dingho
Contributor
take a overnite philtraco bus all the way to Donsol. if you dive Manta 1st, then take bus all the way to Bulan, but contact Marti of Bicol Dive Adventure 1st, a really very nice fellow! cel#0918 910 2185 or 052 480 2266
Going to Donsol - 06th - 12th January 2007, Advise and buddies anyone?
- Thread starter I-NSC
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Wow.. overnight bus? that is 13hours.. a firend of mine did that the last time..
I think I'd fly instead. Marti has emailed me today saying that the resort there is still okay. Will likely book my airfares going by Cebu Pacific and coming back by Philippines Air to catch my afternoon flight by Singapore Airlines on the 12th
Any one heading that direction as well?
I think I'd fly instead. Marti has emailed me today saying that the resort there is still okay. Will likely book my airfares going by Cebu Pacific and coming back by Philippines Air to catch my afternoon flight by Singapore Airlines on the 12th
Any one heading that direction as well?
Zeeman
Contributor
I did the Manta bowl/ whale shark thing in March this year.
I'll be honest - Manta bowl - as a dive site - sucks. It's boring, heaps of current which means a rapid descent - you need to get down quick to make sure the current doesn't take you out beyond the submerged island you are diving on. You will be hokin yourself on to rocks, and if you have done a few dives, you will use hardly any air apart form the initial descent. You basically sit around, hooked to a rock and wai. every 5 or so minutes you unhook, let yourself drift a bit then hook on again.
Basically as a divesite, I would avoid it - EXCEPT! - there are mantas and whale sharks - and if eithe rturns up, then it is one of the best dives you will ever have!
I dived it 6 times. the first dive last about 74 seconds - the other people on the boat didn't quite grasp the "quick descent" concept, so they didn't even make it down. 2nd dive - we saw a whale shark! Awesome! my other 4 dives on it were no shows for mantas or whale sharks.
Yet the group who dived an hour before us saw 5 mantas. Luck of the draw, really.
The DM I dived with say he has a theory that you will only really get mantas if the whale sharks aren't about, they very rarely see both. It IS worth diving san Miguel island which is not far away. It has lots of caverns, can be dived on all sides so there is always a protected spot, and is generally teaming with life and gorgeous coral!.
the whale shark interaction in Donsol is also fantastic - I swam with 14 of them in about an hour and a bit. The guys were quite happy to keep going, but I was truly exhausted.
anyway, hope you have fun! I loved it and would like to go back if I manage to get back to PI in march
I'll be honest - Manta bowl - as a dive site - sucks. It's boring, heaps of current which means a rapid descent - you need to get down quick to make sure the current doesn't take you out beyond the submerged island you are diving on. You will be hokin yourself on to rocks, and if you have done a few dives, you will use hardly any air apart form the initial descent. You basically sit around, hooked to a rock and wai. every 5 or so minutes you unhook, let yourself drift a bit then hook on again.
Basically as a divesite, I would avoid it - EXCEPT! - there are mantas and whale sharks - and if eithe rturns up, then it is one of the best dives you will ever have!
I dived it 6 times. the first dive last about 74 seconds - the other people on the boat didn't quite grasp the "quick descent" concept, so they didn't even make it down. 2nd dive - we saw a whale shark! Awesome! my other 4 dives on it were no shows for mantas or whale sharks.
Yet the group who dived an hour before us saw 5 mantas. Luck of the draw, really.
The DM I dived with say he has a theory that you will only really get mantas if the whale sharks aren't about, they very rarely see both. It IS worth diving san Miguel island which is not far away. It has lots of caverns, can be dived on all sides so there is always a protected spot, and is generally teaming with life and gorgeous coral!.
the whale shark interaction in Donsol is also fantastic - I swam with 14 of them in about an hour and a bit. The guys were quite happy to keep going, but I was truly exhausted.
anyway, hope you have fun! I loved it and would like to go back if I manage to get back to PI in march
noted!
I did read the mail that Martin or Marti sent me and he did warn me about the strong currents there. I'll see how it goes and if time permits, will post some of the pictures up here as well. Was considering not doing macro as I've already done with Anilao and majority will be macro there.
Again things might change as well.
I did read the mail that Martin or Marti sent me and he did warn me about the strong currents there. I'll see how it goes and if time permits, will post some of the pictures up here as well. Was considering not doing macro as I've already done with Anilao and majority will be macro there.
Again things might change as well.
Man.. Ticao was bad weather..
Lost the rudder of the banca on the way there.. so two guys had to be human rudders to steer the boat in the choppy seas. The rest of the day diving was off coz of the missing rudder.
Next day, strong winds and rain prevented us to dive anywhere except the bed.
At one point I was worried that the winds would blow away the cabana's roof.
Decided to push on the 3rd day back to mainland just in case weather keeps up and not being able to make it back for my flights on the 12th.
Donsol.. after sailing back from Ticao, went straight for the whaleshark programme.
Zip..none.. kosong... zero.. for two days. I'm starting to wonder if the programme keeps records as I've requested to see their records and they responded that they do not have such information.
Legaspi.. the most informative day of the trip. Seen what the mudslide did from Mayon and also viewed Mayon from different angles.. Pics should be up soon.
Water temp at Ticao was 20 degrees.. strong currents..
Lost the rudder of the banca on the way there.. so two guys had to be human rudders to steer the boat in the choppy seas. The rest of the day diving was off coz of the missing rudder.
Next day, strong winds and rain prevented us to dive anywhere except the bed.
At one point I was worried that the winds would blow away the cabana's roof.
Decided to push on the 3rd day back to mainland just in case weather keeps up and not being able to make it back for my flights on the 12th.
Donsol.. after sailing back from Ticao, went straight for the whaleshark programme.
Zip..none.. kosong... zero.. for two days. I'm starting to wonder if the programme keeps records as I've requested to see their records and they responded that they do not have such information.
Legaspi.. the most informative day of the trip. Seen what the mudslide did from Mayon and also viewed Mayon from different angles.. Pics should be up soon.
Water temp at Ticao was 20 degrees.. strong currents..
pakman
Contributor
20 degrees! ouch!
Thanks for the update I-NSC... sorry to hear about the weather and the no show at Donsol.
Thanks for the update I-NSC... sorry to hear about the weather and the no show at Donsol.
Zeeman
Contributor
Sorry to hear baout th ebad luck man. I had quite abit of luck and the water was 26 degrees for my trip. Maybe March is abetter time to go...
shugar
Contributor
sorry to hear of your bad fortune... weather's been a beatch for the past month... it's january but it looks like august day in and day out...
Jag
Jag
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