This island is blessed with beautiful reefs within its immediate vicinity. On the west side of the island,right in front is a reef with a beautiful coral garden. The reef features soft and hard corals in an explosion of colors,amazingly tamed reef fish,and untold surprises. Right in the middle of this confusion of color is a clearing with white sand at 3 meters (10 feet) of water. This is the site called the classroom,indeed a very ideal place to teach scuba.
On the steep slope,which runs down to 17 meters (about 55 feet),there are a lot of sponges,tunicates and sea squirts,garupas,parrot fish and the occasional family of bumpheads. On the far end of the reef exists an extensive garden of stag horn corals populated by rainbow runners,a school of barracuda and goat fish. A special treat awaits the diver at a small nook at 13 meters (about 40 feet) near the classroom - the chance to see a rare giant clam,Triadacna Gigas,measuring around one meter (about 3 feet).
On the north side of the island is a gently sloping reef. The corals are not as colorful as in the classroom but the chances of seeing mantas,eagle rays,and marine turtles are greater in this area,as well as lobsters,and a great assortment of reef fish call this home.
The northeast end of the island features a small place that has quite a number of Porites(hump corals),some of them as big as a small one bedroom house. The place is a good spot for macro photography (nudibranchs,crinoids,slugs,and other various invertebrates proliferate in this reef.)
Best time: October to May
How to get there:
It is accessible by plane from Manila to Busuanga. From Puerto Princesa City,it can be reached by taking a jeepney or bus to Taytay,then by sea from Taytay to Coron.
Travel time: 1 hour and 30 minutes flight from Manila. In Busuanga,30 minutes by jeepney to Decalasiao Wharf and 3 hours by pumpboat to Calauit.
Last updated: 2007-01-28 18:13:38.83
