Dive Sites, Surf Spots, and Game Fishing in the Philippines

[hugodiekonig]

[Mars Uy]

[Planning Democracy]

Wow the reefs look good here, and there's surfing too.

[mike durero]

DestinAsian, a Hongkong-based magazine, recognize Siargao Island as one of Asia's best island beaches.

10 Great Island Beaches

For that ultimate tropical idyll,nothing beats a ravishing stretch of sand—particularly when the beach in question is located on an equally serene isle. After a considerable amount of island-hopping around the region, our writers have identified 10 such strands that are among the best in Asia. Some of these picturesque shores are remote and undeveloped, while others pamper visitors with luxurious lodgings. But all share tha most elusive quality: paradise



Compiled by Natasha Dragun, with reports from Cynthia Rosenfeld, Leisa Tyler, David Tse, Martin Westlake, Petrina Price, and Cathy Paras-Lara.

From Malaysia to the Maldives, Asia has its fair share of exotic islands, fabled archipelagos, and legendary beaches. The fact that many come with abundant offshore attractions and luxury lodgings makes a visit even more appealing. Here, we travel to 10 countries to profile the region’s hottest island shores—endless stretches of sand fringed by rain forest and coral reefs—looking at when to go, what to do, where to be pampered, and the best places to eat and sleep when you arrive.

Bai Sao
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Getting to Bai Sao, known locally as Star Beach, requires patience, but you’ll be well rewarded for your effort. Set on the southeast coast of Phu Quoc—Vietnam’s largest island, 50 kilometers from the mainland in the Gulf of Thailand—Bai Sao’s gentle arc of powdery sand sweeps down to shallow, turquoise waters that are warm year-round.

Where to Stay
Save for the occasional beach shack, Bai Sao is as yet undeveloped. But comfortable lodgings are close at hand. On Phu Quoc’s west-coast Duong Dong Beach, La Veranda (84-77/398-2988; laverandaresort.com; doubles from US$135), is only four kilometers from Bai Sao, easily accessed by bicycle or taxi. Rooms come with private balconies, paddle fans, and handmade decorative tiles, while the resort’s main wing is home to a breezy restaurant with ocean views.

What to Do
Feast on barbecued seafood at the small restaurants along Bai Sao in between dips in the bathwater-warm water. For something more active, hire a bike and pedal to the village of Ham Ninh, where you can pick up pearls and the island’s famed fish sauce. You don’t need scuba tanks to explore the shallow reefs, but there are several dive outfits on the island, and bamboo shark sightings are common offshore.

When to Go
The monsoons strike the island between June and November. Avoid the rain and visit in the dry season, when temperatures hover around 30°C.

Godellawela Bay
Sri Lanka
Set at the southernmost tip of the country, Godellawela Bay earned its local nickname, Dream Beach, for a reason. The long stretch of soft white sand is lapped by gently curling waves, and crystal-clear waters extend as far as the eye can see. The bay is hemmed by soaring coconut palms and rocky bluffs, making it one of the most secluded shores on the island.

Where to Stay
Postcard-perfect views are afforded by the 30 rooms at Amanwella (65/6887-3337; amanwella .com; doubles from US$325). Linger on daybeds on your private terrace before retreating to your suite—think classic Aman sleekness accented with floor-to-ceiling windows and fantail coconut-wood furniture. The resort’s restaurant dishes up the catch of the day above a 47-meter-long infinity pool.

What to Do
Time seems to lose meaning at Amanwella, where daybeds and hammocks pepper the path to the beach. Once you do finally make it to the shore, you might be rewarded with sightings of baby leatherback turtles—hatchings occur here every spring. Farther afield, spot elephants, exotic birds, and free-roaming tigers at Uda Walawe National Park.

When to Go
Sri Lanka’s sun shines brightest from November to April.

Kenting Beach
Taiwan
Nestled at the southern tip of Taiwan and surrounded by national parkland—fields of sugar cane, banana and coconut groves, and rain forest —Kenting Beach is a popular holiday spot. But if you time your visit right, you might have this strip of sand to yourself.

Where to Stay
The Kenting Chateau Beach Resort (886-8/886-2345; ktchateau.com.tw; doubles from US$182) features three themed guest wings; rooms in the Marbella Hall and Italian-style Positano Hall come with ocean views and private balconies. Seafood stars at the resort’s four restaurants; the Barbados Beach Bar is just meters from the sand and is great place to catch a dazzling sunset.

What to Do
From bird- watching to banana boating, there’s never a dull moment on Kenting Beach. Ornithologists will want to head inland to the Kenting National Park on the banks of Lungruan Lake. On any given day in October, thousands of migrating gray-faced buzzard eagles and Chinese sparrow hawks pass through here. If you’re feeling restless, try your hand at paragliding, mountain biking, or snorkeling.

When to Go
Surfers will not want to miss the awesome curls that roll in between November and March. With the monsoon season past, these months are also good for diving and snorkeling—the waters are crystal clear, and the crowds have subsided. Avoid summer, when temperatures can soar and the beach becomes overrun with vacationers from Taipei and Kaohsiung.

Landaa Giraavaru Beach
Baa Atoll, Maldives
Clownfish and Oriental sweetlips add color to the azure waters that surround this 18-hectare isle in the Baa Atoll, a 45-minute seaplane flight north of the international airport. Of the Maldives’ 1,190 coral islands, Landaa Giraavaru boasts one of the most romanticsandbanks—it changes hue and shape from sunrise to sunset.

Where to Stay
Guests at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives Landaa Giraavaru (960/660-0888; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$800), the island’s only accommodations, can watch fish swim into view from the massage beds inside Landaa Spa’s glass-bottomed suites. Waves break against Sri Lankan architect Ismail Murad’s striking over-water villas, while at Al Barakat, the open-air restaurant, underwater lights keep guests entertained while they dine on aromatic mezzes and succulent chicken couscous with cinnamon, chickpeas, and raisins.

What to Do
Take an underwater tour with one of the resort’s six resident marine biologists, who oversee endeavors like the 200-plus coral propagation trays that enhance the island’s lagoon. Snorkel deeper into the Indian Ocean in search of butterfly fish and white-tail unicorn fish, or strap on a tank and dive with mantas and sharks.

When to Go
The best time to view underwater life is between December and April, when the sea is calm and clear. Manta rays and whale sharks are seen in their highest numbers from July to November.

Luhuitou Bay
Hainan Island, China
Hainan Island, China’s southernmost province, may be best known for its Yalong Bay resorts, but nearby Luhuitou Bay has won us over for its crowd-free strip of white sand. Backed by foothills, the beach borders calm, clear waters that offer some of the best diving on the island.

Where to Stay
Opened in 2008, the Banyan Tree Sanya Resort & Spa (86-898/8860-9988; banyantree.com; doubles from US$249) offers 49 villas, each with private plunge pools, landscaped gardens, and outdoor bathtubs. The decor is smart and minimal, with an earthy palette offsetting the tropical surrounds. Four open-air restaurants and bars look out to the South China Sea, where fishing boats ply the waters in search of your next meal.

What to Do
It may not have its own dive center, but the Banyan Tree can arrange scuba expeditions in a snip. On dry land, make the most of the resort’s village tours, or tee off at the nearby Sanya Luhuitou Golf Course. Recuperate at the Banyan Tree’s sprawling spa, where traditional Chinese medicine is paired with state-of-the-art hydrothermal facilities.

When to Go
The rainy season hits the island between May and October and can turn the sand into sludge. The best time to visit is between November and March, when temperatures are in the mid-20s.

Nihiwatu Beach
Sumba, Indonesia
Around 400 kilometers east of Bali on the southwest coast of Sumba Island, this pristine strand is a popular pilgrimage site for surfers, who descend to hang ten on theoffshore wave known as “God’s Left.” But when they pack up their boards come evening, you’ll have the entire 2.5-kilometer-long stretch of sand to yourself.

Where to Stay
The Nihiwatu (62-361/757-149; nihiwatu.com; doubles from US$490) resort’s sea-facing villas include a sprawling three-bedroom hilltop chalet with private pool overlooking the Indian Ocean. The thatched-roof rooms are outfitted with Sumbanese textiles and a host of modern amenities.

What to Do
In the interest of surfer safety, a strict policy limits wave riders to nine at a time, but there is plenty to keep you entertained otherwise. The resort organizes activities like fishing trips (the area is famed for its Spanish mackerel, wahoo, and trevally), snorkeling and scuba diving, and boat excursions to the three seashell-strewn coves of Konda Maloba Bay, an hour’s journey to the south. At low tide, staff leads tours to nearby villages, where you chat with locals and pick up beautiful handicrafts.

When to Go
The best breaks wash ashore from April to December, after which the monsoon season descends. The Nihiwatu resort is closed from January 10 to February 28.

Radhanagar Beach
Havelock Island, India
One of only a handful of India’s far-flung Andaman Islands where tourism has a toehold, Havelock fulfills the pristine-beach dreams of no more than 10,000 visitors a year. Those who make the journey will be rewarded with a stunning two-kilometer ribbon of footprint-free sand along Havelock’s west coast. Radhanagar, unofficially known as Beach No. 7, backs onto dense rain forest, where coconut palms reach out from a thick mesh of ferns and cast shadows over the translucent, sandy-bottomed cove.

Where to Stay
The island’s best digs, Barefoot at Havelock (91-319/228-2151; barefootindia.com; doubles from US$80) is a rustic, low-impact resort with 18 thatched-roof cottages built from bamboo and palm fronds. Some come with air-conditioning, but a better way to cool down is with an Iyengar yoga class by the water. Even the most jaded globetrotters will fork over the considerable fee to have their photo taken underwater with Rajan, the resort’s 58-year-old swimming elephant—his trunk is his snorkel.

What to Do
Lionfish and Napoleon wrasse abound in the 15 dive sites off Radhanagar. Snorkelers will be enthralled by the vibrant hues of the lagoon’s coral gardens, just meters from the sand. Visitors can also kayak through surrounding mangroves in search of monitor lizards and crocodiles, trek into the canopied forest (home to 150 animal and plant species unique to these islands), or go deer-spotting along the beach at sunrise.

When to Go
Rajan remains on land during the monsoon season, from May to October. To avoid the downpours, and to glimpse turtle hatchlings, visit between December and March.

Siargao Beach
Siargao, Philippines

Siargao Island, a tiny islet 800 kilometers southeast of Manila, is another site that surfers flock to on a regular basis. The waves at Cloud 9, a notorious break off the island’s eponymous beach, are said to be the best in the Philippines, and the white sands they curl towards are powder-soft.

Where to Stay
The brand-new Kalinaw Resort (63-921/320-0442; kalinawresort.com; doubles from US$136) is the only luxe accommodations on the island. Kalinaw (which translates as “peaceful” in Visayan) features a series of design-oriented cottages with dark-wood floors, free Wi-Fi access, and beach views.

What to Do
If you’re not tackling Cloud 9’s barrel rolls, take to the water and explore the nearby Sohoton Caves, a beachfront nature reserve hemmed by wild forest cliffs with semi-submerged caves. Alternately, ask the resort to pack you a picnic hamper and spend the day paddling between the shallow reefs.

When to Go
The best waves are to be had between July and November, although these months do coincide with monsoon season. To avoid the rain, visit between November and May.

Sunrise Beach
Koh Lipe, Thailand
One of the 51 islands that constitute the Tarutao National Marine Park in the Andaman Sea, off the southwest coast of Thailand, the tiny isle of Koh Lipe is as popular for its sand as it is for its sea. Of the island’s four main beaches, Sunrise catches the early morning rays, casting silhouettes of coconut palms over a stretch of soft sand.

Where to Stay
One of the newest hotels on the island, the Idyllic Concept Resort (66-81/802-5453; idyllicresort.com; doubles from US$83) is set amid tropical gardens that end in ocean-facing bungalows overlooking Sunrise Beach. Sixteen airy villas are minimal in design, but come with mod-cons including flatscreen TVs and broadband Internet access.

What to Do
The petite island is easily explored on foot, but Idyllic can also organize bikes and motorcycles. While the reefs immediately offshore abound with aquatic life (the 2004 tsunami had little impact here), divers should not miss the opportunity to explore Tarutao, Thailand’s first marine park, covering some 1,490 square kilometers. These waters are home to dolphins and sperm whales, as well as an incredible 25 percent of the world’s tropical fish species.

When to Go
The best, albeit busiest, time to visit Koh Lipe is in December, when the weather is relatively cool and the rainy season has passed. Diving is optimal in March and April, when the water is still and clear and tourist numbers have subsided. Daily ferries connect Koh Lipe with surrounding islands from November to May, with weekly crossings between May and November.

Teluk Dalam Kecil Beach
Redang Island, Malaysia
Set at the northern tip of Redang Island, off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, this idyllic beach is lined with powder-soft sand surrounded by rain forest. Splash about in the turquoise waters of the sheltered lagoon, or swim out to Aziz’s Reef, 100 meters offshore, where you’ll find an underwater menagerie bursting with marine life.

Where to Stay
The best lodgings on this sparsely populated strip of sand are the new hillside villas at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort (609/630-8888; berjayaresorts.com; doubles from US$265), replete with private patios and unbeatable lagoon views. What to Do It’s hard not to spend day after lazy day on the beach. But if you must take shelter, pull up one of the resort’s padded sunloungers, set under thatched umbrellas. There’s always a game of volleyball on the go, and the Berjaya’s marine centre is fully equipped to take out divers of all experience levels. On-land adventure seekers can trek into the rain forest towards Teluk Dalam Besar Beach, equally idyllic and often deserted.

When to Go
Redang is blessed with blue skies for most of the year, except between November and January when the monsoon strikes.[/QUOTE]
hhhh

[pthfndr19]

CALICOAN ISLAND, GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR

[dinabaw]

a personal guide to scuba diving in Thailand and South East Asia

Davao Scuba Diving, Philippines – The New Muck Diving Destination

by Chris on July 14, 2009

Despite having a feast of great muck diving, Davao Gulf in the Southern Philippines has remained largely off the dive map. All that could be about to change.

Yellow Frogfish © Jeff De Guzman


Hairy Pipefish © Jeff De Guzman

This article was first published in Scuba Diver AustralAsia magazine, Issue 4, 2008. It appears here in a slightly different form.

Photos were kindly provided by Jeff De Guzman, who also illustrated my story in the magazine.

To see more of my stories for Scuba Diver AustralAsia magazine, visit my Scuba Diving Magazine Stories page.

If you were asked to picture what an emerging macro diving destination looks like, chances are you’d be thinking of somewhere remote and uninhabited, a Lost Eden island in the middle of nowhere. But less than 30 minutes boat trip from the huge city port of Davao on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao lies a plethora of spectacular small critters that will have macro enthusiasts grinning with delight. While locals have been diving in Davao’s waters for years, there has only been a trickle of foreign divers visiting up to now. It’s still an undiscovered dive destination in both senses - there are exploratory trips being carried out by local dive company Wind And Wave each month to explore further along Davao Gulf’s miles of coastline as it rolls out to the ocean.


Davao lies at the apex of Davao Gulf, a huge V-shaped swathe of flat calm water that eventually opens out into the Celebes sea. The Gulf is sheltered from typhoons thanks to being surrounded by a ring of mountains, crowned by Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines. Within the Gulf itself, and just across the water from the Davao city, lies the large island of Samal, which creates a natural channel between itself and the mainland and harbours virtually all of Davao’s dive sites. Unlike the mainland, Samal remains largely undeveloped besides one luxury hotel resort, Pearl Farm. The rest of the island features the thickly set palm trees and fringing white beaches for which the Philippines are famous. It’s hard to believe it’s only a few minutes boat ride away from the traffic clogged streets of Davao. Local fishermen paddle tiny one man outriggers up and down the shore as they go about their daily catch, and the occasional container ship heading in for the port is still dwarfed by the sheer size of the Gulf. And all the while, Mount Apo looms overhead catching clouds amongst the bright blue sky. It’s not a bad view at all from the dive boat.


Davao’s 20 plus dive sites are situated in clusters around the Pearl Farm resort and Samal’s three smaller sister islands, Ligid, Malipano and Talicud, as well as scattered along the coast of Samal itself. It quickly became clear from our first few dives that if you want gin clear water and big pelagics, you’ll probably be disappointed by Davao diving. While sailfish, dolphins. dugongs and even whale sharks have been occasionally spotted by local fishermen along the coast of Davao Gulf, they’re rarely seen by divers. The water can be turbid and silty, giving an average viz of around 10 metres, and there’s the occasional strong current which can signal the beginning of an impromptu drift dive. But for adventurous divers who aren’t bothered by less than postcard perfect conditions, Davao provides some fantastic opportunities.

Kaputian is a dive site in point. Dropping in at dusk, it seemed an unprepossessing flat gentle slope of small rocks, with patches of sand and sea grass. Within seconds I was mesmerized by the cowfish that seemed almost as taken with me, backing away slowly but keeping its gaze firmly fixed on me as I had a quiet grin about its cute big eyes and horns. When the cowfish had finally had enough of me, I’d only moved a few more metres before encountering the frozen profile of a reptilian eel, looking like an ornate bottle buried in the sand. More dynamic was the tiny bright blue bobtail squid that resembled a minature cuttlefish, which I only left alone when one of the guides started arcing his torch in a gentle circle to illuminate the graceful seahorse he’d found, some 8 inches or so long.

We had split up into two groups to maximize our spotting time, and there was a flurry of excitement from the other group as they stumbled across one of the holy grails of macro diving: a clown frogfish. This tiny creature, panstick white with a huge red stripe running through it just like its namesake, was almost wholly buried amongst the small rock chunks that make up the slope. Our guide Ricci was all smiles when he got out the water as it was the first time he’d ever seen one, let alone found one – even more impressive given it was a night dive!

As we headed back to Davao that night, it was already decided we’d go back in search of the clown frogfish. Instead, we subsequently encountered a harlequin shrimp in all its polka dotted finery and a pair of Pegasus. We dived Kaputian three times in all and it felt like a different site each time and that there was something not only new but quite special too.

Red Frogfish © Jeff De Guzman

Besides the fine muck diving along Samal’s coastline, Ligid and Talicud, two of the islands just off Samal, provide impressive coral landscapes with teeming fish populations. Big Ligid and Little Ligid are located around the other side of Samal on the north eastern tip. Little Ligid is a private island that’s available to rent by the day if you’re feeling particularly decadent. Big Ligid is one of Davao’s signature sites and provides the best chance of seeing roving pelagics like packs of barracuda and whitetip sharks riding the currents, which also improves the viz.

The island’s craggy limestone walls provide a scenic backdrop topped with dense foliage above water, while underneath the surface the ocean has hollowed out a fascinating cave in Ligid’s wall and a pinnacle off its furthest point. The vertical wall drops at around 20 metres and the cave is a large triangular gap at its base. The cave repaid our curious torchlit investigation of its floor with some vibrant nudibranches. Ligid’s wall itself is quite breathtaking – the vivid golds of the clouds of fish hovering over emerald green coral with random spots of bright pink and red look like the work of some aquatic graffiti artist, a stunning and slightly overwhelming mix of colours and textures. Seeing a full sized black and white banded sea snake gracefully sidewind across this landscape provided the final touch to a great dive.

Mushroom Rock at the other end of Samal is also a local favourite, a collection of sites with steep walls dropping to 30 metres completely suffused with a neverending tumble of soft corals whose fronds reach out from their vertical incline. It’s comparable to Mansud Wall, on Samal’s other small island Talicud. Both provide the perfect conditions for an exhilarating drift dive. The abundance of soft coral on Mansud’s vertical wall which has a plateau at around 12 metres and then continues down is breathtaking, perfect for hanging in the current and simply taking it all in. The fish life is also abundant here, with plenty of clownfish and the usual reef suspects, along with a ghostpipefish which seemingly materialized out of nowhere, so good was its camouflage.


Mansud’s two neighbouring sites are very different – Coral Garden is a slightly murky coral patch that provided fantastic photo ops of jawfish peering suspiciously at us from their vertical hideyholes. There is an abundance of the always noteworthy spearing and peacock mantis shrimp in Davao Gulf as well – we spotted them on several dives, lurking amongst rocks and coral and, in one instance, defiantly standing out in the middle of the pebbles and facing us down. Babu Santa was particularly good for spotting mantis shrimp, another ugly looking site of scrubby vegetation on white sand that revealed playful pairs of puffafish cavorting wide-eyed around us, leading the way to the highlight of this dive and a first for me - a clown snake eel, much smaller than the reptilian eel and its crazy paving camouflage making it look a little less sinister. Even the trash on this site (Talicud island is a popular place for Davao partygoers) had become home to glass shrimp peering out of the neck of a discarded beer bottle.

Right by the Pearl Farm resort are the tiny islands of Malipano, on which are built the owner’s quite stunning array of beach houses. Two WWII era Japanese wrecks lie directly in front of the resort in murky conditions that make them only of interest to wreck enthusiasts. Besides seeing another seasnake racing across the deck of one wreck, we also encountered the biggest lionfish I have ever seen, nearly a foot across, only rivaled by the giant puffafish that hoved into view during our following dive at Bing’s Corner.


Bing’s is a site on Malipano island that encapsulates Davao diving in a way, with a contrasting mix of big, expansive reef and tiny creatures. It’s an excellent wall dive with a spectacular carpet of soft corals, lots of fronds and fans meshing in with one another, with a strong drift current in places too. The viz was a little silty but that didn’t really matter. Amongst the explosions of coral growth we went looking for pygmy seahorses in one of the immense scarlet gorgonian fans jutting out from the wall – we had no luck this time round, but the giant puffafish was a consolation, as was the plethora of nudibranches we found along the way, with no less than five vivid green and red nudibranches grouped together (easily identified post-dive as chromodoris nembrata).

When you add up the beauty of Davao’s natural surroundings above water with the fascinating array of critters under the surface, the ease with which you can visit the city and get to the dive sites as well, the convenience of having big city luxury nearby, and the genuine pride and excitement the dive guides have in Davao in showing off what is still a largely undiscovered dive destination, Davao has got a lot going for it. It may never be a chart topper like Palau or Sulawesi, but Davao has its own unique dive charm.

Thanks to: Albert and all the team at Wind And Wave Davao for organising a great trip in Davao. And to Carlos, for the cheese.

How To Get To Davao:
There are regular daily flights from Manila to Davao with Cebu Pacific , Air Philippines and Philippines Air. Air Philippines allow scuba divers 25kg of extra baggage for free on production of their scuba certification card. Check flight comparison sites Wego.com Kayak.com andSkyscanner for current flight prices.

Entry/ Visa Requirements:
Most nationalities can get a free 30 day visa on arrival at Manila Airport. Check with your local Filipino embassy.

Language:
Tagalog is the official language of the Philippines. English is spoken widely.

Best time to dive:
Davao’s sheltered position means year-round diving is possible. The official off season is July to February - I went in September.

Currency:
Filipino Peso. US Dollars and credit cards are widely accepted, although check ahead with your dive operator to ensure you take acceptable payment.

Dive Happy

[mike durero]

Siargao Fishermen Catch Nearly 9-foot Long, 132 Kilos Giant Fish
June 26, 2009 by Ben

June 26, 2009





SURIGAO CITY – It could have been the foreign anglers’ grandest catch but what these World-class game fishing enthusiasts failed to achieve were the success of the two local fishermen who never thought in their years of catching fishes their only means of livelihood, to catch a 8 foot, 8 inches long with 50.5 inches width and 132 kilos “Pacific Blue Marlin”.

Surigao City-based broadcaster Jun Parada who personally saw the giant fish as he was in Siargao Island at the time it was caught told this writer hundreds of coastal Barangay Asinan residents partake the meat of the giant fish after ten hours it got finally subdued.

Parada said he was in the island town of Pilar to cover the recently concluded 3rd Siargao International Game Fishing tournament.

Pilar Mayor Lucio Gonzales identified the fishermen who accidentally caught the giant fish as Allan Salvadoza and Constancio Batistil, both residents of Barangay Asinan, Pilar, Surigao del Norte.



According to the two fishermen, they were sailing off coast Barangay Asinan morning of April 14 just four days after the scheduled April 6-10, 2009 3rd Siargao International Game Fishing Competition concluded wherein known local and foreign anglers participated.

The highest catch achieved during that now going popular game fishing tournament was a 40-kilograms blue marlin, Pilar Mayor Lucio Gonzales said.

The two fishermen said they were on their daily regular fishing expedition that day when they suddenly noticed their crude fishing tools’ ropes got tightened and their regular size motorized fishing boat powered by a ten horsepower engine seemed to be dragged away by the fish hooked in their baits.

When they tried to pull the rope, it seems the fish was so heavy that they nearly got thrown away from the fishing boat thus they decided to go near the shore and seek from the people.

They got the surprised of their lives when they saw the fish they accidentally caught was twice bigger and taller than them.

They then just let the giant fish struggle from time to time as its giant mouth was already hooked with its huge hooks intended for big fishes of their fishing rod. Thus it took them ten hours to finally catch the giant fish.

They accidentally hooked the giant fish around 9:30 a.m. April 14 but it was already 7:30 in the evening when it was finally caught with the help of many people in Barangay Asinan shore.

Barangay Asinan residents were shocked of the hugeness of the giant fish thus after they measured it after it died due loss of blood from the iron hooks hooked into the fish’s giant mouth they decided to divide the fish’s giant meat where some 700 people were able to partake it for dinner.

They claimed it was the biggest fish and first catch so far in their years of staying in the coastal Barangay of Asinan.

Local officials of Pilar are hoping it will be included in the Guinness Book of World records.(Ben Serrano)

http://mindanao.com/blog/2009/06/sia...os-giant-fish/

[mike durero]

flickr find

image hosted on flickr

[mike durero]

flcikr find

ride the barrel

image hosted on flickr

[mike durero]

flcikr find

DURING THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL GAMEFISHING TOURNAMENT IN PILAR, SIARGAO

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[mike durero]

flickr find

@ stimpies break
siargao

image hosted on flickr


take a boat out a few miles and anchor, and there's a left that breaks off this rock in the middle of the ocean...this was taken with a disposable waterproof camera...

[dinabaw]

Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Philippines - 5 Great Scuba Diving Destinations
The Philippines, being an archipelago with 7,107 islands within its territory has many marine places and aquatic areas perfect for water sport activities such as scuba diving. There are numerous places inside the country that are ideal to go for scuba diving expeditions. Here are five great scuba diving destinations in the Philippines:

1. Batangas – located south from Manila, the nearest place to consider scuba diving from the country’s capital. One can enjoy diving here any time of the year, and the best time during the months of November until June the coming year. Batangas coasts are rich with beautiful coral reefs especially the “Layag-Layag Reef” that is found mostly in this area. There also is the Sombrero Island or the Hat Island where it is shaped like the corners of the hat. Here, one can find the vast collections of corals, seashells and many other marine creatures. Divers will surely enjoy exploring under water spectacles once they get to Batangas.

2. Boracay Island – this very famous beach destination is also known for its amazing underwater features. Boracay is located in Visayas Regions, in Caticlan Province. Lots of divers enjoy scuba diving here and have a glimpse of the country’s most wonderful marine life. There are plenty of attractive and colorful sets of coral reefs here that have been a favorite subject among the underwater photographers for its remarkable beauty.

3. Tubbataha – located in the southernmost part of the Philippines, in the Sulu province. This is a very well known place in the Philippines where the best coral reef gardens are seen. The place is well preserved and is completely for kept for diving only, without any modern facilities in the area. The Filipinos protected this site from hazards making it naturally beautiful and attractive throughout the years.

4. Davao – also located at the southern part of the Philippines, in its Mindanao regions. The place is packed with underwater splendor that has been a favorite of lots of scuba divers. There are several sites in Davao where divers can enjoy scuba diving. There is the Mushroom Rock, Ligid Island, Talicud Island, and the Pearl farm, also known as the Isla Malipano.

5. Cebu – a very famous city in the Philippines that is also known as the “Queen City of the South”. Cebu has many striking beaches for divers to choose from. There is the Mactan island, that has several beach resorts and are perfect for divers both beginners and scuba diving experts. There is also the Olongo Island group that has a vast collection of reefs that are definitely must-see.


goingplacesinasia

[Mars Uy]

DISCOVER CALICO-AN ISLAND, GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR!

[mike durero]

Originally Posted by ipur

From Surigao Today

Surigao del Norte town aiming to become Southeast Asia’s game-fishing capital



SIARGAO Island, Surigao del Norte—A sleepy community of barely 10,000 people, Pilar town and its people have big dreams—to become the game-fishing capital of Southeast Asia, if not Asia itself.

With the support of the national government and the Department of Tourism (DOT), the people of Pilar are pooling their resources, bayanihan- style, to lure tourists. Some 27 homes in the town have signed up for the town’s home-stay program, which allows tourists to live with local families and experience rural life in Pilar while enjoying the town’s outdoor adventures.

The program started a year ago, when the town hosted the first Siargao game-fishing tournament. Without hotels and pension houses, town mayor Lucio Gonzales rallied the residents to open up their homes to their local and international guests. The DOT pitched in, identifying 16 houses which became recipients of a P75,000 grant to renovate their houses.

“We had nothing to offer, but our hospitality,” Gonzales said. The 2009 version of the game-fishing event drew anglers from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan and the United States to compete with local anglers from all over the country.

The event was opened by President Arroyo. This year’s winner caught a 120-kilogram marlin just off the coast of Siargao.

One of the participants of the home-stay program was Carmencia Umbros. Although Umbros did not get the cash assistance, she opened up her three rooms to a delegation from General Santos City, who stayed in her house for two consecutive game-fishing tournaments.

“They liked it here the first time so they contracted me to host them again in May this year,” Umbros, a retired public-school teacher, said.

Her brother-in-law across the street just finished installing air-conditioning units in a room and is wrapping up a paint job, courtesy of the cash assistance from the DOT.

For P1,200 a day, Umbros’s house offers an air-conditioned room and full board meals plus a little extra.

“When the anglers come home from a day at the sea, I could not allow them to go to bed hungry so I cook for them,” Umbros said. “As with men, there should be unlimited rice.”

Mayor Gonzales said Pilar wants to show the other side of Siargao aside from the now world-famous surfs of Cloud 9.

“Our fishing grounds are perhaps the richest in the country,” he said. “Our dream is to be the fishing capital of Southeast Asia.”

With a community like Pilar and residents like Umbros, the dream may not be that far from becoming a reality. (Business Mirror)

mmmm

[mike durero]

Originally Posted by ipur

From Surigao Today

Surigao del Norte town aiming to become Southeast Asia’s game-fishing capital



SIARGAO Island, Surigao del Norte—A sleepy community of barely 10,000 people, Pilar town and its people have big dreams—to become the game-fishing capital of Southeast Asia, if not Asia itself.

With the support of the national government and the Department of Tourism (DOT), the people of Pilar are pooling their resources, bayanihan- style, to lure tourists. Some 27 homes in the town have signed up for the town’s home-stay program, which allows tourists to live with local families and experience rural life in Pilar while enjoying the town’s outdoor adventures.

The program started a year ago, when the town hosted the first Siargao game-fishing tournament. Without hotels and pension houses, town mayor Lucio Gonzales rallied the residents to open up their homes to their local and international guests. The DOT pitched in, identifying 16 houses which became recipients of a P75,000 grant to renovate their houses.

“We had nothing to offer, but our hospitality,” Gonzales said. The 2009 version of the game-fishing event drew anglers from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan and the United States to compete with local anglers from all over the country.

The event was opened by President Arroyo. This year’s winner caught a 120-kilogram marlin just off the coast of Siargao.

One of the participants of the home-stay program was Carmencia Umbros. Although Umbros did not get the cash assistance, she opened up her three rooms to a delegation from General Santos City, who stayed in her house for two consecutive game-fishing tournaments.

“They liked it here the first time so they contracted me to host them again in May this year,” Umbros, a retired public-school teacher, said.

Her brother-in-law across the street just finished installing air-conditioning units in a room and is wrapping up a paint job, courtesy of the cash assistance from the DOT.

For P1,200 a day, Umbros’s house offers an air-conditioned room and full board meals plus a little extra.

“When the anglers come home from a day at the sea, I could not allow them to go to bed hungry so I cook for them,” Umbros said. “As with men, there should be unlimited rice.”

Mayor Gonzales said Pilar wants to show the other side of Siargao aside from the now world-famous surfs of Cloud 9.

“Our fishing grounds are perhaps the richest in the country,” he said. “Our dream is to be the fishing capital of Southeast Asia.”

With a community like Pilar and residents like Umbros, the dream may not be that far from becoming a reality. (Business Mirror)

go! siargao!!

[mike durero]

pictures DURING THE 1ST INTERNATIONAL GAMEFISHING TOURNAMENT IN PILAR, SIARGAO

[[dx]]

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon
by Elysia Eric Kim

[mike durero]

getting to siargao



International:

The best way to get to Siargao is via Cebu (Philippines). There are international flights from Hong Kong, Singapore and Kota Kinabalu to Cebu. For affordable flights from Manila to Cebu, please see www.cebupacificair.com & www.philippineairlines.com .

National:

1.) Chartered flights from Cebu DIRECT TO SIARGAO are available any time, although bear in mind that the Sayak Airport in Siargao is NOT night-rated and therefore has a sunset limitation for take-offs and landings. Aviatours offers charters (2-4 passengers; flying time of about 1 hour & 10 min.) Please contact us for more information about chartering a plane from cebu. There are no taxis at the Sayak Airport (Siargao) and transfers have to be arranged in advance.


2.) Commercial flight to Siargao VIA SURIGAO

a. From Manila: PAL Express has daily flights from Manila to SURIGAO (not to be confused with SIARGAO). Current schedule is as follows:

* ETD Manila 0930H
* ETA Surigao 1115H
* ETD Surigao 1145H
* ETA Manila 1313H


b. From Cebu: Cebu Pacific Airline The Cebu-Surigao flight is scheduled four-times weekly (Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday) starting November 13, 2008. It departs for Surigao at 10:20am and lands at 11:10am. It leaves Surigao at 11:30am and arrives in Mactan Cebu International Airport at 12:20pm

IN SURIGAO, you to connect with the last ferry from Surigao to Siargao. You also have the option of chartering one of our boats for the crossing to Dapa, Siargao.

Other airlines have expressed their intention of flying to Surigao and Siargao. We will update you on developments as soon as there are any.
Contact details of charter companies and airlines are as follows:

1. AviaTours: +63-32-341-2268, +63-32-495-2268,+63-919-637-6097,+63-919-359-2858; malou.napata@flyaviatour.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
2. Opulent Aviation: +63-32-340-4579, +63-32-495-6982, +63-917-623-1717, +63-918-909-1495
3. Cebu Pacific: www.cebupacificair.com ; +63-2-702-0888
4. PAL Express: www.palexpressair.com ; +63-2-855-8888

[Mars Uy]

Suluan Island, Eastern Samar

www.panoramio.com

image hosted on flickr

flickr find

Suluan Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf, near Homonhon Island and Calicoan Island.

It was the first ever landing place of Ferdinand Magellan's Armada after their 98 days Pacific crossing although Samar was their first land sighting. Samar did not have a safe harbor. "They headed to Suluan and dropped anchor for a few hours of respite." (source: Laurence Bergreen's Over the Edge of the World). They then next dropped anchor at Homonhon Island, where they spent a week with the natives, and then to Limasawa, where the 1st ever Christian mass was held March 31, 1521.

[surfs up]