Our Day 3 itin consisted of the Reefs and Wrecks tour. This is the last whole day trip we have and we couldn’t be more excited, it being our first time to see shipwrecks live and in the raw.
makes it almost impossible for one to be ripped off
First on the list was Coral Garden, a rich snorkeling enclave in Lusong Island, around one hour and fifteen minutes via pumpboat. Halfway through the long ride we passed by a “shortcut” through a mangrove forest in the middle of the sea in Bintuan. It was like entering a secret world, plodding through murky, still water with hundreds of mangroves covering either side of the estuary.
Approaching the mangrove forest
Inside the estuary…
…And then out right back to the ocean
As its name suggests, swimming in Coral Garden is like diving right into a huge aquatic garden with a million different species inside it. The wide variety of fish, unspoiled corals, sponges and anemones in the area was astounding. We dedicated an hour for the place yet we weren’t able to swim its entire scope with how vast the coral stretch was. I’ve been to many fascinating snorkel sites but this one surely tops my list.
A collection of different corals
Fish!
Budding coral trees
Sea anemone
Can you spot the black coral fish?
Expensive pearls are also harvested and cultivated in Coral Garden. Because of how delicate they are, there is a dedicated Tagbanuan watching the place 24/7 on a floating guardhouse. Jigs said he even saw the guy carrying a shotgun inside (to ward off potential pearlnappers).
The guardhouse
We were supposed to proceed to Calumbuyan Island afterwards to have our picnic lunch but the strong current made it impermissible to do so. Instead, we docked in the middle of the open sea, beside the Lusong Gunboat Shipwreck (about 5 minutes away from Coral Garden), and had our lunch right there and then, freshly grilled by our boatmen. Yum!
View from across our boat. My marker for the Lusong wreck
Some live shells our boatmen got from Coral Garden, which they later turned to kinilaw
Current in the area was pretty strong at midday. Much as it was a thrill for us to be eating on a boat across the sea for the first time, it was also pretty scary with the strong waves coming for us (hehe).
From the surface, one could easily spot the Lusong Gunboat Shipwreck, a Japanese Gunboat or a submarine hunter sunken on the eastern side of Lusong Island, between Coron island and Busuanga. They say that during low tide, the stern breaks at the surface and you could literally sit on it but since it was high tide, we weren’t able to see it from such a perspective. The wreck is beautifully covered with a variety of sponges, hard corals, reef fishes, and shells.
Seeing a shipwreck in measurable distance is unbelievable. Sunrays seep past the water to the stern, highlighting the ship’s parts and the marine life surrounding it.
The current was quite strong that we needed to hold on to each other to keep our feet on the stern
After the Lusong wreck, we proceeded to the East Tangat Shipwreck, a tugboat or anti-submarine craft located on the eastern side of Tangat (or Sangat Island). Like the Lusong wreck, it is also lined with various fishes, hard corals and anemones. Sitting in an almost upright position on the sea bottom, you can see the entire structural design of the 80-ish feet ship while snorkeling. This wreck is more enormous and sunken deeper into the sea than the latter. To be honest, I was creeped out merely looking at it, as it resembled a ghost ship.
Bintuan Island as seen on the way to Tangat Island
Just a few meters away from the wreck is a small sandy beach that is host to a variety of marine life like corals and sponges. This place is an ideal snorkeling area because of the light current and how shallow the reef is (my knees almost touch the corals while swimming at only four feet deep). The water though was quite itchy and blurry, and there were many intangible creatures biting me here and there (I actually got a few welts after that one-hour swim).
Clownfish guarding the anemone
At first I thought these were white and black banded sea snakes
burrowing a hole; but maybe they were just sand eels
The only sad thing about this spot was the obviously extensive damage it suffered from years of being a target of cyanide fishing. Much of the corals have been destroyed and there are only lone fish creatures in the area. The sight was disheartening, knowing that it takes two to three decades for corals to heal and all that damage was possible in one erroneous blow. But as I may quote from conservationist Rannie Dulay: “When you look at the percentage of damaged reef, it seems hopeless, but when you look at the diversity of life there, you feel a strength.” It is as though the coral bay is at the same time, slowly recuperating, rebuilding itself from scratch.
We were supposed to go back to Banol Beach (if not Smith’s Point) for our last stop as a replacement for the Calumbuyan trip we missed (Ryan initially suggested CYC Beach but due to the bad reviews I read prior to the trip – it being too crowded and full of garbage left by irresponsible travelers – we opted for a rerun to Banol Beach) but since it was already 4pm, the tide was as its lowest and there was no possible place for anchorage in Banol. So we just headed out to the next plausible spot to spend the remaining 45 minutes, Beach 91 or Caliwantay Beach.
This semi-white beach is located between Banol and Atuayan, and it too has small huts where visitors can take shelter. Compared to Banol, the underwater is rather too rocky and there’s really nothing much to see except for a few sea urchins, sea grass and a lone hermit crab.
A hermit crab in a shell
On our way back to town, we encountered darkened skies, heavy downpour, strong winds and even stronger waves. Boats were in a race to return to the port, and we felt a little like we’re on a wire. Adventure kung adventure! Luckily, we reached the port only drenched but 100 percent safe. I have to give props to our boatmen, who were such pros in boat steering.
With our super endearing tour guide, Ryan
As it was our last night in the island, Jigs and I decided to have a going-away drink at the Coron Village Lodge bar. This place is great for those who simply want to hang out in a homey type of lounge with Bob Marley filling the air. The bar was swamped with people of different cultures, all enjoying delicious and affordable food and great music.
A cat trying to share my dinner again
We ordered their Grilled Liempo (P150, with rice and salted egg & tomato) and the Pizza Marinara (P200). Servings were big enough for two to three persons, and the taste was just exquisite. The liempo was grilled just right, with the juice still seeping out of the meat. The Pizza Marinara is by far, the best I’ve tasted so far. The seafood was so fresh and overflowing on the crust. If we were to go back to Coron (and I’m sure we will) we’d definitely eat here again.
Grilled Liempo with Salted Egg and Tomato
Pizza Marinara
We capped the night off early to rest our tired bodies for the flight to Manila the next day. I couldn’t believe it has already been three days and that we’re already bound to leave. I guess you never really notice when you’re immersed in such a beauty.
