during a technical meeting Monday, Marco Santos, representing the Worldwide Dive and Sail Philippines, the operators of the S/Y Philippine Siren, accepted responsibility for the damage, which they said was unintentional.

Alanano said no representative from the Dauin LGU was present in that meeting. Magallones said the company is willing to shoulder expenses for a damage assessment survey on July 13 to 16 by a composite team of environment specialists, marine biologists, and representatives from the PAMB, the DENR, and the Environment Management Board.
He has proposed about P80,000 as initial funding for the survey. He also admitted that he did not know if PASU Grefalde or the PAMB had informed then Mayor Alanano about the incident. The Dauin police station also did not have a blotter entry on it.

Meanwhile, Pascobello expressed concern over the return of the S/Y Philippine Siren to Apo Island, as it was spotted there yesterday, while investigation is still underway.*JFP/ MA
 
I could not open the link in the OP so here is an article taken from the Visayan Daily Star:

Didn't you read the second post in this thread?
There already is a dedicated thread about this incident on SB with the real story in it.
:mooner:
 
Obviously the title of the article exaggerates by using the word 'destroys'. I think 'damages' is a more suitable word here. Any word on the outcome of the damage assessment survey? That should tell us whether the damage was substantial or not. I hope not. I dove Apo Island with Annasea early last year and it was my first time to see very lush hard coral gardens. Very well preserved and protected. Early this year, I dove Tubbataha there were a few dive sites with fields of dead coral. I can only imagine what those fields looked like a hundred years ago. They were probably as lush as the reefs around Apo Island.
 
Didn't you read the second post in this thread?
There already is a dedicated thread about this incident on SB with the real story in it.
:mooner:

Hey, Bowmouth that was not a dedicated thread. If you read that entire thread, it was actually hi-jacked from about Thread# 15 onwards. :dork2: And, I advice you to stop mooning people. Your hemmorrhoids are starting to show :rofl3:
 
Early this year, I dove Tubbataha there were a few dive sites with fields of dead coral. I can only imagine what those fields looked like a hundred years ago. They were probably as lush as the reefs around Apo Island.

Most of the broken hard corals and rubble patches in the shallow areas in Tubbataha are from storm damage and not caused by boats and / or divers.
It's a natural process that happens at any weather exposed shallow area on the reef and has been so since the very beginning of time.
Tubbataha reefs are extremely exposed to the elements of weather, wind and waves and it's absolutely normal to find sandy and rubble patches and broken hard corals in depths up to 10 meters or so.
 
Hey, Bowmouth that was not a dedicated thread. If you read that entire thread, it was actually hi-jacked from about Thread# 15 onwards. :dork2: And, I advice you to stop mooning people. Your hemmorrhoids are starting to show :rofl3:

OK, you have a point about the :hijackedthread:

Still, it would have been so much better if you had read the second post of this thread carefully, clicked on the link and read the other posts about Apo rather than posting old rubbish news on this thread.

You DESERVE to be mooned.
:mooner::mooner::mooner:
 
Just read the other thread - what are the chances of all the eye witness divers and the owner all making their first ever posts on scuba board so close to each other?!

I believed the first post, was a little sceptical by the second, the third onwards changed my mind..... I'm waiting for the next post, from "A. Diver", to say how wonderful the Siren was and how the prices should be higher.... :rofl3:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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