Sipalay Island Hopping Adventure: Taking My Family Closer to Nature on My Birthday

I just turned 27 on the 27th and it sure was a great celebration!

I know that many of us like to celebrate our birthdays by travelling and visiting new places with our friends and partners and we have slowly lost touch with the tradition of celebrating it at home with our families. I, too, am guilty of that. I spent my last three birthdays in Tacloban, Bogo, and Malapascua Island respectively. This year, about a month before my birthday, my little sister, aged eight, asked, "when do we make time for family?"

_{Cruising through the islets of Sipalay City}

That question struck me straight into the bone and made me realize how little the time I spend with family is. I decided I will spend my birthday at home, in a quiet little town called Sipalay in Negros. I asked my mom to hire a boat so I can take all of them snorkeling and island hopping around the lovely islets of Sipalay.

_{Meet my family (L to R): Ray (my partner for five years now), me, Niall (younger brother aged 12), Mac Carlo (older brother aged 28), Mum, Pop, Nikola (younger sister aged 22), Erna (sister-in-law), Inigo (nephew aged 7), Olive (younger sister aged 8)}

Everyone in my family is at a certain level an environmental advocate. My younger sister, Nikola, and I are both mountaineers and licensed SCUBA divers. My mother on the other hand is on the less adventurous side of the advocacy, and spends her time figuring out the different creative and functional ways to reuse garbage. She would make pillows from reused plastic and tin foils, and figurines from used papers. She did that practically all our lives! My father has been in support to all of that: from making playground amenities from used tires to building ponds and fences out of plastic bottles. Our two little siblings, Olive aged 8 and Niall aged 12, spearhead a youth advocacy group called Brigada Bata where they invite other kids their age to clean up the beach and streets while learning about what these rubbish can result to when not properly disposed.

_{Meet my extended family (L to R): Olive, Tita Fely (aunt), Key-ann (niece), Mac Denz (nephew), Minerva (cousin)}

Everyone in my family loves to teach other people about caring for the environment but aside from Nikola and me, they have actually not climbed a mountain or dived a reef to see what nature has to offer and have not had first hand experience with what they are trying to protect. So my birthday treat for them was simple, I took them on a pumpboat to visit the lovely islets of Sipalay and to snorkel over the diverse reefs that very few people know about.

_{Green islets forming little hills.}

We set out that sunny Sunday, 27th of May by the shores of Sipalay City's Public Bay. The waves were a little bit choppy but bearable and we passed by the little islands that looked like the chocolate hills floating on water.

About half an hour later, we reached the marine protected area in Maricalum Bay (also known as Campomanes Bay) and there we stayed for about an hour. I encouraged everyone to get off the boat and get on the water wearing their flotation devices. We had a couple of diving masks and goggles so every one took their turn to see what was underneath us.

_{Nikola, Olive, and Inigo getting ready to dive into the water.}

I was barely able to dive and check the reef out but there were no regrets. I let everyone else use my mask and snorkel and every time they took a glimpse of the reef, they had nothing but awe about this magical sight. I couldn't quite put in words how happy my mother, father, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and my siblings were after they first saw the clear sight of the underwater world through the masks or goggles.

_{Mum, looking very amazed by the sight underwater.}

I have taken my younger sibling, Olive, snorkeling a few times before and this child has a good memory! She keeps telling me about the blue chromis fish, the butterfly fish, and the brain coral that she has either seen before in the reef or in books and that she has now seen them again.

_{It was another sunny day for the butterfly and surgeon fishes at Maricalum Bay Marine Protected Area}

After the encounter with our fishy friends, we headed to Bugana Beach on the coast of the bay where we dropped off for a few minutes. The shore was a bit crowded with people so after a short swim, we headed to another island.

_{Key-ann and Olive holding on to the outrigger after tirelessly snorkeling around.}

This island is called Lapos which means through-and-through. This was called so because of a cave formation that cut through the center part of the island. The open cave is still inhabited by insect bats and the island remains to be one of the common island hopping destinations. After a short swim and snapping a few photos, we headed back to the public beach where we took off earlier. I fell asleep on the boat and under the midday sun so I am still enjoying (suffering) my sun-burnt skin.

_{This is our most complete photo of the trip taken at Lapos Island.}

We arrived at the public beach where my other cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews were already enjoying lunch and fatty lechon.

_{My brother and his own little family.}

I am a self-declared adventurer, traveler, and outdoorsman, and in the past few years, I have chosen to celebrate my birthdays by traveling or taking on new adventures. I listed down all the things I did in my past birthday and I realized I haven't really spent it with family.

2017 - diving with thresher sharks in Malapascua Island
2016 - dragon boat race competition in Bogo, Cebu
2015 - Solar Scholars training for Yolanda survivors in Tacloban
2014 - Island hopping and caving in Sipalay (but with friends, not family)
2013 - Overnight trip at Mountain View Resort
2012 - Mt. Kanlaon traverse climb
2011 - celebration at home and with friends
2010 - somewhere in Pansol, Laguna
2009 - celebration at home and with friends (debut!)

_{A screen capture of Mum's facebook post after our trip.}

Seeing the bright smiles of the already hungry snorkeling team, I know that we don't always have to be successful or rich to win in life. Sharing our joy and passion with my family was a very fulfilling task. Another great proof that happiness is truly genuine when shared. Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when divided and on my 27th birthday, I have divided and multiplied that happiness with my family.

_{Here's Olive's happy jumpshot by the bay on a golden sunset.}

_{All photos are owned by the author.}

Sunny regards,
Xayd