Hot Springs and Cold Springs
Lake Mainit is a pear-shaped body of inland freshwater that covers the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte in eastern Mindanao. I don’t know how the lake got its moniker, “mainit” meaning “hot or warm” in English. But there are hot springs in the area much as there are cold springs. So it could probably come from the former. I waded and tested the temperature but it could not account for its name.
It is the deepest and clearest lake in the country and the fourth largest lake coming in after Laguna Lake, Lanao Lake and Taal Lake. There are 28 creeks and rivers that flow into the lake but only one outlet drains the water into the sea, the Calinawan River. That explains why the area is constantly flooded during continuous and heavy rains.
Jabonga, Agusan del Norte
We accessed Lake Mainit in a remote and quiet town of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte. We pitched our tent on a grassy lawn and bought food from the nearby market to sustain our nourishment. We chose Jabonga for its favorable access to the lake and for its relatively richer biodiversity. We were there basically for an ecological observation but behaved like tourist/amateur scientists with our notebooks and pens and measuring equipments and of course our cameras.
Boating and Migratory Birds
We rented a boat to explore and observe the area. We started from the shorelines of Jabonga and circumnavigated half the lake following the curve of the shoreline. The water is clear reflecting the state of the skies from above. Large as it is, it gives a feeling that one is boating on an open sea rather than an inland body of water.
Offshore, the waters are lined with hyacinths and lilies which give a festive mood of purplish colors in an otherwise serene body of water. There were cliffs bordering the water and the hills, which are always beautiful and mystifying with or without the water. The boating took us around the lake for the purpose of not only a sightseeing adventure but to make an inventory of migratory birds. There are migratory birds in the area coming from Japan and New Zealand, explained our ecology professor. They migrate to the lake during winters and of course they should because they are a welcome sight to behold. They float on the lake like a huge bed of white and a spectrum of colors, the site of which is a pleasant surprise for the uninitiated.
When our boat comes buzzing along they fly away to a more private and quite part of the lake and would want to be bothered. We did that over again, disturbing the birds, taking pictures, taking notes of their colors and shapes and sizes and beaks as they flutter in throngs and pick a more private site to float themselves in the warm water. The birds avoid the winter chills in their country of origin by taking comfort in the warmth of our country in the bossom of Lake Mainit. That is the best thing to see in Lake Mainit, the migratory birds.
Endemic Birds and Animals
The biodiversity in the area is interesting. In the afternoon we hear a cacophony of birds singing including distinct cackling of kingfishers and at night the hooting of the owls. The owls and the kingfishers are unique species that are endemic to the area. There are other birds that can be found around the lake and which are only endemic in Mindanao much as there are monkeys and wild pigs and unique species of trees.
Falls
From the lake we diverted our attention to inventory the trees. There were huge trees that have fallen and uprooted due to the recent flooding. When the rains are continuous communities ashore are flooded with a great amount of water that cannot flow out of the basin due to a single and minimal outlet – the Calinawan River. But while we were surveying the surroundings we were distracted by a gentle humming of water and found ourselves staring on a tiny falls. That was a welcoming treat to a long and tiring walk.
Rainbows
The day that we left we were treated again with a natural spectacle. The plenty of moisture in the area coupled with a little bit of sunshine produced a beautiful play of rainbows that looks like it has sprang off our feet. It was the time of the day when the rain has subsided and the sun started to emerge. We left the place on that very day fulfilled as amateur scientists and happy and satiated like tourists.
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