8pm we sail out from Malhiao, new moon but we can see in the dark, sea like mirror. Strait between Badian island (Zaracosa) and mainland belong to Malhiao fishermen. They have own divided sites to fish, marked with bayong. Mangrove in the beach but where they fish bolinaw, is 26 m deep. Now is the season for bolinaw or small anjovis, all pinoy favorite for kinilaw, ginamos.
They have 6 boats with a crew of 6-10 men. Net costs 160 000 peso, a big investment. Owner of the net takes half of the catch. They lay out the net, and wait. Owner is inside with a small light checking when bolinaw coming. He decides when to pull in the net. They can take hundreds of kilo with one drag. This night they said water too clear! We checked 3 boats, and the catch was not many kilos.
Whale sharks every season follow bolinaw into Malhiao bay. This year they are 4, and big ones. Last year only one tuki as locals call whale shark. Funny but they afraid of tuki. Sometimes they cannot drag in the net ´cause tuki inside and eating bolinaw. This night 2 fishermen had seen tuki. One old man, alone in his banca most far away, said tuki passed his banca 2 times. It was big as Librando (buss), he said. He said if comes the 3rd time, he goes home. We didnt see any. Went home round midnight. Could not film, too dark. Cannot use lights ´cause scares the bolinaw away.
Nobody see the tuki day time. Where they go?
Word of the day: magiisda = fisherman
