Tag: Balingoan

Home at Last!

Home at Last!

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After almost three years, I was back in my grand element!

Slowly, things went back almost normal midway last year and what comes to my mind was not to end the year without the depths therapy. The conditions were getting better and I guess my triumphs were worth celebrating underwater. The only realm where I could have complete peace and silence.

Just as usual, things just fell into place.

I planned for a year-end dive like I used to do in prior years before the pandemic, hoping my favourite dive buddy could come. So, my best choice was in my go-to dive shop which always welcome me with open arms and heart, this warm and homey abode always gravitate my senses. I don’t need to travel far and I can book anytime I need to. I booked two dives and an overnight stay at the dive shop, with a day tour for my team (office) and treat them for a picnic as our Christmas fellowship. Yeah, shooting more birds with one stone. It was Thursday and a holiday, I went alone as advance party and hoping to get my two dives without hassles. It’s been three years…

I left the city late from my usual timetable but nothing to rush, my host assured. The familiar quiet and relaxing atmosphere at the shop greeted me, it was drizzling. The front desk staff was too glad to see me, it’s been awhile he said, and was surprised to see me alone. After settling my stuff in my room, I hastily went down at the shop after some preliminaries and found the boys preparing the gears. I informed Sir Dong that I need some refresher dive before getting to the house reef. My regulator need some safety checks too, sir Dong was kind and had the mouthpiece replaced with no fee! :)

After a Long Break

After gearing up, we head for Red Sands off Sipaka Point for my first dive. It was already 3pm. The waters have calmed a bit going to low tide. My reliable dive guide (Boboy) was hovering from the by-side just to keep watch on me as I coyly went around. It was funny as Boboy signalled arbitrarily pointing his eyes to that something beyond and I need to take a second look, I can’t barely see micros as I don’t have my dailies! And I was wiggling to control my bouyancy when I get shallower, thanks to my wetsuit that totally dried up after more than three years of complete rest! but it felt so good down the waters – emersing in silence in a different dimension. There were trash I gathered as usual, a plastic bottle that almost fossilized lurking in between substrates and few shampoo sachets – gladly it had never deceived my seeking eyes. We surfaced after 60 minutes with my air still 90 bars, went deepest at 23 meters with 30% nitrox! It was drizzling as we sped back to the shores.

That was enough for the day, Sir Dong suggested to have another dive the next morning early and again there is no need to rush as I spent overnight in the resort. I had a good rest after having a quite dinner overlooking the pool. I regained my perfect balm from aching heart, grieving soul, dried up gills and itchy fins!

One Stone, Two Hits

I was up the next morning early to prepare and was praying hard for a good weather. My team at work would come before lunch for our team building cum Christmas fellowship at the picnic area. I need to pack too my stuff for check out after the dive, there wont be much time if done later. I rushed down for my filipino breakfast, taking my time and went straight to diveshop as I was expected at 8am for our dives which was planned at the house reef! Sir Dong was already at the shop preparing his hi-tech cam , just glad he would be joining us in the dive. :) The skies was bit gloomy but just perfect as it wont too hot, it was 930am already and the waters has calmed going high tide.

We sped off for the floaters and anchored, with a giant step splashed to the waters!

Slowly inch by inch holding the line going down, there was nothing at first but halfway some chromis appeared wiggling coyly. The top of shoal is still colorful as ever. The unequalled diversity of marine life is simply engaging, swarm of damsels and chromis abound as we reached the hill.  A big red snapper appeared and I was wondering where the black snappers have gone, The black corals and a variety of hard and soft corals decorated the shoal.  The tangles of soft corals blocking my way felt like I was in the grasslands finding my way out. The pair of friendly octopus was new and a good find, I never had seen one before on the shoal. The pair was watching us and never went away and was observing us too. The perennial lions, chromis and wrasses still abound and it was a joy to find them again. The feeling of more than 100 feet below is still unequalled, weightless and floating peacefully with just the sound of my breath!

My dive guide signalled for ascent and I have to be dependent with him, I don’t have my dive computer as it was due for battery replacement. So, slowly inch by inch again we ascend holding the bouyline, I want to spend the last available minute still immersed in the waters. I went 33 meters deepest for 56 minutes, still with 70 bars at 30% nitrox! It was still gloomy as we surfaced but grateful for a great morning dive.

Sir Dong offered the diveshop for our activity, he said prophetically that it could rain anytime in the afternoon. I was awed he was so certain it would pour, that’s how sea people can read skies and feel the temperature. Then, my work mates just arrived on time after I was done for the post dive nitty-gritty.

The food, fun and laughter was just what we needed for the pile of work waiting back at the office. And it sure did pour and the diveshop was our great refuge! We left in good spirits after dark still drizzling.

I promised the resort staff I would be back soon for more dives. Very soon!

Balingoan: Underwater Paradise

Balingoan: Underwater Paradise

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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

port2
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.