clgsamson
Koya Kap
This was a side trip to our annual Sogod Bay dive vacation. One of the divers in our group suggested that we go over to Dinagat Island for a 2 dive trip (3rd dive to be made in Panaon Island). The requested trip, which is so dependent on the weather, was finalized after weather reports/forecasts signified it was going to be sunny and calm. This trip would take all of three (3) hours to complete one leg (Padre Burgos to Dinagat Island).
We started at around 7 am sharp under a small of cloud of rain. Fog was still rolling down thru the hills of Panaon island
After about an hour, we passed through the port town of Liloan in Panaon Island.
We also saw Mount Cabalian, a dormant volcano they say.
closer view
nothing to do on the way to Dinagat but to sleep and relax -
After about another 2 hours, we caught a glimpse of where we were diving for the day. These pinnacles juts out of the sea like mushrooms. Someone remarked that it looked like that famous Palau advertisement, the one with several small islands pic.
Our DM, Pedro, no sooner had us ready and got us in the water in record time. We dove the outermost pinnacle -
Dive 1
My dive log:
Depth – 114ft
Dive time 56 minutes (14 minutes between 110 ft and 114 ft)
Ave. Depth 56ft
Temp 82 f
Dinagat island - pinnacle
The first thing that you’ll notice is the incredible viz. I’m no expert in measurements but viz was like gin tonic. Descending and looking at the first level of the pinnacle, you’ll see undamaged and healthy hard and soft corals ( an American in the group said it was world class). From the first level on, you fin over a view deck like terrace and descend parallel a wall to deeper and dark waters (it was so dark down there that I didn't see the ocean floor. I need to ask the Russian who went deeper; yes he’s alive, thank God).
There were lots of long whip corals, Myra saw a yellow blade shrimp and 3 xeno crab on the nearby whip coral, all these at 114 ft. Lots of big fan corals.
yes, thats the russian dude down there (I was vertical and shooting down at 114 ft).
The whole place was really beautiful but something was wrong. There was no fish activity in the area!
We tried to get to the other side of the pinnacle but the current was running.I had a chance to hang onto rock and view the other side. Still no fish. We surmised, after the first dive and comparing notes, that this place has long been overfished. The fishermen that we saw and talked too were actually using small hooks to catch even the smallest ones in the area. These fishermen were from a nearby community with nothing to eat but fish.
To continue, we didn't see nudis in the first dive. As mentioned earlier, current was strong on the other side (east side) of the pinnacle so we ended up circling only the west side of the pinnacle. We saw the largest stonefish ever while a banded sea snake was spotted wriggling about near the end of the dive. My dive computer gave me a 7 minute safety stop.
Dive 2 –
My dive log:
Depth – 97ft
Dive time 57 minutes (12 minutes between 84ft and 97ft)
Ave. Depth 45ft
Temp 82 f
We were supposed to do the east side of the pinnacle but due to the same strong current we ended doing the west side again. We saw a banded sea snake, probably the same one as the first dive with its head inside a coral most likely looking for prey and didn't want to be disturbed, and finally saw a green and red nudi. Not much fish activity. Dive comp gave me an 11 minute deco stop plus a mandatory 3 mins safety stop on this dive
.
Some pix from the 2nd dive
yeah saw some of these too
usual nudi stuff
on the way back via southern tip of Panaon Island, we saw this passenger ship wreck (it sank last October) in the San Ricardo jetty area.
will I go back to dive Dinagat island? you bet I will. Life is good...
more pics in the set Dinagat Island - a set on Flickr
We started at around 7 am sharp under a small of cloud of rain. Fog was still rolling down thru the hills of Panaon island
After about an hour, we passed through the port town of Liloan in Panaon Island.
We also saw Mount Cabalian, a dormant volcano they say.
closer view
nothing to do on the way to Dinagat but to sleep and relax -
After about another 2 hours, we caught a glimpse of where we were diving for the day. These pinnacles juts out of the sea like mushrooms. Someone remarked that it looked like that famous Palau advertisement, the one with several small islands pic.
Our DM, Pedro, no sooner had us ready and got us in the water in record time. We dove the outermost pinnacle -
Dive 1
My dive log:
Depth – 114ft
Dive time 56 minutes (14 minutes between 110 ft and 114 ft)
Ave. Depth 56ft
Temp 82 f
Dinagat island - pinnacle
The first thing that you’ll notice is the incredible viz. I’m no expert in measurements but viz was like gin tonic. Descending and looking at the first level of the pinnacle, you’ll see undamaged and healthy hard and soft corals ( an American in the group said it was world class). From the first level on, you fin over a view deck like terrace and descend parallel a wall to deeper and dark waters (it was so dark down there that I didn't see the ocean floor. I need to ask the Russian who went deeper; yes he’s alive, thank God).
There were lots of long whip corals, Myra saw a yellow blade shrimp and 3 xeno crab on the nearby whip coral, all these at 114 ft. Lots of big fan corals.
yes, thats the russian dude down there (I was vertical and shooting down at 114 ft).
The whole place was really beautiful but something was wrong. There was no fish activity in the area!
We tried to get to the other side of the pinnacle but the current was running.I had a chance to hang onto rock and view the other side. Still no fish. We surmised, after the first dive and comparing notes, that this place has long been overfished. The fishermen that we saw and talked too were actually using small hooks to catch even the smallest ones in the area. These fishermen were from a nearby community with nothing to eat but fish.
To continue, we didn't see nudis in the first dive. As mentioned earlier, current was strong on the other side (east side) of the pinnacle so we ended up circling only the west side of the pinnacle. We saw the largest stonefish ever while a banded sea snake was spotted wriggling about near the end of the dive. My dive computer gave me a 7 minute safety stop.
Dive 2 –
My dive log:
Depth – 97ft
Dive time 57 minutes (12 minutes between 84ft and 97ft)
Ave. Depth 45ft
Temp 82 f
We were supposed to do the east side of the pinnacle but due to the same strong current we ended doing the west side again. We saw a banded sea snake, probably the same one as the first dive with its head inside a coral most likely looking for prey and didn't want to be disturbed, and finally saw a green and red nudi. Not much fish activity. Dive comp gave me an 11 minute deco stop plus a mandatory 3 mins safety stop on this dive
.Some pix from the 2nd dive
yeah saw some of these too
usual nudi stuff
on the way back via southern tip of Panaon Island, we saw this passenger ship wreck (it sank last October) in the San Ricardo jetty area.
will I go back to dive Dinagat island? you bet I will. Life is good...
more pics in the set Dinagat Island - a set on Flickr
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