Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WRECK
DIVING IN CORON BAY
Most divers come to the Coron area for the World War II
Japanese shipwrecks
. There are
24 wrecks in all, all sunk in one massive attack by US aircraft on September 24, 1944. Among
the most interesting are:
Akitsushima
A big ship lying on her side
with a crane once used for hoisting a
seaplane. Between Culion and Busuanga
islands, near Manglet Island, the wreck attracts
huge schools of giant batfish and barracuda.
Irako
The best of the wrecks and still almost
intact; it's home to turtles and enormous
groupers, who hang in mid-water and
eyeball you as you float past. A swim
through the engine room reveals a network
of pipes and valves inhabited by moray eels
and lionfish, which have spines that deliver
a hefty dose of poison.
Morazan Maru
Japanese freighter sitting
upright at 28m. Large shoals of banana fish,
giant batfish and pufferfish the size of
footballs can be seen, especially around the
mast, bow and stern. It's easy to get into
the cargo holds, making this a good wreck
dive for beginners.
Taiei Maru
Japanese tanker covered with
beautiful corals and a large variety of marine
life. The deck is relatively shallow at between
10m and 16m deep, and is well suited to
wreck-dive beginners.
7
DIVE OPERATORS
There are a dozen or so dive operators in Coron Town. The following are reliable:
Discovery Divers
A short walk out of town towards
the airport
W
ddivers.com.
Dive Right
Near L&M Pe Lodge
W
diveright
-coron.com.
Sea Dive Resort
T
0918 400 0448,
W
seadiveresort
.com; see p.393.
Lake Kayangan
Daily 8am-4pm • P200
To visit volcanic
Lake Kayangan
boats dock at a gorgeous lagoon rimmed with coral
and turquoise waters - here the Tagbanua have a small hut with basic information
about the island and the tribe, with staff on hand to answer any questions. The lake
itself is reached by climbing up a steep flight of steps - at the top, turn left along a
narrow path to tiny
Kayangan Cave
for awe-inspiring views of the lagoon below. The
main path continues down to the lake, where you can snorkel in the warm waters and
spy schools of odd-looking needlefish.
The rest of the island
Lake Barracuda
(P100) is encircled by jagged limestone outcrops that give way to lush
jungle, but is only really worth the additional entrance fee if you are on a
dive trip
; on
the surface the water is the usual temperature, but 18m down it heats up so much that
you can drift along on hot thermals. To the west are the
Twin Lagoons
(P100), hemmed
in by jagged pillars of limestone towering over the water like abstract sculptures. Boats
dock at the end of the first lagoon, where you can swim through a low-lying water
tunnel into the second one, a tranquil and very deep inlet (the other end opens to the
sea). Odd coral formations cling to the sides of the lagoon, looking like a sunken city
under the surface. A little further along the coast is
Skeleton Wreck
(P100), a sunken
Japanese fishing vessel easily viewed by snorkellers, and a series of narrow
beaches
backed by sheer cliffs. Tours usually stop for lunch on one of these (Banol Beach is the
most popular), but each one charges a P100 fee.
The southern islands
The boat association (see box, p.393) runs tours for P3500/boat; Calamianes Expeditions (see box, p.393) charges P950/person
One hour south of Coron Town lies the enticing trio of
Malcapuya Island
(P200),
Banana Island
(P100) and
Bolog Island
(P100), classic desert islands where the main
