"Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content of a sedentary life on the surface, I will always be haunted by thoughts of being drenched elsewhere"….
The quick get-away in Camiguin Island this summer was again another time to relax, recharge and remind myself I need to be on the road again! While I was planning for an escape to my go-to diveshop, my buddy randomly suggested for a quick dive trip wherever I want! 😊Apparently, my happy smart choice was … Read more Sustainable Diving in Camiguin: Clean-Up and Relaxation
After a wonderful sojourn and matching discoveries in Sibaltan, another diving trip was put to order in June. Yes, in summer like it used to be! For some time, I was aiming and wanted to be back in Cabilao Island but conditions were not favorable, a weekend was too short for the trip. Our instinct … Read more Diving Adventures in Moalboal: A Return to Paradise
At the start of the year, many agendas were set in place and some of these were plans that were put off for awhile due to other priorities. But just like every year beginnings, so many recurring interruptions occurred just the way it used to be. Nevertheless, terminating my services in my workplace was final … Read more Exploring Sibaltan: A Hidden Gem for Divers
After a successful mission at Coral Cay Conservation, I was aching to be back in the waters for my quests. There was no definite plan though, but I need to get immersed again in a more relaxed environment in my own terms in my grand element. And what a better way to start my diving … Read more Diving at Apo Island: Return to Marine Paradise
So after being away and organizing a lot of issues when I got back, the depths was my most urgent agenda. Six months were just so long. More than anything else, I need the waters in preparation for the expedition in Southern Leyte. Through all these years, MADRI (Mantangale Alibuag Dive Resort, Inc.) has been … Read more October Fever!
We were coyly floating among the reef near some crevice with soft corals, watching unmindful before us when suddenly our DM pointed something attached to the coral. He poke carefully with his pointer and slowly it changes to white, and I was wondering what it was! It was our first encounter with such critter.
When we surface while still on the waters, I reminded the DM about it and told us it’s a cowrie shell. The black is part of the mollusk which slowly hides when disturb showing its white shell. Such a wonder!
The shells of the egg cowries reach 12 cm in length. In the adult the mantle covers the entire shell and is black with raised yellow tubercles and white spots. The juvenile resembles a toxic species of nudibranch. Unusually the mantle is kept out most of the time, even during daylight. The egg cowries are only seen out at night, usually on soft corals. There is evidence that they are territorial and that they return to the same hiding place just before sunrise.
The egg cowrie feed on soft corals, and are often seen feeding on leather corals.
After few weeks from our Mt. Hibok-Hibok climb I was back in Camiguin for a work trip, so the weekend was an opportune time for some break after that nerve-wracking week. We agreed to rediscover and dive once more the islet off Camiguin coast, so Angel caught up with me in Mahinog very early on a Saturday.
Our cruise to Mantigue was challenged, the insurmountable waves tossed our small boat vehemently and I was thinking if we could just let the storm pass, but we are far from the shore already. The sun was brightly shining though, but I started to worry when the engine had trouble and stopped when we were still half way, what if? 😦 It was agonizing, the waves were fierce enough to sink us! Obviously, we made it to the shores of the island.
Black Forest
Can you find the coral crabs?
We maneuvered a bit to the north side to take cover from the raging waves and so our DM decided to have our first descent at the Black Forest.  Another challenge was kiting up since our boat was too small to do it, the last and most practical was to do it on waters. It’s been long since I last did it, I hesitated at first but I remembered Mario (my mentor) saying it is the easiest way. So I went down first alone, I missed Mario at that moment because he always make sure someone will hold the gears for me. My buddy was just watching me from the boat. 😦
A star in the depths!
We went down to a sandy slope decorated with soft corals, it was surprising that the viz was reasonably good considering the waves we encountered, the sea as always is incredibly unpredictable. So, we swam over variety of soft corals, hydroids, whips, crinoids with those fish juveniles wiggling over. The turtles graced us, this time not just one but there were six! Always, watching them gracefully swimming warms my heart. So with Angel, it is always his favorite specie but now he can calmly watch it swimming by without getting too excited, before he always ends up chasing the poor turtle! 🙂 We found also giant clams, coral crabs, sea cucumber, striped eel fish and a moray eel. We had a safety stop in the grassy sandy shallows and after 63 minutes ended in a shore ascent, swimming up to the white beach.
Marine Sanctuary
This moray was too shy!
Our surface interval was spent for our late breakfast at Dive Special camp, and later to make most of our time, took a walk around the islet circumference discovering its other side. The sun was brightly shining without any trace of a storm! The waters was calm already, so we finally went in our second dive for the sanctuary which we originally aimed for those giant jacks! We took a short boat ride until the side of the site with those floaters and geared up again in the waters. We descend right in the sanctuary, watching closely taking our time as we swam slowly but this time the viz gone dim and cloudy. The variety of fishes have again surprised me, it was filled to the brim I must say. There was a herd of giant batfish, school of midnight snappers, and most of all – the school of jackfish! They have grown in number and obviously in size, now real giants after four years we last saw them! Again, we had a dose of turtles, five in all including a big one who swam from my back coyly as if wanting me to follow her, I watched it in awe. There were banners, angelfish, chromis, damsels, triggers, fusiliers and those electric blue anthias darting, so colorful. There was a scorpionfish too, banded pipefish and variety of giant clams. As we move around, we encountered again the school of jacks, hovering as if not moving at all. So peaceful and relaxing, how magnificent to just watch them! It was a grand display of nature’s splendor. We had a shore ascent again after having our safety stop in the grassy slope, the afternoon tide fiercely carrying us to the white sandy shore. We had a total dive time of 57 minutes with our deepest at 20.4 meters.
We had a dose of turtles!
Ending our two dives, we silently cruise back to the dive shop jetty in Mahinog with the waters perfectly calm. Have you been to Camiguin? If you can squeeze few hours, cruise to Mantigue and wander around, you don’t need to dive to relish its unspoiled charm. Its richness is in its simplicity and serenity!
We promised ourselves to be back in Antique, carefully planning the dates during summer to explore Maningning Island, our Austrian DM pledged  to arrange a dive trip for us. Apparently, our penchant for off-beat sites got us again finding his offer irresistible! Thinking of unfamiliar destination tickled my curiosity.
Mid-Summer Dream
DM Niki gave us lot of reminders and important to do’s, one of which is to arrive Pandan as early as 5:00am, the sail to the island have to be at 5:30am. The weather can be unpredictable so the return cruise needs to be early too. It was raining that night but we dragged ourselves from bed at 3:00am to make it to the diveshop driving from Kalibo. We made it though on the dot, it was drizzling when we arrived.
After a heavy rain, the skies were bit downcast and the waters calmed. We sailed on a sunrise!
It rained but my worries fade out when we finally left the shores for the island, we sailed on a sunrise! Maningning is a barangay of Culasi but sailing from Libertad would only take two hours compared to five hours from its main town.  In my mind, I was fancying the unspoiled underwater, pristine beach and the old lighthouse in the island Angel was aiming to visit! We fetch Mr. Romy of LGU Pandan as our escort who confirmed the cruise to the island, local folks have this innate sense for nature – you know, when to go & not to go.  The waters was smooth enough as we cruised but halfway where we can see the island already, the boat turned back and our DM explained it would be risky to proceed and diving wont be possible even if we got there, worst was we could be marooned in Maningning and nobody knows when it would be safe to sail again! 😦
Detour in Libertad
DM Niki suggested having our dives in Libertad instead, there was no choice at the moment and he assured us that like other coastal towns it has equally diverse marine life. Thankfully, the waters was smooth near the coast.  So, our first descent was at Pucio Point, we were still on the boat when  a large herd of fish had a commotion few meters from us. I took it as a sign of a good dive opportunity.
Such diversity!
Our companions were a bunch – DM Niki (Austrian), John (Australian), Mr. Romy (LGU Pandan) – all of them are old-timers in Antique coasts, so we were confident enough of our guides! We back-rolled, incredibly the waters was warm and no current and there was only silence and stillness deep down. It felt so good to back in the depths – after 12 long weeks! We roamed in the sandy slope, decorated with variety of soft and hard corals. All tropical fishes hovering peacefully over the reefs.  There were jacks, groupers, triggers, damsels, sergeants, banners, angels and anthias. There was a lone banded sea snake wiggling and as if sniffing the corals and sands – I think it was hungry and looking for food. Funny was, Angel almost bumped with the sea snake! He was startled when the krait came near his face!  These reptiles are generally not aggressive and therefore don’t necessarily pose danger to divers. We ended up after Mr. Romy rolled up the abandoned nylon fishing lines until near our anchor about more than five meters.
Mr. Romy rolled up an abandoned fishing line!
We sailed a bit for our next descent in Union, which DM Niki described as filled with boulders and overhangs. After an hour of surface interval we geared up for our mid-morning plunge, thankfully the sun shone up. I found crown of sea thorns, with the waters starting to warm up in summer, the specie multiplies faster. It was sitting pretty
Crown of sea thorns sitting pretty and comfortably on a coral…
on top of a coral crown, later I learned that LGU Pandan have conducted a massive harvesting of the starfish. The LGUs gave compensation to motivate locals in helping to control its multiplication, their imbalance population is a threat to the ecosystem.
The corals are massive in different varieties and tropical reef fishes obviously abound, again those juveniles wiggling peacefully. There were bivalves, sea cucumbers and nudis too. The crevices obviously became shelters and dwellings of the fishes. There were narrow alleys but avoided to get in deeper as it could disturb and possibly break accidentally the corals. There were crinoids, whips and hydroids scattered along.
A nudi!
Our lunch served as our surface interval before our final dives. We enjoyed the food coupled with stories from our host, it was worthwhile to note that the local government of Pandan and Libertad have actively involved in the preservation and protection of marine environment. Most of the barangays lies on the coast and fishing is largely the source of living in these communities.
A giant clam added colors to the reefs!
So after a hearty lunch, good laugh and warm sun, we geared up again for our last descent at Taboc Sanctuary. DM Niki briefed us that there’s a cavern and we need to bring our torch. We immersed in the warm afternoon waters to a slope, down to colorful reefs. There were groupers, jacks, snappers and tropical fishes. We found too giant clams, sea cucumber, nudi and cowrie shell – not just one, but three in all near each other, perhaps they were family! We found also blue ribbon eels, two of them, dancing and willing in their burrow – it is seldom to find them in two’s. I’m still in awe, watching them with their mouth wide open, I wonder if it is speaking in a very silent way! 🙂 We roamed around until we got back in our anchor, spending our safety stop near the uprooted tree submerged in waters.   It’s worthy to note that in 2015, a giant grouper (lapu-lapu) was washed ashore near this sanctuary, sadly it was dying after being trapped in the shallow waters, fishermen brought it in the surface and have it butchered and sold to a businessman. So sad…
I was imagining these are garden eels!
Planning Again
It was a faux pas but we still enjoyed our unplanned dives in Libertad! I guess, Angel is unrelenting because he promised DM Niki to return next summer aiming again for Maningning. They agreed for the calendar date where the waters would be flat and summer is in full bloom. Obviously the island is unspoiled, promising a rich underwater life. Antique waters is below the radar in diving but undoubtedly have secrets yet to be unraveled, apparently coming back in the province is something to look forward!
Disclosures
Our refuge in Pandan was in Unterpertinger Place, a room & breakfast owned by an Austrian who speaks Deutsch. A comfortable & homey place recommended by our Austrian DM. The place has a garden and orchard, a perfect rural setting. Our food was prepared direct from their home kitchen. 🙂
Heights and depths are both nature’s display of its wondrous splendor!
Adventures for the intrepid can be as varied as far one can go, many travelers have become so audacious and ambitious as if motivated in conquering one goal after another.
After years of diving and continually aiming for off beaten sites, I realized there are still a lot of places around the country that needs to be explored. I have learned so much from my travels and in many ways have gained new insights especially destinations that are closest to nature. The rural scenery is almost and always a plethora of learning and new understanding of our culture, the environment and wide issues of protection and preservation.
There are few places that are close to my heart, destinations that are perhaps distant and advance arrangements are necessary, yet the urge to keep coming back was hard to resist. Much that I love the depths, I am always fascinated by heights. So that, a combination of both in a trip, is a real indulgence, actually a luxury. Climbing a peak or searching the depths is a real show of grandeur in all scheme of things!
Coron – Climb Mt. Tapyas and dive in Coron Bay
Golden sunset in Coron Bay
Up close with a WWII shipwreck
One of my favorite dive destination is Coron due its collection of World War II wrecks, the underwater museum have tickled my curiosity and I have tons of write-up about the mysterious wrecks. I was always blown away every time we penetrated the old ships, these silent monsters abandoned in the depths. My visits to Coron though, is not complete without climbing Mt. Tapyas to catch glimpse of my beautiful sunset. I guess sunsets are more spectacular to watch from a mountain top. I would linger just watching, killing my time looking the horizons getting a good view of the changing hues. Until the golden sun would finally ebbed down and the white cross would light up.
Tawi-Tawi – Climb Bud Bongao and dive in Bongao waters
View from Bongao Peak!
Bud as seen from the waters
This southern most cluster of islands in the country is not a touristy one, in fact some if not most would think twice before coming to Tawi-tawi. Coming here was one of my most memorable trip, the discoveries were too precious to ignore. We visited here during Ramadan and by 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, the market was oozing with people and there was great array of food! The locals were friendly and helpful, the town is naturally peaceful.
We climb Bud Bongao the day we arrived, we trek and were welcomed by the macaque monkeys with our banana offerings. Bud is the highest point of the province, the view was just unmistakably breath taking! The three dives the next day was a great opportunity to explore the rich surrounding waters of the islands. Well, the currents made it challenging! The heights and depths combination was just marvelous!
Southern Cebu – Trek Osmeña Peak, traverse to Kawasan Falls and dive in Moalboal
The amazing sardines run!
Panorama from the O-Peak!
Well, this is actually a combination of three! The southern towns in Cebu have its own charms, so that in these three towns you have equally remarkable adventures. Drive to Mantalungon in Dalaguete, trek to Osmeña Peak and be amazed with those peaks shaped like peanut kisses! Trek down the fourteen kilometers trail and traverse to Badian right in Kawasan Falls, rafting and taking a dip in its aquamarine waters is truly refreshing! Stay in the next town of Moalboal and dive in its waters replete with diverse marine life. The awesome sardine’s run is too hard to resist, I came here again and again because of it. Pescador Island is also a renowned site, the sightings here are too good to be true, mind blowing as they say!
Camiguin Island – Trek Mt. Hibokhibok, traverse to Ardent Hot Springs and dive in its waters
Mountains of Camiguin
One of impressive sights is a cross marker in Sunken Cemetery
There a lot of reasons to be back here again and again, this island is also my favorite. It’s practically dense with nature wonders. Volcanoes, falls, hot and cold springs, islets, rich marine life and more! Climb Mt. Hibok-Hibok, this active volcano is safe for trekking and it can be done in a day. The view in the peak is undoubtedly breath taking, but it was foggy when we reached the top. We were surrounded with white clouds, the trail was challenging at different levels. It has a total of fourteen kilometers from Yumbing and traverse to Ardent, right in the hot spring pools! A dip is undoubtedly a good relaxant after the arduous trek.
The island is perfect for diving – from marine sanctuaries, coastal reefs to sunken cemetery! There’s a lot of choices and this island province is literally surrounded with dive sites in its coastal waters. Mantigue Island is a must, so with sunken cemetery, Old Vulcan, white island and many more. All of the sites are practically filled with diverse marine life.
These are just few, I know there are a lot of destinations around the country with this ridge to reef combinations. New learning, precious discoveries and the realization that every place has its own share of wonders and the God of order have made everything in nature in accord with all scheme of things.
Heights and depths are both nature’s display of its wondrous splendor!
By Angel C. Juarez
A Post written in Health & Home, August 2016 issue
In my continuous chase for offbeat dive sites in the country, I got a chance to explore the underwater treasures in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental. Heading to Barangay Mantangale with my perennial dive buddy Ate Claudia from Cagayan de Oro City one day I was enthralled with the unspoiled beauty under the waters of this laid back municipality. Indeed, the place is one of the most underrated dive spots in the country. While most tourists frequent Balingoan only as a jump-off point to Camiguin Island, for some like us, it is already a destination. It is a small piece of underwater paradise that will definitely keep us coming back again and again.
Finding Balingoan
Mantangale and Sipaka as seen from Balingoan Port
Balingoan is two hours north of Cagayan de Oro City, unknown to many, the waters around this small town that stretch toward Camiguin bustle with vivid underwater life. Without a doubt, Balingoan is one of my favorite place in the Philippines for scuba diving for two reasons: its rich marine life and the absence of tourist traffic that popular dive sites get. This means Balingoan is generally unspoiled and unexploited!
Sipaka Point
A cluster of humbug over soft corals
A feather star closed during night
Juvenile porcupine fish with those pleading eyes
One of Balingoan’s known diving spots is Sipaka Point. Its sloping white and sandy bed is an ideal site for students and divers of all levels. It is a perfect site for macro photography as well. Ten meters down Sipaka Point is beautiful reef adorned with colorful corals and crinoids, and home to small tropical fishes and marine creatures. Fishes like anthias, wrasses, angelfish, pufferfish, anemonefish, lionfish, groupers, and eels abound in the reef. So do lobsters, cuttlefish, glass and harlequin shrimps, and different species of nudibranches.
Talisayan Shoal
A crab during night dive
Ginger corals
A shrimp waiting for prey at night
Not far from Sipaka Point is Talisayan Shoal, a ten minute boat ride from the coast of Mantangale and a known spot for the colorful mandarin fish. It was already sunset when we descended down into the vast coral area of Talisayan Shoal. Armed with underwater torches, we maneuvered around the area on search for the rare mandarin fish. We saw the usual tropical reef fishes and other macro species such as shrimps and crabs, but not the rare mandarin fish. When my torch ran out of battery, we ascend for our safety stop. Darkness had already enveloped the surroundings as we sailed back to the shores. When I look into the water, I saw glowing bioluminous organisms as they were washed away by the boat. Indeed, the sea is a vast mystery and humans will never completely understand the life beneath.
Banaug Shoal
Two nudis!
Rich with soft and hard corals
Colorful bristle worms
Three years after our first dive affair with Balingoan. We returned to its depths to experience and explore more of its treasures. It was Banaug Shoal this time. It wasn’t my first time to dive here but I was excited as it were my first. We left for Banaug Shoal by speed boat. This shoal is the house reef of Mantangale Alibuag Dive Resort (MADRI), which for me is one of the best house reefs I have ever dived into. The diversity of marine life in this dense space is unbelievable and the explosion of underwater colors never ceases to amaze me. Snappers, butterflyfish, moorish idols, boxfish, trumpet fish, leaf fish, trigger fish and a lot more species graced our dives as well as sea slugs and other macro species.  They all made the small reef, carpeted with soft and hard corals, their home.
Lapinig Island
Budyong shell was one great find!
Wide table corals
Branching corals with wiggling juveniles
After our surface interval, we sailed from Mantangale to Lapinig Island, the islet in front of Balingoan Port. It looks dull and boring on the surface, but what’s underwater is a different story. It’s an action- packed world down there! Not minding the mild current, we gradually descend on a sandy slope hoping to see manta rays. There are reported sightings of manta rays in the site although not regular. It wasn’t our lucky day though, as no manta ray showed up. But the usual reef and macro species such as striped fish, trumpet fish, nudis, bristle worms, and others that I don’t know by name, made the dive an awesome one. Soft and hard corals, sea fans, feather stars and sponges also added color to the scenery. Sadly, some trashes scattered around the place due to its proximity to the port and residential area. We ended up fishing out trashes, turning our dive into a clean-up drive!
Looking forward to coming Back
My Balingoan dives are truly memorable and I look forward to more underwater explorations and discoveries in the town. The sea is a deep stash of treasures and surprises that I won’t get tired of exploring. I can’t wait for another rendezvous with underwater creatures of Balingoan in the years to come.
Disclosures: Angel C. Juarez of http://www.lakwatsero.com has been my dive buddy since few years back. I met him nine years ago during a Coron trip, four months later he became a certified diver. We have a lot of common favorite dive destinations and Mantangale is just one of them. Our last dive in the area was just this February 2017.
Life in the Great Beyond 
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