Diving In The Pristine

The Philippines’ colourful coral reefs greet pelagic life at Apo Reef.

- Roni Ben-Aharon

With incredible visibility, dramatic walls, and abundant marine life, Apo Reef National Park has everything for the wandering traveller: snorkelling, diving, bird and dolphin watching, kayaking, rafting in the lagoon and the chance to observe turtles nesting.

Located approximately 30 kilometres off the west coast of Mindoro Island, on the northwest side of the Philippines, the remote reef is not a day tour option, and visitors can look forward to the starry night sky. The reef itself is a 34-square-kilometre submerged platform, with two isolated coral reefs separated by a 30-metre deep sandy bottom channel, opening to the west, where clear water runs.

Three islands poke their noses above the surface: Apo Island, Apo Menor (Binangaan) and Cayos del Bajo (Tinangkapan), all of which are uninhabited by humans, and flourish with life. The three islands are distinct in their formation, Apo Island being the largest (22 hectares), with a stunning white beach lagoon covered with beach vegetation where hawksbill turtles often nest, and a shallow mangrove area makes an excellent nursery for sharks. Apo Menor is a rocky limestone island with relatively little vegetation and Cayos del Bajo, the smallest island, is a coralline rock formation with no vegetation.

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