The prayerful pugilist

Manny Pacquiao punches people in the face for a living.
He is pound for pound the greatest boxer in the world. An eight-time world champion, the 147-pound Filipino fighter has obliterated his way through weight classes on his way to becoming a national hero in the Philippines and an international superstar.
The southpaw has crushing punching power, and his team has worked hard to develop a right as devastating as his left. But Pacquiao is packing a secret weapon when he walks into the ring - a deep abiding faith.
"The most important thing is to believe in God," Pacquiao said during a recent train trip to Washington, D.C. With his wife by his side and his team taking up the entire private train car, Pacquiao spoke to CNN about his faith, politics and his upcoming fight.
He was heading to Washington to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Last fall, Reid was down in the polls in a tough re-election fight, so he called in Pacquiao for a last-minute rally. On Tuesday in Washington, Reid said it was Pacquiao who helped put his campaign over the top. 
Pacquiao is cagey but diplomatic when talking politics but lights up when asked about his faith. It is a big part of his life as a boxer.
When the 32-year-old Catholic bounded into the ring before his latest pay-per-view match, a silver rosary bounced on his chest as he hopped in place getting ready for the fight. He looked skyward and crossed himself.
It's a familiar scene to those closest to him. "He crosses himself before each round," longtime Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "After every workout we end it with a prayer. He's very dedicated to his faith."

Pacquiao (L) receives communion during a Thanksgiving mass at the Quiapo church in Manila on November 20, 2010

His publicist Fred Sternburg said while they are on the road Pacquiao always tries to duck quietly into Catholic churches for Mass. Sternburg said the quiet part doesn't always happen. One Sunday afternoon during a trip to San Francisco in 2009, Pacquiao tried to sneak into Mass on the way to the airport. He told the driver to pull over. Sternburg said he waited in the car and when he looked up a crowd of fans was chasing Pacquiao out of the church seeking autographs.

Manny Pacquiao, prays during a church service in Manila

"Pacquiao lived on the streets in Manila in a paper shack and fought his way up on the streets. His story is a Cinderella story," said Bob Arum, his promoter at Top Rank.
And his story in the ring is one for the history books. His trainer thinks he may not just be the best pound-for-pound fighter today but the best pound-for-pound fighter ever.
"Eight world titles will never be duplicated. That makes him the best," Roach said. "That achievement will never be touched again, the caliber of fighters he's fighting, and his competition is great. And he's defeated all of them."

Manny Pacquiao celebrates after defending his title.

Pacquiao is much shyer about his talents than his trainer. "I don't want to say I'm the best boxer in the world. I would say I'm a boxer who can fight a good fight against any fighter in the world. All my talent it all comes from God," he said.
Those talents have propelled him to be the face of boxing, not only in the U.S. but also around the world, according to Arum.
"His story has resonated because he's been able to fight his way out and become the person he is, and instead of turning his back on all that growing up, he embraces that," Arum said.
Pacquiao has taken home millions upon millions for his bouts. By some estimates, he has amassed more than $70 million from his boxing alone. That amount does not include his other business ventures or endorsements.
"(Pacquiao) gives so much money to charity and is such a caring person. And he does so many good works, most of which is not publicized so you don't even know about it," Arum said.
For Arum, that charity is a tangible example of Pacquiao's faith. "He's constantly calling me on the advances, on the upfront of his purse and so forth, because he spending the money on good things."
For Pacquaio it is clear he believes his success comes from God. "Everything that I have done, that is possible in my mind, He has made possible."
Arum and Roach both say Pacquiao's faith in God is as helpful to him in the ring as his lighting-fast fists and quick feet. Arum said Pacquiao sees himself as part of God's plan, laid out in front of him so nearly nothing bothers him.
"When he lost to (Erik) Morales he said he knew it was God's decision," Roach said. "He accepts it well." That was the last fight Pacquiao lost, in 2005. He went on to beat him two more times after that.
And that ability to move on quickly has paid big dividends.
As he looks ahead to his May 7 fight in Las Vegas against Sugar Shane Mosley, the expected boxing bravado and trash talk is noticeably absent from Pacquiao.
"I'm not going to say I'm going to win yet because the fight isn't done yet. I just need to train hard and believe in God," he said.

10 Best dive site in Asia

 

It's been said that we know more about the moon than we know about our own oceans. That's probably total rubbish. In any case the moon is about as interesting as a cold, hard ball of rock floating around empty space.
The oceans on the other hand can captivate even the most cynical of aesthetes. But they are fragile things.
Human activities such as overfishing and pollution threaten an estimated 88 percent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs. Recently Thailand's authorities closed 18 popular dive sites to allow them to recover from coral bleaching.
Here's a tour of 10 of Asia's most spectacular underwater dive sites, home to sharks, whales, sunfish and more, and a glimpse at some of the threats they face.

Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia

 
1.
Green sea turtle -- on earth for 120 million years, and counting?

Pulau Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, and before 2002 was the subject of an intense territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. It's rated by many dive journals as one of the top dive destinations in the world.
Recently, the Malaysian government has had to clamp down on coral thieves operating around the country's coastline.
Pulau Sipadan has also fallen victim to coral bleaching in the past, a process most commonly caused by a change in sea temperature that "bleaches" the coral color.
One of the island's unique features is a turtle tomb, an underwater limestone cave that features many narrow tunnels and chambers containing the remains of green sea turtles (pictured) that have become trapped and drowned.
For more information visit Dive The World.

Similan Islands, Thailand

2.
Clownfish -- unaffected by anemone poison, but climate change is a different matter.

A clown fish, no stranger around the Similan Islands, is familiar to younger divers as "Nemo."
Clown fish engage in symbiotic relationships with sea anemones, eating invertebrates that might otherwise harm the anemone and providing sustenance for the anemone via their fecal matter.
With climate change acidifying oceans, which affects their sense of smell and obstructs their ability to find suitable anemones for shelter, clown fish are considered at risk.
For more information visit Similans.net.

Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

3.
Stingless jellyfish -- very pretty, not at all painful.

Stingless jellyfish are some of the more unusual creatures to be found in the seas around the Derawan Islands, which consist of four inhabited islands and two uninhabited islands off the east coast of Borneo.
The jellyfish pictured here are foraging for food in Kakaban Lake on Kakaban Island.
Free from natural predators, the jellyfish lost their defence systems over thousands of years of evolution.
Being an enclosed environment however, life within Kakaban Lake is at risk from excessive human acitivty, such as outboard motor use.
For more information about Derawan Islands, visit Skin Diver Online.

Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

4.
Red lionfish -- sometimes considered a pest, but what a beautiful pest.

Consisting of some 800 islands, the Mergui Archipelago is a largely desolate area, tucked away from the rest of the world. Popular with exploratory divers, it offers huge boulders, caverns, tunnels and drop-offs.
As well as sharks and manta rays, a diver might encounter red lionfish (pictured). Their spectacular frills conceal venomous spines on their backs. The spines are used for defense only.
When predating, lionfish rely on their quick reflexes to swallow prey whole.
Though the Andaman Sea has escaped much of the over-development, bleaching and nutrient loading that has affected other sites around the world, trawling, longline and blast fishing have impacted fish populations here.
For more information visit Mergui.org.

Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia

5.
Fusilier fish -- great baitfish, if you can catch them.

Off the northwestern tip of Indonesia's West Papua province, the Raja Ampat Islands have the highest recorded diversity of fish and coral on earth -- an amazing 537 coral species and 1,074 fish species can be found here, according to The Nature Conservancy.
To date, the islands have been relatively resistant to coral bleaching and disease. They are credited with replenishing other reefs with coral larvae.
But overfishing, pollution and urbanization of coastlines threaten the reefs. The local government is working with agencies to protect the marine ecology while also supporting local livelihoods.
Pictured are fusilier fish, a common sight around Raja Ampat. These slick fish move sweepingly in a zig-zag pattern at high speeds and apparently in perfect unison, making them a truly remarkable thing to encounter.
For more information about Raja Ampat Islands, visit Diverajaampat.org.

Andaman Islands, India

6.
Ribboned sweetlips -- its coloring and pattern changes throughout its life.

The elusive ribboned sweetlips is one of the colorful habitants of the Andaman Islands. These fish can grow up to 50 centimeters in length. They live alone in deep water and feed on crabs, shrimps and sea snails.
Feeding is facilitated by their bright colors, which camouflages them against the corals.
To protect marine life that includes big game fish such as black marlin and sailfish, the Indian government has banned commercial fishing around the 572 islands that make up the Andaman Islands.
For more information about the Andaman Islands, visit Tourism.andaman.nic.in.

Komodo Island, Indonesia

7.
Komodo -- with strong currents and 40-meter depths, it's best for advanced divers.

The variety of marine life around Komodo Island ranges from sunfish, mantas, dolphins and eagle rays to the fascinating pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish and blue-ringed octopus, making this one of the most diverse and vibrant dive spots on the planet.
In past years dynamite fishing and a crown of thorns infestation severly traumatized the reef system, and artificial electric reefs were introduced to help rebuild the coral.
For more information about Komodo Island, visit Dive The World.

Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

8.
Tulamben -- the wreck of the USAT Liberty is now home to hundreds of marine species.

The small fishing village of Tulamben hosts one of the most popular dive sites on Bali. During World War II, a Japanese torpedo sank the USAT Liberty, a U.S. Army transport ship.
The 120-meter-long wreck is now home to a variety of fish species, such as batfish, angelfish, puffer fish and hawkfish.
Fishing is banned in the area around Tulamben and some resorts have undertaken voluntary eco-initiatives, but the number of visitors to the site -- up to 100 divers per day during peak periods -- is a potantial threat.
For more information about the Tulamben Island, visit Sea Focus.

Kerama Islands, Okinawa, Japan

9.
Cuttlefish -- chameleons of the sea.

The Kerama Islands are host to 76 dive sites, and are relatively well protected thanks to a local community that has embraced both its natural oceanic ecosystems and tourism.
The Akajma Marine Science Laboratory on Akajima Island (population 300) was founded in 1988 and has provided data and guidance for the whole of Japan on the conditions and best protective practices for its reef systems.
Cuttlefish (pictured) are one of the many sea species that can be seen around the islands, along with larger creatures such as humpback whales and manta rays. Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs, and can change color rapidly to camouflage themselves when danger is near.
For more information about Kerama Islands, visit Open Coast.

Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, Philippines

10.
Hawksbill sea turtle -- better in the sea than on your arm, don’t you think?

Declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1993, the Philippines' Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is crawling with marine life. Sharks, turtles and reef fish can often be found congregating around the atoll.
The UN describes the area as "a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-meter perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands."
With shipping, marine pollution and oil exploration efforts disrupting the natural habitats, many species here are endangered.
It is hoped that a "buffer zone" around the most sensitive parts of the reef, as well as more effective enforcement of anti-littering marine laws, will enhance the longevity of many of these threatened species.
For more information about Tubbatha Reef National Marine Park, visit Tubbatahareef.org.