Another day in paradise although the internet here is next to useless! I did find the island's post office though and literally covered a postcard with stamps! They assured me it would get there within two weeks and we're delighted to boast that they used airmail!
We didn't dive today but went kayaking around the islands again. Well, that was the intention but the kayaks were all rented out so we used a small boat and after an hour or so and a quick swim we got caught in torrential rain in the middle of the bay and couldn't get back to shore for half an hour despite our brave efforts! The girls at the dive resort laughed their heads off when they saw us out in the boat, absolutely drenched and snapping at each other.
Then we went riding at a place called Horse Valley Riding Club. Quite a grand name for what was essentially a run-down barn and paddock with a few ponies, but what a hoot! There were no adults to be seen there, only loads of children, dogs, chickens and horses obviously. Shaggy's 'Mr. Bombastic' was being cranked up on the radio. The boy who took us on the hack can't have been more than 13 years old, though he refused to disclose his actual age, and the horses were as we expected, tiny! Ric's had a mind of its own (plus he hadn't ridden for some 20 years) and so would I if I had to carry his big gangly dimensions! It was a good way to see other parts of the island. We passed locals washing their clothes in the streams, farms, lots of shacks full of children(!), fields of palms and other lush rugged rural views. Lovely place.
Where to go next? We're a bit sick of cities. We've thought about visiting idyllic Boracay and the rice fields and the Whale Sharks in Donsol but have decided to head off to Thailand as this will be more cost-effective and easier. So, to Manila tomorrow for an 8 hour wait in the airport and then we'll fly to Bangkok tomorrow night. Yes it's a city but we have to go and we'll get out of there and on to some beaches soon enough. There's also a cycling tour I'd like to check out!
Showing posts with label palawan coron diving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label palawan coron diving. Show all posts
Friday, 23 May 2008
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Diving Around Palawan
We have been having a great time diving here in Coron, Palawan. This place is beautiful.
After five skill dives and a bit of theory we've completed our Advanced Diver course and boy have we seen a lot of wrecks (not as interesting as I'd hoped but different from fishies and turtles)! Most of them are vessels which were bombed in September 1944. Today we got right inside the bowels of one called the Okikawa Maru. Absolutely terrifying squeezing round that one especially when I was the last in so had to contend with everyone else's kicked up sludge and dirt! Diving is getting easier and easier for me and I have no problems with my ears now. We've seen a lot of jelly fish, flying fish and clown fish! Not as much variety as Sipadan where we were somewhat spoilt in that respect. The water does feel different though; silker almost. The staff are relaxed and friendly here. The Filipinas are cheeky with the men. Hmm.
Last night we went to the town's hot springs in a couple of clapped-out motorised tricycles with some of our fellow divers and a bag of beers. The locals seemed intrigued and came out to watch us as we trundled down the dusty streets. Was an absolute hoot, we paid peanuts to get in and it was wonderful. Algae (good for the skin don't you know) meant we slid off the sides of the spring in to the hot salty moon-lit water and there were even fireflies dancing round us as we splashed about. Just what we needed after a long day of diving.
Tomorrow we're going to a couple more wrecks but also to Barracuda Lake which promises to be our strangest dive do date. It is one of only two such places in the world you can dive in such extraordinary conditions. The only way to get to the lake is to climb the broken cliff, up the jagged limestone, over the knife edged ridges and down into the bay on the football field sized lake. I might pay a local to help me with my scuba gear! What's interesting about it is the fact that the surface water down to 12 meters is fresh water and supports a variety of fresh water aquatic life. Descending beyond 12 meters you pass through an inversion layer into very dense salty water at 44 degrees Celsius which supports marine life.
Then below about 32 metres is another inversion layer leading to cooler water again. Crazy or what? At the meeting point between the salt and fresh water is a 5cm thick mixing layer where the hot and cold waters of different density and salinity meet. It's like swimming in mud at that depth apparently. Objects in the water often are dense enough to sink through the fresh water, but light enough to float on the salt water layer, so hang in this 5cm mixing layer, forming a visible barrier between the fresh and salt water which to a diver either appears as a false bottom to the lake or a false surface depending on your depth. It'll be interesting to see what lives there, beside the barracuda!
After five skill dives and a bit of theory we've completed our Advanced Diver course and boy have we seen a lot of wrecks (not as interesting as I'd hoped but different from fishies and turtles)! Most of them are vessels which were bombed in September 1944. Today we got right inside the bowels of one called the Okikawa Maru. Absolutely terrifying squeezing round that one especially when I was the last in so had to contend with everyone else's kicked up sludge and dirt! Diving is getting easier and easier for me and I have no problems with my ears now. We've seen a lot of jelly fish, flying fish and clown fish! Not as much variety as Sipadan where we were somewhat spoilt in that respect. The water does feel different though; silker almost. The staff are relaxed and friendly here. The Filipinas are cheeky with the men. Hmm.
Last night we went to the town's hot springs in a couple of clapped-out motorised tricycles with some of our fellow divers and a bag of beers. The locals seemed intrigued and came out to watch us as we trundled down the dusty streets. Was an absolute hoot, we paid peanuts to get in and it was wonderful. Algae (good for the skin don't you know) meant we slid off the sides of the spring in to the hot salty moon-lit water and there were even fireflies dancing round us as we splashed about. Just what we needed after a long day of diving.
Tomorrow we're going to a couple more wrecks but also to Barracuda Lake which promises to be our strangest dive do date. It is one of only two such places in the world you can dive in such extraordinary conditions. The only way to get to the lake is to climb the broken cliff, up the jagged limestone, over the knife edged ridges and down into the bay on the football field sized lake. I might pay a local to help me with my scuba gear! What's interesting about it is the fact that the surface water down to 12 meters is fresh water and supports a variety of fresh water aquatic life. Descending beyond 12 meters you pass through an inversion layer into very dense salty water at 44 degrees Celsius which supports marine life.
Then below about 32 metres is another inversion layer leading to cooler water again. Crazy or what? At the meeting point between the salt and fresh water is a 5cm thick mixing layer where the hot and cold waters of different density and salinity meet. It's like swimming in mud at that depth apparently. Objects in the water often are dense enough to sink through the fresh water, but light enough to float on the salt water layer, so hang in this 5cm mixing layer, forming a visible barrier between the fresh and salt water which to a diver either appears as a false bottom to the lake or a false surface depending on your depth. It'll be interesting to see what lives there, beside the barracuda!
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