The beach of Dauin. In the background, the island of Apo. The sky clears on the horizon ... (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
The beach of Dauin. In the background, the island of Apo. The sky clears on the horizon ... (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)

Dauin, a paradise for divers

#Philippines

  Philippines: Visayas - February 2008

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation made from a post originally written in French. My apologies for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have been generated during the process. If you are reading French, click on the French flag below to access the original and correct text: 

A last picture, today, of the black sand beach of Dauin. We can see, in the background, the island of Apo. The sun is finally back... the day of my departure, of course!

Chilly, me?

The beach of Dauin. The sky is clearing on the horizon... (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
The beach of Dauin. The sky is clearing on the horizon... (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)

The gray weather persisted during my stay in Dauin. It is not very annoying for the dives, but still, a little ray of sunshine is always welcome to warm up when you get out of the water.

It was 27°C, but as usual I was a bit shivering when I came back to the surface, despite my lycra + wetsuit + shorts.

I'm not the only one playing onion skinner. Our guides and the clients who have their own suits do the same. The most frigid and the most fragile ears even wear hoods, scarves and other protective headbands.

Diving in Dauin and Apo Island

The dives here are the most spectacular of all the ones I did during this Philippine stay. The area is full of life. There are plenty of fish and a variety of sites that allow you to alternate between diving muck (on sand), drift dive, drop offs, reefs ... A real festival.

Asleep on the corals of Apo, a big turtle raises the head at my approach. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
Asleep on the corals of Apo, a big turtle raises the head at my approach. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
A beautiful little toad fish (antennal) clown. (Apo, Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
A beautiful little toad fish (antennal) clown. (Apo, Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
A seahorse of good size, found during a dive in Dauin. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
A seahorse of good size, found during a dive in Dauin. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
These striped pipefish (same family as seahorses) always go in pairs. Note the eggs hung under the belly of the biggest one. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
These striped pipefish (same family as seahorses) always go in pairs. Note the eggs hung under the belly of the biggest one. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)

I didn't stay long enough to explore all the sites. But I have every intention of returning. Maybe next year? But preferably in March or April, just to be sure to have good weather all the time...

Among the dives you must do: those ofApo Island. It is quite simple, the first time, we do not know where to go, so rich in fish and corals are the sites of Apo.

Be careful though, on the sites located on the east side of the island, like Cogon, there are currents that could pick the nudibranchs apart... But the feeling is quite exhilarating, especially when you are surrounded by schools of trevally, huge groupers and when a really big humpback parrot suddenly appears.

Hard to take pictures at this place, with the current. If we see a beautiful nudi, not sure that the rest of the group stops too and waits for the time of the focus... But there are other sites more protected from the current around Apo, on the west side, and there, we have time to stop and take pictures of some nice creatures.

The big banca of Sea Explorers in Dauin. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
The big banca of Sea Explorers in Dauin. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
The banca Sea Explorers is perfectly well suited for diving. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
The banca Sea Explorers is perfectly well suited for diving. (Negros, Philippines, February 2008)

The center Sea Explorers with which I dived is very well organized and equipped with large bancas (the traditional boats with pendulums) powerful, which hold the swell and allow to quickly gain the different sites.

We decide on our dives more or less from day to day. My favorites among the ones I made : Apo Island, The Pier and Masaplod.

Nudibranchs everywhere

My compact camera being more adapted to take pictures of the "small" than of the ambiance, I had a great time with nudibranchs... It's quite simple, they are everywhere! For those who, like me, love these little sea slugs, Dauin is a paradise!

(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)
(Negros, Philippines, February 2008)

The staff and guides are very caring. There are many photographic divers among the mostly German speaking clientele at the resort Pura Vida, affiliated to Sea Explorersthan at theEldorado neighbour.

But I still found some French people and I got along well with Frédérique and Thomas, a very nice couple from Colmar, with whom I had a chat in the evening, with Hervé, around San Miguel. We dive into books about nudibranchs identification, we tell each other divers stories...

  Philippines: Visayas - February 2008

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  1. That's it, I'm back, and I just read you !!!
    What fun, what a trip!!! I understand that you will be back on Tuesday... So, see you soon !!!!!

  2. Yep... You have to come back sometime!!! 😉

    I'm in Cebu airport, where there are some computers in free service. I'm waiting for my flight to Hong-Kong and I'm killing time with a little computer work.

    No USB plug here, so no way to send new pictures. But I'll complete this report with one or two more articles when I'm back in France.

    I will be back in Rennes on Tuesday. So see you soon!

    🙂

  3. Hello Laurence,

    Yep, I'm home... Still a little off, I must say. I gave myself the luxury of a huge nap this afternoon. That's okay, since I don't go back to work until tomorrow... But really, I just fell asleep on the couch 😉

    I plan to post one or two more articles about the Philippines, but from Rennes this time, and I will also take the opportunity to give some practical information.

    I can already answer your question: the electric plugs are of the USA type, that is to say two small flat plugs quite close together. You can find adapters in the stores, it doesn't cost anything at all, about 30 pesos. Otherwise, in the resorts they can lend you some I think.

    Well, I'll have to sort out the pictures and the report on the Plongeur.com!!!

    See you soon, and have a great time getting ready! 🙂

    Corinne

  4. I think you have to be back, not too hard transition?
    Fortunately in Betagne as in Normandy it is very beautiful right now!
    Can you inform me about power outlets in Visayas, type europe, USA, UK?

  5. Thank you.
    Yes, the holidays are approaching, another 15 days to go. I leave less than you, only 12 days, but hey, we will enjoy it thoroughly !!!

  6. Hello Corinne,

    These nudibranchs are beautiful! And even if the turtle is a bit green I really like this framing, in the middle of soft corals.

    I just read that you didn't have a great time, but I'm waiting to read more travel stories...

    Good recovery, it must be painful with the jet lag ...

    🙂

  7. Hello Marie-Angel!

    Yes, I had a blast with all those nudibranchs... And I have plenty more in stock, hey hey!!! 😉

    As for the turtle, I know that it is a bit greenish, poor thing... Unfortunately, I was a bit limited in terms of lighting, with my little built-in flash, and I didn't have the possibility to retouch the colors on site. But now that I'm back home, I have the right software to improve my pictures and I'm going to start working on it...

    Otherwise, I had a lot of rain, indeed, but only the last week, in Negros (Dauin-Dumaguete). It didn't spoil my stay though. There too, the weather is out of whack, "there are no more seasons, my good lady". The dry season was obviously late in coming.

    And the 7 hours of time difference... that, yes, we feel them well, on the way back. But hey, I'm not going to start complaining, after such a great trip 🙂

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