Coral lives, O.K.!

Considering I have recently been spending more time in the sea than out of it, my blog will, unfortunately, have one more entry on the joys and dangers of snorkeling.
I'm happy to let you know that joy, oh joy, coral lives, O.K.! If nowhere else in the world then at least outside of the town of Coron on Busuanga island in North Palawan. The poetically named Coral Garden we visited today lived up to its name. It's been since I swam among pristine coral beds: violently green and mustardy orange nudging up to lavender leaning into pink snuggling up to electric blue coral... It's a sight for sore eyes alright!
And since my last scientific update on fish of the world, I have a few new favorites: an elegant white fish with numerous fan like fins and covered all over in black spots (when this guy finally crawled to ground it became a Dalmatian) and the little guy in the photo above: the aptly named Pajama Cardinal Fish. Now doesn't he look just like he's been caught unawares and was still dressed in his pajama bottoms?
A more sinister encounter with fish was at the twin lagoons today, when a very determined and rather large fish decided the T-shirt I was snorkeling in was the latest in a fashionable and tasty line of edible clothing. It is truly a strange and disturbing experience to get your tummy rubbed and nibbled repeatedly by an amorous fish. A few times the bold fellow even swam into my T-shirt (in Finnish: uida liiveihin). In a tactical bid to rid myself of my beau who had been following me for a considerable time I swam next to some other tourists and was pleased to note from their squeals of surprise and alarm that their swimming shorts seemed equally irresistible.

From what little time I have been awake (re: captain Alan's knock out tablets from my last entry) and on dry land lately, Coron seems rather touristy and unappealing compared to El Nido. But yes, the coral is way better, the islands around very pretty and I'm staying in a lovely place, which is more a family home than a guest house.
Oh, did you know that Apocalypse, Now! was filmed totally in the Philippines? Well, apparently it was and looking around at the landscape here, it isn't hard to believe. Especially during dusk when the locals light smoking fires to ward off the mosquitoes (the only insect repellent a poor man can afford), the scenery looks very Apocalyptical - you half expect Marlon Brando to come waddling up the high street. Well, in the hopes of that happening, I shall waddle off the high street myself in my eternal quest for food. No fish today, I think.