MY EVOLVING MIND

• Hidden Place of the Giant Clams in Camiguin Island

Kebila beach (found in Guinisliban)- is the only area in the entire Camiguin mainland that has extensive white sandy beaches and has the largest existing mangrove forest. This beach is protected not only for its reef but also because it is the successful reseeding site of the giant clams.

As I’ve posted on the previous entries, there are only nine kinds of giant clams in the world, seven of which are found in the Philippines and six kinds of clams are found in Camiguin Island- one of the smallest islands in the Philippines.

Herewith are the informations about KEBILA BEACH ( the reseeding site of the Giant Clams in Camiguin ).

Kebila Beach White Sand Resort has:

• more that two thousand species of clams
• a 2.7km area of Coral Reef
• 488 sq. m. of the Training Center and Dive Site Camp
• 3,000 sq.m (1999) area of the Giant Clams Sanctuary
• 2,218 sq. m (2002) area of the Giant Clams Ocean Nursery
• 3,000 sq. m are of the Giant Clams Showcase

(These are just few informations about the Kebila beach – where stunning clams can be found.)

I want to share my experience to you,when we were there in Kebila beach- snorkeling (seeing the clams) and gaining informations about them.

August 2009. It was past 2 pm when my mom, Kristine, Leovie (my 2 friends) and me went to Kebila Beach to have snorkeling for research study purposes about the giant clams. It takes 30 minutes to go there in the said beach from our town – Catarman, Camiguin.

When we arrived in Cantaan or Kebila Beach, we asked and gathered  informations on the said clams.  These are the informations we have collected. I rephrased it for some clarity purposes in learning.

• Real names. Nicknames of the giant clams. Want to know them?

These are the kinds of giant clams found in Camiguin:

SCIENTIFIC NAMES	COMMON NAMES
Tridacna gigas	Scaly or Fluted Clam
Tridacna squamosa (discovered by Lamarck in 1819.)	Scaly or Fluted Clam
Tridacna derasa (discovered by J. M. Macaranas, C. A. Ablan, M. J. R. Pante, J. A. H. Benzie and S. T. Williams)	Elongated or Rugose clam.
Tridacna crocea (C. Louise Goggin)	Elongated or Rugose clam.
Tridacna  maxima (discovered at the Red Sea)	Elongated or Rugose clam.
Hippopus  hippopus	Horse’s Hoof / Rolling Clam / Bear Paw / Straw Clam.

These are the kinds of clams which are not present in Camiguin Island.

• Hippopus porcellanus or China Clams (found in  the Philippines)
• Tridacna mbalavuena with it’s common name    Tevoro or Devil Clam

• Tridacna costata (Hilly Roa Quiaoit- from REGION X (NORTHERN MINDANAO) from Xavier University was one of the discoverers of this new kind of clam on August 2008 at the Red Sea. Audio Richter, Mohammad Ali-Zibalde and Maic Kochzius are her companions.)

Those are the names and kinds of clams. Get it?

After getting informations about those clams, we went into snorkeling with the guidance of the volunteered students from Camiguin Polytechnic State College. While we were there in the beach, we saw many thousands of giant clams- the small and big ones, we have also seen the different colors of it.

The youth volunteer told us that the names of the clams have also meanings. Those clams that were named as TRIDACNA means they are colorful while clams named as Hippopus means dull.

When we were there, we were intrigued by the clams. How can they reproduce other clams when in fact they can’t move? Because of these, one of my friends asked the volunteer again if what is the cycle of life of the clams.

• Way of life of the GIANT CLAMS

Giant clams can’t move, they dont have  feet like ours (human beings), but in order for them to reproduce they must have to spawn or release their sex cells in the water  so that they will be fertilized. One indicators if the clams are already spawning is when the water will look so milky. Furthermore, a large clam can release as many as 50 million eggs in 20 minutes.

Giant clams start their life as males and later becomes hermaphroditic.

I want to share with you the phases of the clams. ( I got this informations by interviewing those Camiguingnon Volunteers )

These are the Giant Clam Culture Phases:

First is the Hatchery Phase.

Next is the Larval Phase.

Next is the Land Based Nursery Phase.

Lastly is the Ocean Based Nursery.

Just follow the link in each phases if you’re interested to know more.

We also asked the volunteer about the giant clam’s food.

• Giant clam’s diet
  Giant clams have a built in food factories.

  The giant clam actually farms its zooxanthellae. It harbours symbiotic zooxanthallae ( a kind of single celled algae) in its fleshy body. The zooxanthallae produces food through photosynthesis. The algae makes food for the clam by using the energy from the sun. The algae also feed off the clam’s waste.

This article contains brief informations about the giant clams. You can see much more informations in the web.

One thing that makes my experience very much interesting is the fact that we also saw the other aquatic resources, the nice coral reefs and beautiful unique fishes in different ranges in this beach.

After they oriented and introduced the clams to us, we then proceeded in swimming underwater. We don’t have the pictures because we don’t have the underwater camera. :}

It is great thing to know that I’ve learned many informations and  I saw the clams  in this real experience.

Lastly, having myriad of clams in our island means “NO POLLUTION” in our place.

It is a good thing then to know that Camiguingnons are very much environment-friendly. They are preserving Camiguin’s precious resources and the gifts of nature. Through these, they just don’t make Camiguin an ultimate eco-tourist destination but they are also making Camiguin a cradle of the sunset and a treasure chest of the earth.

~M~

Here are the pictures and videos of the clams. Enjoy watching.