GENSANarium will be on hiatus for the next two years or so. For the mean time, posts subtitled as SIDE TRIPS will be featured which highlight other places and events in the Philippines. Enjoy! - Admin, 2/10/14

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Side Trip: Balicasag Island




Summer is about basking under the sun, hopping around islands and beaches, and swimming in warm sea waters all day. One of the places that will give you a great sea adventure is the Balicasag Island in Bohol.

According to many blogs, Balicasag Island is considered one of the best dive sites in the Philippines and contains one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. The island is in southern Bohol Sea, near the Island of Panglao. To reach the island, you have to travel by traditional Filipino boats or banca.

When I and some friends visited Balicasag Island in 2011, we were exhilarated with the unique and fun memories we had. From the Alona Beach, we set off early that morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dolphins on our way to the island. Sadly, not one dolphin appeared to the tourists that day. It must have been the heavy rain earlier that morning which caused the “mystery of the non-appearance of the dancing dolphins”. We desperately search for around two hours but to no success. We just gave up and headed to Balicasag Island.


Well, what awaited us was a more thrilling experience –snorkelling! The island is famous as diving site, but inexperienced we were, we opted for some kiddy snorkelling. Excitedly, we geared up and head to the nearest fish sanctuary. When we reached a good distance from the shore and a fine blue depth, we jumped off the boat one by one. We simply floated through the warm clear waters. With our goggles, we watched the great reefs and colourful fishes with delight. With our Sky Flakes crackers, we fed the fishes and swam with them. With Manong driver and our camera, we took snapshots of this wonderful experience.
It was near noon when we decided to get back to shore. We did not anymore ride the boat; instead, we swam with Manong driver. What refreshed and revived us at our cottage was some hearty fresh seafood meal.

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