Posted by Werner Kurn February 13, 2012
Philippines Coral Reef
The Philippines receives far less foreign visitors than its Southeast Asian neighbors, but the cultural and natural riches deserve a closer look. In search of more newly discovered dive destinations I accepted an invitation to visit the southern part of these beautiful islands.
My first stop was Manila.The sprawling capital reflects the country’s complex history, but its smog, congestion and poverty can be overwhelming. Manila is a crowded, chaotic place where few visitors linger. I booked the Marriott hotel at the airport to avoid having to fight the traffic into downtown. The ever present bomb sniffing dogs along side the heavily armed guards at the entrance of the hotel are a strong reminder that not too long ago these islands were on the United States’ no travel list. I felt extremely safe and I think it is time to forget the past and give the Philippines another chance. That is not to say that you should be uninformed of where and how you travel in this region.
Philippines Clown Fish
After a good night’s rest I took a short one hour flight to Cebu where I boarded the Philippine Siren, a traditional Indonesian Phinisi. I was only able to spend two nights experiencing the waters of Cebu, but it was enough time to see that the very charming and knowledgeable cruise director, Andrea, has everything under control. The boat is definitely a 5 star, and the crew is fabulous. The food was plentiful and great tasting, and the diving was superb. The Philippine Siren has identical sister yachts in several other countries and we will surely add all of them to our travel itineraries.
Thresher Shark
Lately we’ve heard quite a bit about frequent thresher shark sightings off the island of Malapascua. These very rare and illusive sharks were my reason for enduring the 1 hour commercial ferry ride followed by a 3 hour drive and then yet another one hour boat ride. The little island is home to several bed and breakfast lodges with very limited amenities. The next morning we got on a typical Philippine outrigger for the 45 minute boat ride to find the thresher sharks. News travels fast these days. We were greeted by 5 boats and the sun had not even gotten up yet.
Thresher Shark Close
It did not take long before I saw my first ever thresher shark with it’s signature long tail. By the end of the dive I had seen 12 of them and after 40+ years of traveling the world to look for that special adrenaline dive, this one sure made the list. Thresher Shark Divers hosted me for my one day visit. They run a wonderful operation and I was impressed with their service and ability to deliver on their promise to dive with thresher sharks. I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible. It certainly was a memorable one!
Do you want to go with us to the Philippines? We still have space left on our trip in January 2013 with Curt Thompson and Ed Lavin! Click Here for trip details!
