Fishy business

The photo above looks a lot like my mental image of the Philippines. So far the reality has been far removed both weather-, flora- and topography-wise from the above, but finally here she blows! So anyone want to hear more ooooh aaaah oh-lalalaaaahs about beaches and sun and heat? Anyone? No, I guessed not. So I shall cut to the chase and turn to the equally interesting subject of fish.

Now as we all know, tropical fish are absurdly colourful. This has been, no doubt, due to the fact they swim around in absurdly colourful coral. I should say swam around, because not any more they don't! It is worrying to think that one day their Darwinistic genes will cotton on to the fact that most coral in the world now is dead and bone white and covered in a greenish gunge - and the result will be a wide selection of white and gunge green fish.
However, at the moment the fish are still absurdly colourful. They also proudly flaunt weird design flaws, such as fins too far back in their body causing the fish to flop from side to side as it swims. One strange creature I saw today seemed to be still in the transition phase from fish to lobster, as the body was all lobster, but instead of claws the bulky fellow had dainty fins on both sides of its mutant head. Well, who am I to judge.
A personal favorite today was one guy, a rather nondescript mauve-pale yellow- black & white striped specimen, who daintily fed on the succulent green gunge covering the coral. Every time he took a mouthfull, you could hear a distinct and rather endearing sucking noise through the water.
I also took note of the hygiene of fish. The bigger guys could at times be seen in a strange position. They would be motionless, heads pointed straight at the surface and mouth open. I thought the first such specimen I saw was dying, until I noticed a streamlined little blue, yellow and black fellow cleaning his gills. A type of fish dentist, whose services I later saw many fish employing. The patient would float in that uncomfortable position stressing to the point of hyperventilation - mouth unnaturally open (open wider please) and gills flapping for easy access. No doubt the dentist fish would then inspect the patient uttering such cryptic remarks as one usually hears in the dentists chair (oh dear ma'am, it looks like there's a 25 developing in your R4) causing the patient to hyperventilate yet more.
Having thoroughly entertained myself with the lives of colourful tropical fish, I went off to my beach hut and ate one of them (grilled, delicious, staring at me rather reproachfully). There, gals and guys, endeth my lesson on Darwinism and dentistry for today.
Tomorrow I head on deeper into Palawan from Puerto Princesa, the main city, towards underground rivers and such. Though not travelling in such style as today (see below), but in a good old jeepney. If it makes anyone feel better: I burnt my buttocks and don't look forward to the jeepney ride (potholes and hard benches). Still somehow, I can't manage to feel sorry for myself.