seamonster:
Hi Bombarie,
Could you please furnish us with more details about your trip to Southern Leyte? The diving, especially the marine life and corals, and how it compares with the other locations you have visited around Cebu. How regular are the whaleshark sightings? I was thinking of heading there next week. Thanks.
Seamonster -
I envy you for having the opportunity to go there next week. I travelled around in the Visayas last Spring, spent a few days at Gunther's place near Padre Burgos, S. Leyte (see previous link).
Getting there is a bit of a hassle, you need to take a boat from cebu city. My inbound travel to Maasin, S. Leyte was from East Bohol on a pumpboat; the return from Maasin to cebu city took around 7 hours on a slow ferry. Don't know whether there are any fast cats sailing between the two places. From Maasin, it is about 3 hours by public transport south to Padre Burgos, which is on the very south tip of the Island. Just around the corner is Sogod Bay - where the American Navy awaited the Japanese Fleet during WO II and hammered them. According to Gunther, the wrecks are too deep. (Sogod Bay is perhaps 8miles wide, but in the middle, a few miles deep.)
Diving is nice - but I wouldn't rate it higher than Pescador Island (Moalboal) or Apo Island. In fact, I think I would rate it a bit lower. Please note that at the time I was there, wheather was a bit too rough (not too great viz) to make it to Limasawa Island further out, which apparently is truly grand. My comments hence only apply for the Tangkaan Pt area. Gunther has been doing a great job to keep the idiot dynamite fishers out, but nevertheless, quite a few spots have been blow out of the water.
The big attraction are the whalesharks in March / April / May that congregate in huge numbers (the mantas joy them). Gunther will tell you that with a bit of luck in this season, you may be able to see multiple of the beasts during a single dive. If there is any spot in the world to see them - this is it (aside Ningaloo reef - where you cannot dive with them anyway, I understand). It is for this that I would recommend, obviously, to go there nexte week if you have the opportunity. You can always do the other Visayan spots closer to Cebu City later?
You will note that I have referenced Gunther a lot - that is cause his operation is the only one around (there may be a UK guy there as well by the name of Pete - check the web; I could not find his place). He rents two bungalows on the beach, each with two rooms of which you can rent one. His wife will cook for you and you will have your food whilst the Gunther family breakfasts, lunches and dinners. That is the downside IMHO: cause it is so remote, there are no alternatives to Gunther's place for food etc. If you go with a few buddies, that should be fine. Alone (like me), you may start feeling uncomfortable as you virtually live with the family. I got out after three days - with a 1 hour dive experience with a 6 m whaleshark in the pocket (it was late June; hey that is Summer not Spring).
Despite this, I would give it a go. This should be the time for the big boys, a rare opportunity! As I mentioned - bring your own regulator and dive computer. Gunther's antic regs served all over the world for the last 20 years and were an exceptional experience to dive with - albeit it not a very pleasant one. Moreover, Gunther has gills and his computer is the protomodel for the first wrist mounted dc ever made. Let's just say that the Suunto alghoritm in my Stinger declared Gunther multiple times seriously bend but he seemed unbothered with that - years of experience count for something in the end then and those Suunto's are "way too conservative anyway" (but nevertheless - i prefer to rely on Fin technology instead). He is an interesting character.
Finally - please check whether the area was effected by the recent mudslides and if so, whether it is accessible. Would be a big let down if you cannot make it there after risking your life on that ferry for 7 hours !
Enjoy!
