El Nido: Island Hopping & Snorkelling

‘He who would search for pearls must dive below.’ – John Dryden.

Somewhere near Talisay Island

I slip into the sparklingly clear turquoise water and pull the mask down over my eyes and nose. There is a now familiar surge of excitement. I’m about to slip back into an underwater world that I only discovered a couple of days previously and I can’t wait.

The sun is hot in a cloudless sky and the water lapping my body feels silky and bathtub warm. I kick my feet to keep afloat and clamp the snorkel between my teeth. Pausing only briefly to check everything is working as it should, I strike out for the reef located a few metres away from the boat.

A new found love

This is the second of three snorkelling trips that we will end up taking in the Philippines. For me, the day is one of the highlights of our entire trip. I find snorkelling effortless and deeply enjoyable. Submerged in the crystal waters, it is easy to forget everything else and remain completely present. It’s hugely calming, almost therapeutic. The whole experience is more relaxing than any meditation I’ve ever done before.

Sunbeams dance through the azure water and reflections play across the colourful corals that stretch out below me in a vibrant carpet. Bright fish dart here and there. A shoal of silver fish swim in unison, a ball of bodies, moving effortlessly this way and that with no apparent signal between them to denote a change in direction. Hundreds of individuals moving as one. I swim nearer and they alter their course, sinking below me, deeper, beyond the edge of the reef.

The edge of fear

I bring my head up and tread water. The boat is bobbing gently some distance away. Below, I can make out the distorted shapes of the reef and then, without warning, the drop-off into empty blue water. I shudder despite myself. Despite my love for snorkelling, I’m not entirely comfortable with the drop-off zone. The vastness of the ocean beyond the friendly reef scares me.

I think about sharks lurking in the depths and teeter momentarily on the edge of the precipice of fear. A couple of deep, steadying breaths help to calm me. I fight back my concerns about sharks and put my head back underwater, moving slowly on. As I swim, my anxieties decrease. I remind myself that realistically, the chances I’ll be attacked by a shark here are slim. I should be more aware of cutting myself on coral or accidentally stepping on a sea urchin and poisoning myself.

Distractions from anxious thoughts

The appearance of a sea anemone with two clown fish nestled among its swaying fronds completely grabs my attention. These are my favourite fish on the reef. I love their character and float overhead for a while, admiring them as they swim among the anemone’s fronds. They twist in and out, their bright orange bodies never still. I smile to myself as they appear to eye me cautiously, an alien from another world. They seem to be incredibly intelligent.

I tear myself away reluctantly after five minutes and swim on, clinging closely to the edge of the drop-off zone. I’m unwilling to venture into deeper waters. Bigger fish prowl the fringes of the reef, sometimes alone, occasionally in pairs, but more often in groups. They cruise along, out swimming the smaller fish easily.

A large blue starfish clings to a rock, five legs sprawling out. I spy evil looking black spiny sea urchin lurking under jutting coral cliffs, unwelcome visitors on the vibrant reef. Smaller fish zip and duck under rocks and coral, in perpetual movement.

Back to reality

The growl of my empty stomach tugs me back to reality. The sun is beating down on my back and the water is caressing my skin. I’ve lost track of time but I’m guessing it must be nearly lunch. I bring my head up and see other members of our boat returning to it, driven by hunger no doubt. It has been a long time since breakfast.

On board the boat, I dry in the sun. We re-apply sunscreen, the cream combining on our skin with salt and sand, working into an exfoliating grit. I wrap my red sarong around me and eat hungrily. There is grilled aubergine, salads full of flavour and grilled fish from the ocean for those that want it.

I shade my eyes from the glare of the sun on water and lie back, basking in the warmth radiating back up off the painted red deck. The atmosphere is tranquil. Replete, people are lying back, talking quietly, sunbathing diligently and occasionally slipping off the boat back into the brilliant waters to take leisurely swims. I close my eyes and relish the feel of the sun on my skin.

Once more into the deep…

The waves gently rock the boat and there is a faint noise of an engine throbbing across the bay. I feel lulled and stupefied in the hot sun with a full stomach. When I sit up and open my eyes, I blink like a rabbit caught in headlights. It’s time to take one more snorkel before we leave and wake up a bit.

The water cools my hot skin as I slip back in. Everyone else stays on or near the boat but I kick out and head back to the reef, locating the clown fish from earlier and floating above them again. I relish the extra time I have alone on the reef. Within minutes, however, I’m reluctantly torn away once more when the shout goes up for everyone to return to the boat. We’re leaving – it’s time for the next stop of the day.

Matinloc Island, then home

We end our day with a stop at Matinloc Island, home to a largely abandoned shrine that has been left to ruin. There is an air of spirituality despite the other tourists. I wander alone among the derelict buildings, admiring the soft green foliage and the jagged limestone cliffs. A sense of sanctity pervades me. Despite not being a religious person, this place does feel special and the peaceful atmosphere adds to the relaxed afternoon.

All too soon, it’s time to board the boat and set course for home. We head out of the sheltered bay where we’ve spent the afternoon. Here, on the open ocean, the waves have been beaten up by the wind and are smashing against the cliffs, throwing white spray high into the air.

I sit back against the side of the boat, overcome with contentment. My eyes wander between sky, sea and land and then back again, taking everything in. Everyone is silent as we digest the day’s experiences. The tour has been great.

I’ve seen clown fish that filled me with a childish sense of excitement. I felt fear at the edge of the drop-off zone. I’ve seen the vividly contrasting colours of the reef – branching corals, fish smaller than my fingernail, flashes of silver on tails and fins. That bright blue starfish, the lurking sea urchins, shoals of ponderous fish in the deeper waters. I’ve been weightless in the water, gliding easily along, legs kicking at a leisurely pace to propel me forwards.

A whole new world

A whole new world has opened up for me. I never knew that snorkelling could provide such delight. Nothing could have prepared me for coming face to face with the reef. Nothing compares to seeing the wonders that lie so close to the surface of the ocean. It has been eye-opening to be in this alien world, one that is so unfamiliar to my senses.

I am lucky. I have another week in the Philippines to experience this world again very soon. It won’t be long before I delve back into reef life once more.

The Logistics

We took two boat tours in El Nido – Tour A and Tour C. The tour I’ve written about in this post is Tour C. It is much more tailored to snorkelling than spending time on the beach. If you’d prefer to sunbathe and spend time on dry land, then choose Tour A as this will be more suited to your preferences. We didn’t even see a beach during Tour C!

At the time of writing in 2016, all tours leave El Nido at approximately 9am each morning and must be booked the night before. Tour C costs approximately P1,200-1,400 per person and this price includes snorkelling equipment (fins not included – you can hire these for an extra cost), a dry bag, lunch and water. The food is excellent and they do cater for vegetarians.

Be prepared and take extra water with you, as well as sunscreen, a towel or sarong, your swimming stuff and any cameras etc you wish to use. If you get hungry easily, take along a snack or two.

What the tour involves

Subject to tides and weather, Tour C incorporates visits/stops offshore at: Helicopter Island, Matinloc Island, Talisay Island, Hidden Beach and Secret Beach. We were unable to visit Hidden Beach due to the high tide, but were taken elsewhere to for more excellent snorkelling.

Don’t join Tour C unless you’re comfortable with swimming. If you can’t swim, or are not a confident swimmer, you’ll either be confined to the boat all day or you’ll end up not enjoying yourself! Pick a different tour where you get to visit the beaches instead. Make sure you bring a sense of adventure too… The stop at Secret Beach involves snorkelling through a tiny hole in a cliff face to reach the beach – potentially nerve wracking even for more experienced swimmers / snorkellers!

We returned from our tours at around 4pm. Be aware that your clothes may get wet when disembarking or boarding the boats!

Read more about my trip to the Philippines in the archives.

Be sure to visit coral reefs and snorkel in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way, to cause as little an impact to the delicate ecosystem you’re visiting as possible. Find out more about how tourism impacts coral reefs here. I’ve written a post about how to visit the Great Barrier Reef sustainably but the principles apply to visiting any reef, anywhere in the world. If you want to snorkel a reef, find out how to do it sustainably here.