After a couple of days in Manila, we headed to Coron, which is in the Province of Palawan and on the island of Busuanga.
Coron is probably most famous for being one of the best wreck-diving locations in the world. In 1944, the US Navy attacked Japanese forces in the area, and successfully sank several ships. There are around 10 well-preserved ships, which are surrounded by coral reef. During my open-water course, I was actually able to see a couple of these ships, which was incredible.
In addition to diving, Coron is also a good destination because of its beaches, hot springs, and proximity to so many islands. A lot of tourists will hire a boat to take them to nearby islands, which have great beaches, and sometimes, interesting sites.
Since I was getting my Scuba Certificate, I spent most of my time on the boat or in the dive center. Probably not the worst thing in the world. Sitting around on a boat, eating great food, taking in the sights, and enjoying the company…pretty hard to beat. One of the main reasons diving is so chill (aside from the people), is because you are required to rest for long periods of time between dives (keeping it simple for those that are not familiar with diving). This is great, because it is almost like forced-relaxation.
After the first day, I was really happy. We were getting a great deal on the course, I was learning the material, and I got to experience a wreck dive. It was pretty great as far as first-experiences go, but on the second day, it got even better.
One of our open water dives took place in Barracuda Lake, which is a thermocline. A thermocline is a thin layer in a body of water that changes temperature more easily with depth than the surround layers. If that does not make sense, or does not sound cool, let me explain.
To get to the lake, you have to hike over jagged rocks with all of your heavy equipment. The surrounding area is beautiful, but there is not a lot to see in the lake. Occasionally, you might see a fish or a shrimp, but that is not the reason people dive there (in fact, with the temperature in some areas, I am amazed these creatures survive). The real attraction is the thermocline and the rock formations. As you dive, it feels as if you are floating through a ghost town. As you pass through the thermocline, the temperature not only changes (and sometimes it is hot!), but your vision does as well.
There are a few things that affect the vision. First, when you pass though the thermocline, it can be hard to see but a couple of inches in front of you. If you are not trying to look too far ahead, you can see various particles and debris suspended in the water. Observing this while sitting in the water neutrally buoyant is probably the closest feeling to being in outer space. The other cool impact on vision is the change in depth perception. When you, or the person you are observing, moves in and out of the thermocline, it appears that they are in a different location than they actually are.
It is hard to describe such an experience. If you ever get the chance to do a thermocline dive, don’t pass it up!
We managed to finish the dive course just in time. The following day the rain clouds moved in, and we were stuck inside playing card games. As a result of the bad weather, our flight back to Manila was canceled, and we had to spend another night in Coron. We could have used the extra day for our trip to Banaue…
You can find more photos here.
