Poor Boracay Conditions

[comcomtech]

I learned to dive 30 years ago in Boracay and returned for the first time the other day. Three decades ago, Boracay had no paved roads, few concrete buildings, no hotels or resorts (just bungalows) and one dive shop, run by a Swiss guy named Wally. Viz was 50 m+, the sea was churning with life, big and small and the coral was practically dayglo.

Boracay is now wildly overdeveloped, trash is everywhere and package tourists abound. Many come for a first dive course and the conditions are amendable to that.

I did two dives off White Beach and was disappointed not only by the poor (10 m) visibility ("plankton bloom," "global warming," "runoff"), but from the dearth of sea life. I didn't see a single turtle, moray, shark or even grouper. There are the usual nemos and smaller tropical fish, but their beauty is muted by the hazy conditions.

Most of the soft coral is dead--although a few briliant tufts emerge here and there, the dives were a lesson on how overdiving and overdeveloping a small island (7 x 1 km) will, probably within a generation, destroy its tourist potential.

I spoke to over a dozen shops about diving neighbouring islands (Carabao, about half an hour away). Only one showed the slightest interest, but is still hemming and hawing.

The lack of knowledge among many dive shop staff struck me as remarkable. One DM told me that there was a "slight current" at one site. I said, what does he mean by "slight"? He didn't know, then finally said "5 knots." I said "5 knots is a pretty fast drift." He replied, "OK, it must be less than that."

 

[Mscdex]

I went to Boracay for my first fun dive after certification. We dove with Calypso divers and were very happy with the service. Businesses have built out all the way to the beach and the locals will follow you into the water trying to sell you whatever they just bought from a souvenir shop. Once we got diving, we saw a lot of fish but I don't have much to compare it too since my only other dives have been in Jamaica and quarries. Probably only worth it if you happen to be in the area.

 

[pughio83]

Boracay has changed dramatically in the last 30years, in which it was practically deserted that far back. I have been there 6 times over a five year span but last visit was 3.5yrs ago. Even over the span I have seen newer bigger hotels develop. I always stayed with calypso divers and dos my dm internship there. Having done around 60-70 dives there it varies from good to crap. Most of the sites visited for teaching purposes are poor. The best sites include crocodile island and santos place. Yapak is all the dive books as a wonderful dive site but in reality is a barren wasteland with the occasional bigger fish or shark. You won't find many sharks grouper or barracuda there, and most of the coral is scanty with the exception of crocodile island which last time you I went there had good soft coral. It's now a new song party island more than anything. The tat said the macro there is quite good if you look.

 

[kwhkg]

Very disappointing is an understatement. If you are going there at all, don't waste time or money on diving and especially don't pay the excess baggage to bring your gear.