more fish please
12 ¾ h from Frankfurt to Taipeh, 2.5 h to Cebu, 2,5 h cab ride to the harbor, 1,5 h with ferry, 20 min local boat (Bangka), 5 min with tuk tuk, a hell of a trip to reach paradise, some would call it adventures some would hardly smile any more. For me it was a bit too much. Organization lacked when parts of the group went for drinks, the other for local currency, the rest waiting for the cabs. Thomas the dive instructor of the resort promised, we would reach the 4 o´clock ferry in time. We arrived in time, the scheduled 3:30 ferry was gone. 2 h stroll through the village and market, Mc Donnald´s and bakery. Cute local kids were selling small portions of fresh mango and pineapple, had already learned to say “no change” when you took some. Ferry ride was refreshing after the hours in 34 C and high humidity. Again they had no real plan to reach the Bangka from the ferry terminal. A former guest of the resort knew where to go but was not really up to guiding us there. At this time it was dark already, tide was low, we had to climb across slippery pier to get into the boat. It took a while for all the luggage to get on board. Dead tired on arrival we just grabbed some food, keys and hit the sack immediately thereafter. A general briefing was planned but skipped after 32 h travelling. Well one doesn´t expect a tour guide to play cattle driver but with schedules in mind maybe he should perform his job properly.
You reach the dive center via a 300 m paved road through some mangroves which sometimes is flooded on high tide. Paperwork procedures briefing etc went smoothly but some people sometimes need to tell long stories of their dive trips yawn. Did a check dive on the house reef where a rope leads you on a round trip with some toys, pyramid, old car, horse trailer, cross. Aladin showed 34 C so I went only with a Scubapro rash guard overall.
Tresher shark sightings were reported even here now so we tried our luck early this morning. It´s not like in Malapascua where you kneel in 35 m in same stage like area and look out over the edge of the reef into the dark blue without moving. Here you swim along a deeper wall and look for the big stuff. One animal showed in the greyish dark beneath us, too far and dark for the go pro to get a satisfying picture. 2 reef dives followed, 30 C in 20 m, vis 15 m, a lovely reef but not much fish around. I enjoyed the variety of coral and color, hard and soft ones plus sponges.
Whispering Palms is a huge place with beach, mangroves, massage, swimming pool etc. A lovely surprise was the menu which offers a wide and mouthwatering mixture of dishes, no surprise there as the manager now was a former chef. Meals main course 350 – 700 pesos, salad soup starters 250 – 350 peso, happy hour pina colada 90 p.
Alans Place East, poor vis 5 – 10 m in 6 m slowly getting better, temp dropped to 28 brrr. Lovely reef, lots of new coral growth everywhere. Philippines seem slowly to understand the need for protection of the reef. Friends join a 3 month reef survey totally free of charge here. We all agree and miss turtles and moray eels.
San Juan Gamai, 8:30 start for the first time we went north of the island. Briefing promised a wall down to 30 m with a special nudi only seen here “tree nudi”.My girlfriend who I had send some pictures complained “where are the fish”, as I so far had send coral sponges gorgonian etc. So this time I concentrated on fish and there were quite a few smaller ones around. Found a small cuttle fish, some nudis of a size my eyes are capable to spot, a salbe of 10 cm which I removed from kicking fins. Melina my buddy, guide, instructor, marine biologist did a great job with the group, checking air when she felt we reached around 100 bar, warned of approaching deco, tried blowing rings with me under the boat with me at the end of the dive. Often she asked and invited us to prolong our dive over the 60 min when a nice coral garden was underneath the Bangka. Vis deep 5 m on the reef 15 m. They could not start the diesel, had to call boat 2 to tow us back to the resort. So the early start at 8:30 brought us back around 3 p m
Sipaway Canyon Best dive so far to the north again. A wall reached down to 31 m. Entrance were two huge gorgonian between which we swam down into a canyon. Vis got foggy deeper than 15 m around 10 m it was amazing. Fish life around us and a paradise for the makro lovers, lots of nudis, small crabs, tiny shrimps, ghost pipe fish were waiting to be found. Definitely nothing for my eyes but I enjoyed the pictures of my buddies later on. During surface break they offered tea coffee and some biscuits, everybody told stories of former adventures. 2 days already we had reached 34 C, no clouds, you had to be careful with the sun on your skin, some got badly burned.
Camote east south, wouh the first really excellent dive. On descend we hit a magnificent boulder with all the components the Philippines are famous for, hard and soft coral, sponges hundreds of small fish around, a picture postcard motive. Later a bunch of squids around us and 5 big yellowish trevally chasing fusiliers, a fantastic picture. 2 small moray eels, 1 lion fish, 3 puffer, 1 parrot, some trigger and 1 rather shy oriental sweetlip rounded this up. I mean the behavior of the few fish shows clearly, there is hunting pressure from man. Normally you find sweetlips in a bunch floating in the current and allowing you real close.
Campolabo, 2 times we did a 75 min muck dive there which I don´t need and don´t enjoy at all, I´m just not interested in that stuff. I compare this to a dive in a gravel lake at home. I do enjoy a colorful reef scenery, fish life, blue water dives but this not at all. Even when a guide and buddy point out specials like tiny crabs, nudis, cuttlefish shrimp, no thank you. Lucky for me 2 buddies shared this sentiment. The Bangka is ideal for entry and exit, giant stride in, a not too steep stairway going up into the boat. The boat crew is awesome, before you even move one guy already pulls up the tank for you to better get into, he guides you carefully to the entry, same when you come back to make sure you reach your place safely with full gear. Already on the stairway they grab your fins and accompany you up.
The transfer to Moalboal was planned as dive trip on a Bangka. Coast guard however insisted on some extra paper which 1 day prior to departure our dive center couldn´t provide. So it was 1.5 h ferry, and 2.5 h cab ride to reach our 2 nd stop, too much of a transfer for me. I wonder if they ever had tried that dive transfer before.
You reach the dive center via a 300 m paved road through some mangroves which sometimes is flooded on high tide. Paperwork procedures briefing etc went smoothly but some people sometimes need to tell long stories of their dive trips yawn. Did a check dive on the house reef where a rope leads you on a round trip with some toys, pyramid, old car, horse trailer, cross. Aladin showed 34 C so I went only with a Scubapro rash guard overall.
Tresher shark sightings were reported even here now so we tried our luck early this morning. It´s not like in Malapascua where you kneel in 35 m in same stage like area and look out over the edge of the reef into the dark blue without moving. Here you swim along a deeper wall and look for the big stuff. One animal showed in the greyish dark beneath us, too far and dark for the go pro to get a satisfying picture. 2 reef dives followed, 30 C in 20 m, vis 15 m, a lovely reef but not much fish around. I enjoyed the variety of coral and color, hard and soft ones plus sponges.
Whispering Palms is a huge place with beach, mangroves, massage, swimming pool etc. A lovely surprise was the menu which offers a wide and mouthwatering mixture of dishes, no surprise there as the manager now was a former chef. Meals main course 350 – 700 pesos, salad soup starters 250 – 350 peso, happy hour pina colada 90 p.
Alans Place East, poor vis 5 – 10 m in 6 m slowly getting better, temp dropped to 28 brrr. Lovely reef, lots of new coral growth everywhere. Philippines seem slowly to understand the need for protection of the reef. Friends join a 3 month reef survey totally free of charge here. We all agree and miss turtles and moray eels.
San Juan Gamai, 8:30 start for the first time we went north of the island. Briefing promised a wall down to 30 m with a special nudi only seen here “tree nudi”.My girlfriend who I had send some pictures complained “where are the fish”, as I so far had send coral sponges gorgonian etc. So this time I concentrated on fish and there were quite a few smaller ones around. Found a small cuttle fish, some nudis of a size my eyes are capable to spot, a salbe of 10 cm which I removed from kicking fins. Melina my buddy, guide, instructor, marine biologist did a great job with the group, checking air when she felt we reached around 100 bar, warned of approaching deco, tried blowing rings with me under the boat with me at the end of the dive. Often she asked and invited us to prolong our dive over the 60 min when a nice coral garden was underneath the Bangka. Vis deep 5 m on the reef 15 m. They could not start the diesel, had to call boat 2 to tow us back to the resort. So the early start at 8:30 brought us back around 3 p m
Sipaway Canyon Best dive so far to the north again. A wall reached down to 31 m. Entrance were two huge gorgonian between which we swam down into a canyon. Vis got foggy deeper than 15 m around 10 m it was amazing. Fish life around us and a paradise for the makro lovers, lots of nudis, small crabs, tiny shrimps, ghost pipe fish were waiting to be found. Definitely nothing for my eyes but I enjoyed the pictures of my buddies later on. During surface break they offered tea coffee and some biscuits, everybody told stories of former adventures. 2 days already we had reached 34 C, no clouds, you had to be careful with the sun on your skin, some got badly burned.
Camote east south, wouh the first really excellent dive. On descend we hit a magnificent boulder with all the components the Philippines are famous for, hard and soft coral, sponges hundreds of small fish around, a picture postcard motive. Later a bunch of squids around us and 5 big yellowish trevally chasing fusiliers, a fantastic picture. 2 small moray eels, 1 lion fish, 3 puffer, 1 parrot, some trigger and 1 rather shy oriental sweetlip rounded this up. I mean the behavior of the few fish shows clearly, there is hunting pressure from man. Normally you find sweetlips in a bunch floating in the current and allowing you real close.
Campolabo, 2 times we did a 75 min muck dive there which I don´t need and don´t enjoy at all, I´m just not interested in that stuff. I compare this to a dive in a gravel lake at home. I do enjoy a colorful reef scenery, fish life, blue water dives but this not at all. Even when a guide and buddy point out specials like tiny crabs, nudis, cuttlefish shrimp, no thank you. Lucky for me 2 buddies shared this sentiment. The Bangka is ideal for entry and exit, giant stride in, a not too steep stairway going up into the boat. The boat crew is awesome, before you even move one guy already pulls up the tank for you to better get into, he guides you carefully to the entry, same when you come back to make sure you reach your place safely with full gear. Already on the stairway they grab your fins and accompany you up.
The transfer to Moalboal was planned as dive trip on a Bangka. Coast guard however insisted on some extra paper which 1 day prior to departure our dive center couldn´t provide. So it was 1.5 h ferry, and 2.5 h cab ride to reach our 2 nd stop, too much of a transfer for me. I wonder if they ever had tried that dive transfer before.