#81 A Spelunker's Secret

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

On the island of Batan, a part of the municipality of Rapu rapu in the province of Albay, is an underground cave with a secret. We arrived at the Pototan caves by boat and climbed up a flight of steps carved onto the side of the cliff. The cave entrance itself didn't impress but it was what we found within its belly that got us wondering about its past.

It was pitch black when I took a time exposure of the cavern's interior. Those reddish marks on the cave roof, they're actually ancient coral skeleton. This means this cave was once filled with seawater that supported living corals. But when? Beats me. But it must have been at a time when sea levels were much higher than it is today, or when the island itself was once somewhere under the sea. Maybe you can help this postcard find us a resident marine archeologist or an unemployed coral taxonomist. But for now I'll assume we've stumbled upon a secret from another time. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: I mounted my camera on a tripod, set it to long exposure, and "light-painted" the entire cave ceiling. Light-painting with a puny lamp is often an exercise in futility, but beggars can't be choosy.)

Where in the world is Batan Island, Rapu-rapu, Albay?

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