i ♥ Travel - Swimming with Turtles at Apo Island

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. ” ― Lin Yutang

Hello Steemit Fretz!

Welcome to my Travel Blog Series! This is a collection of my travels & adventure photos and stories that I have kept throughout the years. Some are old school and some are current but they are wonderful memories nonetheless.

I’ve introduced you to Dumaguete on my last post. You can find it HERE.. This city is going to be our starting point to another island. Me and my fretz went on a swimming skit with the pawikans/sea turtles at Apo Island!

Apo Island

 

“Apo” is a Filipino term, which means grandchildren.

This island is considered as one of the tiniest volcanic islands here in the Philippines. It’s around 72 hectares and is the home of around a thousand people. The locals’ main source of income is fishing.

The marine sanctuary around the island is strictly protected by the NIPA (National Integrated Protected Area Act). It is a very famous diving site and snorkeling destination.

How to Get There

 

Me and my fretz, decided to go on a day trip since we already have an accommodation in Dumaguete.

From Dumaguete City, you then got to the bus terminal, which is near Robinson’s Mall and then take a bus to Bayawan City. Bus fare is less than 100 pesos and it is an air-conditioned bus. You can then ask the driver to drop you at the Malatapay market.

For us, we didn’t have to go to the terminal since the place we’re staying at is where the bus passes so we just have to wait on the street and wait for the bus going to Bayawan to pass by.

Rent a Boat

 

We were able to book a boat and made some reservations on the phone so finding a boat wasn’t a hassle. Boat prices can range between 2,000 pesos to 3,000 pesos depending on the size.

We’ve done some research and we found out that going to the island is going to be very bumpy and jumpy because of the strong currents so it’s best that you rent a big boat going there. Prepare to get wet as well.

It’s a 45-minute ride going to the island. Once you’re there, you have to pay a 100 pesos for non-Negros Oriental residents and 25 pesos for locals as a general admission fee in order to maintain the island’s cleanliness. The registration is right in front of where they dock the boats so locating it shouldn’t be a problem.

What to Bring and Expect?

1. Bring a change of clothes. You might get wet going there

2. Make sure that your gadgets are protected. It’s best that you have a water bag or dry bag with you.

3. Electricity is limited. Bring power banks and extra batteries.

4. There are not many eating places and not a lot of people selling so best that you bring some food and drinks.

5. Phone signal is limited so access to the internet might be slow to none.

Swimming with Turtles

   

When people think of an ideal beach vacation, this usually includes powdery white sand beaches and crystal clear blue waters. However, that’s not the case in Apo Island. The island’s beauty lies concealed underneath the waves.

The main activities in Apo island are diving and snorkeling. My frets don’t have any experience diving so we went snorkeling instead.

Not far from the beach, you can easily go for a swim and check out the sea turtles. For safety purposes, we had to wear life jackets. Our guide was there but just to make sure we don’t get into trouble we wore one or have it beside us.

One of the turtles, on the sea floor

I can swim but I can’t dive like one of my frets but just being above the water, I can still see the beautiful marine life down below. I lost count on how many sea turtles we’ve seen that day but that was one of the most magical and most memorable experiences in my life.

   

Aside from those turtles we’ve seen some fishes and beautiful corals as well. We only rented a camera, it was an Olympus camera with a waterproof case. Cameras, I’m obsessed with them. I wish I had bought an underwater camera at that time. Words cannot describe how gorgeous it is down below. We were able to use our guide’s camera but I still want to show you more.

Rules

As I’ve always emphasized, always be a good tourist. Always follow the rules. Here are some of the things you need to avoid when swimming with turtles:

Don’t touch

Don’t feed them

Don’t chase and disturb them. (I know we’d love to do this but don’t do it like obviously or aggressively that messes their usual stuff.)

Always give an ample space for the turtle to move and swim around.

Apo Island’s Beauty and Stone Formations

One of my fretz, striking a pose.  

Yes, down below was heavenly but it can’t be helped that there are also a few beautiful spots above sea level.

As to not scare you but as a warning for those who aren’t professional climbers and such, one or two Koreans already died in this cliff trying to climb and jump down (was drunk). I know the people here should’ve done something but it’s always your responsibility as a tourist to be at your best behavior.

Apo Island is a protected marine sanctuary. Always give respect to the place and keep it a safe place for marine life to survive and live longer. Happy Monday my fretz!

♥

Thumbnail was taken by me
The rest of the photos are from me and my fretz and used with persmission.