Kategorie: News
Visiting Easy Diving Dauin
Actually, we’ve never been here before! By “here,” I mean Dauin, a small village on the island of Negros in the Philippines. And yet it feels like coming home. How is that possible? Have we traveled too much? Lost track of things?
Is it because of how the divers behave underwater? Just like at certain other dive destinations around the world, many divers here lie in the sand, staring through their huge cameras, and only when you get really close do you see the tiny speck they’re focusing on. Sometimes it’s a tiny anglerfish, sometimes a skeleton shrimp, and sometimes just a “sheep nudibranch.” Please forgive us for the colloquial Anglicism here, but “sheep snail” simply doesn’t do justice to these adorable little creatures!
What does this behavior of our fellow divers remind us of? Yes! Other macro diving areas! Much of it brings to mind Lembeh, for example. A reason to first describe the area we’ve ended up in more closely.
From Germany, the easiest way to reach Dauin is via Cebu’s international airport. From the airport, it takes a few more hours by land transfer, a ferry, and then another short transfer. Sound like a lot and a long journey? Yes, it is—let’s not kid ourselves. Is it worth it? You bet!
Admittedly, we arrive at the “Sea Dream Resort Dauin” in the early evening, quite exhausted. Even before we actually check into our room, we enjoy a hearty and delicious dinner on the terrace. That’s all we can manage tonight. Or is it? That’s not quite true… While we were still eating, we managed to find out the start time for tomorrow’s dive from Manuel, the co-owner and base manager of “Easy Diving Dauin.”
After a short but thoroughly comfortable night and a hearty breakfast, we dive into the water. Just a little later, a wonder-octopus works its magic, posing for our camera. Actually, it’s already too big for our macro lens… but such dedication still deserves recognition. Right after that, a blue-ringed octopus, and because that’s not enough… the rarer Mototi octopus. The somewhat more inconspicuous cousin of the blue-ringed octopus is apparently just as venomous; unlike its relative, however, it has only two blue rings that warn of its displeasure. Now that’s a first dive… please, more of this!
And we really do get more! Take shrimp and crabs, for example. Alongside many more or less common and easy-to-find specimens, there are highlights like the “Candy Crab,” the “Pink Hairy Squat Lobster,” the “Dragon Shrimp,” “Tiger Shrimp,” “Harlequin Shrimp,” or the “Chainsaw Shrimp.” With so many creepy-crawlies… what more could you want?
The “Sea Dreams Resort” is just a five-minute drive from the center of little Dauin. You can arrange the ride with the hotel shuttle, use an Uber, or simply rent a small scooter for the duration of your stay. Even though the hotel offers a good selection of food, there’s still a bit more variety in Dauin. Pizza, burgers, classic Asian cuisine, or simply a mix of local dishes.
Macro life in unexpected diversity
From the menu selection back to the variety of underwater creatures.
What would a macro destination be without nudibranchs? Of course, “Shaun the Sheep” is always the absolute highlight here, but beyond that, Dauin’s underwater world consistently offers nudibranchs in all colors and shapes. Want some examples? The Bohol star nudibranch, Batangas humpback nudibranch, or Kammerlein’s nudibranch, to name just a few.
Now that we’ve ventured so deep into Dauin’s underwater world, let’s round out the picture.
Cuttlefish? A wide variety of species, such as dwarf cuttlefish, “bobtail squid,” or even a special highlight: the magnificent cuttlefish. Anyone who’s ever seen this colorful little creature underwater surely knows what we mean. We’ll therefore take a little more time to observe this eight-legged creature.
Besides all these critters, we almost forgot the countless anglerfish. Some are huge, while others are the size of a one-cent coin. They come in black, white, yellow, or as a harlequin variant. We’ve probably forgotten countless other marine creatures we’ve encountered.
Variety is guaranteed
If all this macro life becomes too much for you, you also have the option of joining an excursion to nearby Apoisland. In addition to schools of barracuda, sharks, and turtles, you can observe large sea snakes. So variety is definitely guaranteed.
But now back to the house reef. Here, a special predator awaits us during the night dive. Buried in the sand, nearly two meters long, and with massive hooks attached to its mouth. This creature certainly belongs more in an Alien movie than on a tropical beach. Yet this very creature lurks on the house reef. It only pokes its head out at night to prey on unsuspecting fish swimming by. But rest assured, we keep our fingers close to our bodies when near this predator. You’ve probably already guessed it? We’re talking about the Bobbit worm, or giant bristle worm. A truly impressive finale to our once again far-too-short getaway!
Two weeks have passed, and what are we taking home with us? Well, hundreds of photos of the most bizarre sea creatures. Encounters with all kinds of people, constantly new experiences, and exciting dives. One thing is certain: this part of the world will see us again!
More information about the dive center:
Easy Diving Dauin on Taucher.Net
Easy Diving Dauin website