Where we work is why we work
THE VERDE ISLAND
PASSAGE IN THE
CORAL TRIANGLE.
The Verde Island Passage is a marine corridor in the Philippines that reaches across five provinces - Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon.
It also happens to be within the Coral Triangle, already identified as the marine area with the highest biodiversity of coral and reef fish in the world. Within it, the Verde Island Passage happens to have the highest density of biodiversity, that’s why it’s been called the center of the center of global marine biodiversity
WHERE WE DIVE
IS WHERE WE WORK.
Pure Oceans was founded by scuba divers who saw up-close the damage created by plastic waste on coral.
We have videos of fish eating plastic. We have brought back diapers & sanitary pads from almost every dive. We’ve seen far too many snack wrappers, plastic spoons and detergent sachets tucked into the coral where marine life should be.
Balayan Bay
That’s why our work started at Planet Dive, a Batangas resort owned and operated by scuba divers who went all in to support Pure Oceans’ mission right from the start. Planet Dive sits along Balayan Bay, part of the Verde Island Passage, and in fact, looks after one of the area’s famous dive spots and marine sanctuaries – Twin Rocks.
Communities along the Verde Island Passage
With our home base at Planet Dive in Mabini, Batangas, in the area popularly known among scuba divers as Anilao, we started with just one community – Sitio Balanoy, the community beside Planet Dive, from whom most of its employees call home.
From the work there, we have since crossed the channel to the island municipality of Tingloy, Batangas, as well as worked with other communities in Mabini & San Pascual, Batangas.
Reefs support communities under and above water
The Verde Island Passage reefs may be home to 76% of the world’s coral species and 60% of the world’s shorefish species, but it also supports the livelihood of over 1.6Million people (as of 2017) working in the fisheries sector. Not to mention the many below-the-poverty line, undocumented fishermen in non-motorized bangkas, as well as the coastal communities that rely on reefs as their main food source.
We work in the Verde Island Passage because of the impact even our smallest efforts can create. By addressing local challenges, yes, we are helping protect local underwater and above water communities. But we are also helping sustain global marine wealth.
