Showing posts with label Boracay Scuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boracay Scuba. Show all posts
BORACAY BEACHES
Puka Shell Beach is Named after ‘Puka‘ shells, this island is famous because of the idiomatic beauty of this island. The very clear and turquoise water, Clean environment and the unique texture of the white powdery sand with crushed Puka Shells shows the idiomatic beauty of this island. Puka Beach is far from most of the beaches in the island, This can be located at the northern part of the island in Station1.
Ilig-iligan has also a white sand feature, this is a perfect place for snorkeling and it has some scenic limestone diminutive that you can explore. To reach this beach, you have to avail island-hopping trip that has a stopover here or you can walk inland from the White Beach.
Bulabog Beach is known us the number one kiteboarding beach in Asia, if you're into frolic water sports activity like kiteboarding, parasailing, and windsurfing then this is the perfect beach for you! You can feel the beautiful breeze and the vibrant ambience in this island. This is located at the east side of the island.
Tambisaan beach is known as a diving sites in the country, this is popular because of its coral gardens and reefs that are just near the shore. Some of the Professional scuba divers conglomerate here. You can simply bring your gears with you and then take your own sweet time snorkeling in these island.
Crocodile Beach a small island at the southeast part of Boracay. They called this “crocodile Beach Island” because this island has a spectacular crocodile form of shape. This island is a favorite destination for underwater activities given the abundant and unspoiled marine life in this area. What’s more is that there are also small canyons where you can see some sea snakes.LOSS OF MY DOG
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Last May 12, I woke up with one of the worse news in
my life! My dog of 13 years; “Beauty” pass away in the Veterinary Clinic and I
was told he pass away at 2300hrs on May 11. I was sadden by the news but still
need to be a professional and went ahead with my scuba instructions, I just
text them to wrap her body with a towel and inform that I will collect her body
later.
While underwater, I thought of many good memories we
were together. After deciding to stay in the Philippines, I decide to get
myself a pet and bought Beauty when she was just 2months old, remembering how
she was sleeping and how cute she was. We went to many places in the
Philippines even making trips to Boracay. She was always around when I need a
shoulder to cry on. When I was single, I never felt lonely. We were together in
so many phases in my life from being single to marry and single again, she has
always been there. In good or bad times, she has always been there!
At times I wish time can move slowly but as the years
goes by, I know one day she will eventually leave before me. Every year on her
birthday, I always tell her to live another year for me. I was so caught up
with my work last May 1 and forgot about her birthday. Perhaps I didn’t wish
her to live another year for me. Last May 11, looking at how long her hair, I
sent her to Shoreline Veterinary Clinic to avail their grooming services. I
told them to cut short her hair, nails and clean her ears but I received a text
in the afternoon that they also did a cleansing on her mouth. I didn’t expect
anything harmful since we normally trust a doctor to be professional even
though she gave me a list of things she done and how much it cost without my
approval.
When I got her in the afternoon, I realized something
different about her. She was in a daze and couldn’t recognize my voice. I
realized she was given anesthesia without my
approval but was assured by the physician that she will be okay after 2hours. I
went to get Beauty and to my surprise she was still in a daze but was assured
she will be okay. When she was home, she was shaking even the room temperature
was normal. I called the clinic and advised to send her back to the clinic. She
was given medication without giving me any explanation and advised to be back
the next day.
I was just given the news in the morning that Beauty pass
away at 2300hrs on May 11 but why they didn’t inform me about it so that I can
see her for the last time?!? When I told them to wrap her body with my towel, I
found out she was place in a plastic bag like a trash. When I collect her body,
there was no remorse in their eyes, they don’t seem to be bothered and just get
busy dealing with another pet in the shop. Do they really care as a
Veterinarian or are they taking advantage on pet lovers?!?
All pet lovers in Boracay
Island! Beware of Dr. Ginaclin S. Dalisay and her staffs of "SHORELINE
VETERINARY CLINIC" if you don't want your pet to die for no reasons. If
they consulted me about the treatment, I will say no since my dog is too old to
go through all these procedures. Honestly, I don’t expect her to live long but
I do not wish her to die in such situation! I hope another pet lovers will not
experience the pain I went through. I really regret sending her to the clinic,
she may be able to live another few more years with me if they could have act
more professionally. She died an innocent death on the hands of “SHORELINE
VETERINARY CLINIC”
IS BORACAY SAFE TO SWIM?!?
Last February 21, a news release
posted on the Department of Environment & Natural Resources website cited
EMB6-figures showing bacterial levels in Boracay waters significantly exceeded
DENR guidelines for recreational water. It said the EMB reported coliform
bacteria levels in a drainage outlet that empties into the sea in Sitio Bulabog
in Boracay exceed safe standards, reaching 47,460 most probable number (mpn)
per 100 milimeter (ml) The safe level is 1,000 mpn/100ml for waters for
swimming and other human contact activities.
You may be wondering if the water in
Boracay still safe for swimming? Last March 3, the Environmental Management
Bureau clear Boracay as safe and clean for swimming. Atty. Jonathan Bulos;
Regional Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas assured that the coastal
water along White Beach is not hazardous.
The EMB-6 indicating high content
presence of coliform bacteria in seawater surrounding the island was actually
taken from the mouth of the drainage system in Bulabog, the eastern side of
Boracay Island. Bulabog Beach is not where tourists take a swim. Based on the
lastest EMB-6 data, total coliform bacteria at the front beach only reached
58mpn/ml. It is very unlikely for the high coliform bacteria recorded in waters
at the mouth of Bulabog Beach’s drainage system will reach beach waters on the
front beach. Thus; it is safe to swim in Boracay!
Furthermore; with the strong leadership
and political will of Mayor John Yap of Municipal of Malay, he launched the
Boracay Beach Management Program with the rallying cry; “Para Sa Boracay Ako!
For Boracay I will!” The program covers the seven priority areas:
1. Local Governance: Visitors and residents are reminded to
observe municipal ordinances against littering, smoking, extracting sand and pebbles,
etc.
2. Coastal Resources. Volunteer groups
continue to perform regular beach and underwater cleanup drives. Artificial
reef domes are being deployed and monitored in strategic areas to revitalize
marine and aquatic life along Boracay’s waters. New coral growth from the
coastal nurseries are being transplanted to degraded reef areas, while
mangrove swamps continue to be protected.
3. Watershed. Under the
National Greening Program, Boracay’s CENRO (Community Environment & Natural
Resources Office) is committed to planting an additional 120-hectares in the
watershed areas to prevent soil erosion and improve water yield for safe and
potable water on the island. This is in addition to the 428-hectares of forest
plantations that have been established since 2008.
4. Water and Waste Water. Boracay’s water
is certified to be safe for drinking straight from the tap, with meticulous
testing to ensure that it is 100% compliant with the Philippine National
Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW). It has also recently upgraded its sewage
treatment facilities, where wastewater is treated to be safe for marine life
and suitable for recreation activities upon discharge, complying with the Class
SB Standard of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
5. Solid Waste. Boracay now has
three new dump trucks for more effective garbage collection, while the
materials recovery facility continues to improve the processing of residual
waste. A sanitary landfill is being built as a more long-term solution to solid
waste management.
6. Hazard Protection. Young and
dynamic volunteers man from the Boracay Action Group, Philippines Coast Guard
and Philippines Coast Guard Auxiliary. Trained personnel, new sea patrol craft,
and upgraded communications equipment all ensure that the island has sufficient
capabilities to respond to emergencies and assist in disaster relief.
7. Information, Education &
Communication. Workshops, seminars and training programs have been
designed for the local government units to improve quality services among all
tourism front-liners and ensure that tourists have a memorable “Boracay
Experience.” Social media is also being used to reach out to a wider
audience through the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BBMPTWG.
We are making effort to make Boracay
Island a memorable place to visit and all these negative news against us will
not weaken our spirit to make Boracay a better place, a better beach. In the
days to come, we will continue to be the top 10 beaches to visit in the whole
world.
Let’s do our part to keep the beach
clean! If you see anyone littering in Boracay, give them a gentle reminder of
our goals and mission. Don’t wait for someone or any clean up event to pick up
trash along the beach, if you see trash as you walk, pick it up and throw it at
the right place. Mabuhay Boracay!
DIVING IN BORACAY
Scuba Diving is fun but is it fun in Boracay? Boracay
is known for its white sand beach but scuba diving is not as popular than other
destination in the Philippines. However, we do have good diving sites in
Boracay, in fact we have more than 10 dive sites in Boracay and your diving experience depend on who you are diving with.
Boracay diving cater for both novice and experience
divers, there are numerous dive sites to choose. It is a great destination to
take up diving courses and continue education in diving. Having a nice
environment, it provides lots of comfort in learning. Easy diving for those who
are inexperience. The following are few dive sites you do not want to miss if
you are already a certified diver.
Yapak, the most famous dive site in Boracay, located
at the North of Boracay with a depth range between 30m to 70m. The dive start
with a spectacular blue water descent swimming towards the tip of the wall with
close encounter with White Tip & Grey Reef Shark. As you swim along the
wall, you may also see school of Dogtooth Tuna, Groupers, Napoleon Wrasses and
Giant Trevallies. A dive site you do not want to miss if you are an Advanced
diver and above.
Want to experience diving in a rapid current, try
diving when the tide is going down at Channel Drift. Depth range between 20m to
35m, enjoy a ride through Canyons & Crevices and try to spot White Tip
Shark and school of Trevallies. If you are lucky, you may have a close
encounter with a Marble Ray. The dive usually starts off at Crocodile Island
and end after Cagban Jetty Port.
Crocodile Island is a small-uninhabited island look
like the head of a crocodile; the best diving is during high slack tide when
visibility is at its best. The depth range is between 12m to 27m; there is a
gently sloping wall with several canyons and caves containing a wide diversity
of fish.
Do we have wrecks in Boracay?!? Yes, we do! In fact we
have two wrecks, a shipwreck and a plane wreck. The shipwreck is known as “Camia
II”, it was sank in January 2001 to make an artificial wreck in Boracay. Is a
30m long cargo boat with well developed artificial reef that include huge Red
Bass, School of Batfish, Bluefin Trevallies and as you swim around the wreck,
do beware of Scorpion Fish. The other wreck is a plane wreck and is known as
“Tribird” which was sank in March 2014. It was used as an artificial wreck and
an add on dive site in Boracay. The depth range for the site is between 24m to
28m, you need to be at least an Advanced Diver to experience these sites.
If you enjoy deep diving but don’t have the experience
to go to Yapak then practice deep diving in Virgin Wall. Don’t know how it get
its name but as you descend you will see the beautiful coral along the wall,
try spotting different Nunibranch as you swim along the wall. Is a popular dive
site for Technical Divers, depth range between 30m to 70m.
As mentioned, Boracay diving is cater for both novice
and experience divers. If you are still a novice diver, fret not! We do have
dive sites cater for novice divers. Do try diving in Punta Bunga or Santo’s
Place, depth range between 18m to 24m and usually you can spot stingrays on the
sandy bottom. As you swim along the wall, look out for Moray Eels, Lionfish and
Groupers.
Next to it, is Balinghai. There are two walls running
parallel to each other. The deep wall features Sharks and Tuna while the
shallow wall is pockmarked by small holes that house Triggerfish, Banner fish,
Puffers and Gobies. You will also get to see many artificial dome at a depth of
20m – 24m and see many reef grow on it.
Friday’s Rock is one of the open water training dive
site with depth range from 14m to 18m. This famous fish feeding station is a
large boulder which provides photographers a chance to capture close up shots
of Emperors, Triggerfish, Red Bass, Scorpion fish and lots of Surgeon fish.
What if the weather is bad at the West of Boracay?
Fret not! There are also some good diving sites at the East of Boracay. There
is Laurel Island with two dive sites with depth range between 14m to 18m, the
big Laurel and the small Laurel. The big laurel has a tunnel that you can swim
through and as you swim, you can see many soft corals and Nunibranch, both
Laurels are sloping wall with healthy corals and prolific fish life.
On the east
side of Boracay, there is also Tulubhan Reef
with depth range between 5m to 20m. You may start shallow but a slow
steady current usually allow drift diving to cover a wide area. Sea snakes are
common and many sea cucumbers. You will see wide vast of marine life as you
swim along with the current.
There are about 38 dive centers in the Island under
the Boracay Association of Sports Scuba Diving. The prices for Fun Diving are
set at Php1,800.00 per dive with equipment rental and Php1,400.00 per dive
without equipment rental. Dive Center are suppose to follow the prices set by
the association or else they will be violating the regulation and may be fined.
You have choices to dive with any center in the island
but choose wisely. One of the best center in the island is Calypso Dive Center,
the only center with a swimming pool making training more conducive and their
services are one of the best even though they may charge a little higher. If
you are a micro photographer, ask for “Roy” one of the best Divemaster spotting
micro marine life underwater.
Explore, experience, enjoy the beauty of the
underwater world in an exotic environment in Boracay Island.
Peter Tay
PADI Master Instructor
EFR Instructor Trainer
TDI Advanced Trimix Instructor
25TH INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP DAY
25th International Coastal CleanUp Day
September 20 2014
Last September 20, a total of 230 participants joined
the International Coastal Clean Up organized by Boracay Beach Management
Program, endorsed by Project Aware Foundation, Municipal of Malay, Petron Foundation
Fuel Fun, Boracay Foundation Inc., Philippines Coast Guard and Philippines
Coast Guard Auxiliary. Boracay
Adventures Inc. & New Life Christian Center Boracay sponsored the events.
In spite of the devastation bought by Typhoon “Mario”
to the Island & Country, there were still many who came as early as 6am to
register for the program. Senior Pastor Arnold Lamsim of New Life Christian
Center Boracay called the program to order at 7am with an opening prayer. He
also took the opportunity to share is good to clean the environment but is also
good for us to clean our soul; many were blessed by his short message of love.
CAPT. Jose D. Villaroman Squadron Director of
Philippines Coast Guard Auxiliary gave a speech welcoming all participants and
thanking everybody for taking their time to be in the event. CDR. Peter Tay of
Philippines Coast Guard Auxiliary gave a short presentation about the need of
keeping the environment clean and what is International Coastal Clean Up?
Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup
(ICC) is the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean’s health. It is
celebrated every third Saturday of September of each year, which is September
20 for 2014. The Vision of the organization is to have a balanced & healthy
ocean - free of trash and pollution for cleaner and healthier lives and a
Mission to help clean the seas, rivers, lakes and waterways, and to raise
awareness on the growing marine debris problem with the following Objectives:
- To remove trash/debris from beaches and waterways.
- To increase awareness on the extent of the marine debris problem.
- To popularize the concept of waste management.
- To promote a clean, healthy and sustainable coastal environment.
- To change behaviors that causes pollution.
At 7.30am, all participants were given tasks for
the clean up covering Station 3, Angol Point and the Main Road. The clean up
end at 8.30am with a total of 25 bags of trash collected with an estimation of
250kg of trash. Philippines Coast Guard led by LT. Jimmy Oliver P. Vingno
provided free refreshment for the participants.
All participants were given a Certificate of
Recognition designed by Project Aware Foundation and printed by Boracay
Adventures Inc. Many enjoyed the program and lots of pictures were taken during
the event. You can view all the pictures at the FaceBook Page of Boracay Adventures: 
