Sea for Yourself - Snorkeling Safaris

The Remote Reefs of the Philippines

February 16-27, 2013



Trip Overview Snorkeling in the Philippines.The Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle, with over 500 reef building species, isconsidered the epicenter of marine biodiversity and is a global priority for conservation. At its northernmost point lies the Philippines, an archipelago of over 7000 islands strung like jewels between the South China, Sulu, Celebes and Philippines Seas. Off the beaten track for most travelers, these islands are a tropical wonderland of gentle ocean breezes, white sand beaches and palm trees. They are also home to the legendary warm and unflaggingly optimistic Filipino people. It’s here that we’ll find what is considered the world’s most perfect strato volcano. And it’s here that you find world class snorkeling. The variety of Philippine sea life ranges from the world’s largest pelagic fish, the gentle whale shark, to a wealth of invertebrate reef creatures including nudibranchs, corals, huge shallow sponges and cryptic cephlapods.
Our program will include 2 days searching for whale sharks from our base in Donsol. Known in the Philippines as butanding, whale sharks are widely distributed in nutrient-rich tropical and warm temperate seas throughout the world. One of the places they congregate is here and during this time of year we have the highest probability of swimming with them. We then travel to Palawan to the El Nido-Miniloc Island Resort, our home for week where using our privately chartered boat we will have many snorkeling adventures in and around Bacuit Bay. With its 45 karst-limestone islands, some of which tower up to 3 stories high, Bacuit Bay is a world unto itself. Each day will begin with breakfast followed by a boat-supported snorkel, returning to the resort in time for lunch. The afternoons will be spent exploring more snorkeling sites in the Bay, returning to the resort the late afternoons for an interpretative session and/or marine biology talk and dinner.

Skill Level

The whale shark portion of our program will be enjoyed by intermediate level snorkelers and will include open water snorkeling where you cannot see the bottom. It’s usually possible to view the whale sharks from the banca should you not participate in the deep water snorkeling. The remainder of the program will be enjoyed by snorkelers of all levels. Our trip leaders will gladly provide any needed snorkeling instruction, from floating to free-diving. Whenever possible, we will seek out protected waters for our snorkeling excursions, but at times the surface may be choppy due to wind.

Trip Limit for Philippines

The Philippines program is limited to 18 participants. Due to the limited space available for this tour, reservations for space will be accepted in the order deposits are received.

Weather

Weather patterns in the Philippines are dictated by the prevailing winds–the habagat (southwest monsoon), which runs from May to October, and the amihan (northeast monsoon), which prevails from November to early May. For most of the country, the dry season is during the amihan. The most comfortable, least humid months include February when temperatures range between the mid-70‘s to mid-80’s during the day. Although we have selected February when the temperatures are most comfortable on both land and sea, there is always a chance of rain. Water temperature during this period will be in the high 70’s-low 80’s.

A Note About Snorkeling

Thermal tolerance obviously varies with each individual. As a guideline, many people wear a thin wetsuit when in the water longer than 30-40 minutes. Please remember that some kind of covering (such as a Lycra suit or even a t-shirt) when in the water is highly recommended as protection from sun, occasional stinging zooplankton, or to prevent coral abrasions.

Financial Information for the Philippines

Based on a land and domestic Philippines air package the cost of the 2013 "Remote Reefs of the Philippines" is $6390 per person, based on double occupancy. The cost includes the domestic airfare within the Philippines on group flights. For those requesting a single room an additional supplement of $1250 will be added to the tour cost. Please be advise that single space is limited and subject to availability.

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