Spend a day on our boat over one of the finest coral reefs in the area, with lunch, morning snacks and our home-roasted coffee on board. Below is an honest picture of the day, so you can book it knowing exactly what to expect.
Apo Island
Apo Island is a small volcanic island about 7 km off the southern tip of Negros, and its marine sanctuary, protected since the early 1980s, is one of the best-known community-run reefs in the Philippines. The coral here is some of the finest in the area: hard coral gardens, soft corals, reef fish by the thousand and resident green and hawksbill turtles. On a calm, clear day, snorkelling over it is hard to beat.
Snorkellers come out with us on our dive boat. We leave Dauin at about 8:15 in the morning, moor at three or four sites around the island, weather allowing, and are back between 3:30 and 4:00 in the afternoon. At each site you snorkel from the boat while the divers explore below you, and in between there are pancakes or pandesal to nibble on, lunch, and our home-roasted coffee on board.
It is a wonderful day when the conditions are right, and it is also a full day at sea, which suits some people better than others. So that there are no surprises, here are four things we like every snorkeller to know before booking.
Good to know
To protect Apo’s coral, our boat ties up at the mooring buoys rather than landing on the island: there is no jetty for boats our size, and an anchor would damage the reef inside the sanctuary. The good news is that the best coral is right beneath the boat, so you step straight off the ladder into the snorkelling. At some sites the beach is about 50 metres away, and confident swimmers sometimes swim in for a look and back; just let the crew know first.
Divers and snorkellers go out on the same boat, so now and then it has to leave the mooring for a short while to pick up divers who have surfaced a long way off or need a hand. Don’t worry: the crew know exactly who is still in the water, we have never left a guest behind, and the boat comes straight back to the mooring. It helps a lot if you tell the crew where you plan to swim and roughly how long you’ll be, so they always know where to look for you.
Apo sits in open water, so it feels the wind from both monsoons. On calm days the boat rests gently at the buoy; on windier days it rocks, and because there is no sheltered bay at Apo, that can last the whole day. As a rule of thumb, the north-east monsoon (Amihan) brings the roughest crossings from January to March, and from around April or May to November it is generally calmer, with the odd choppy spell when a front of the south-west monsoon (Habagat) comes through in late July, August or September. We only go out when the Coast Guard has cleared the conditions, and we choose the calmest sites of the day. If you are prone to seasickness, a tablet before we leave makes a big difference. And if a day at sea isn’t really your thing, Dauin’s own marine sanctuary is a lovely snorkel from the beach, about 50 metres from our door.
The day trip includes the boat, the sites, your gear and the food, and you snorkel at your own pace near the boat, on your own or with your travelling companions. If you would like someone in the water with you all day, pointing out the turtles and keeping an eye on the current, we are happy to arrange a private snorkelling guide for the whole day. Just ask when you book, so we can have your guide ready, and we’ll quote the price.
The snorkelling day trip
Pancakes or pandesal to nibble on the way out, with our home-roasted coffee made in a French press on the boat. It’s a snack rather than a breakfast, so eat before you come.
The menu rotates with the trips: usually a vegetarian rice dish with a Filipino side such as pancit, and a barbecue when the weather allows. Tell us about allergies or dietary needs when you book.
Water, coffee and tea all day, and fruit (usually bananas) with chocolate after the second site.
Mask, snorkel and fins. Bring your own if you prefer, along with reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and something warm for the ride home.
We moor at the same sites our divers use and move around the island as the conditions allow. Which sites we visit depends on the wind that day.
Apo Island’s marine sanctuary fee is included, and there are towels on the boat.
PHP 2,500 per person, all in: boat, gear, sanctuary fees, lunch, snacks and drinks. A private snorkelling guide for the day can be added, so ask us for the price.
Your day
Have breakfast before you come. We gather everyone, then walk to the boat at about 8:00 while the crew clear our departure with the Coast Guard.
Pancakes or pandesal and coffee on the way out, then three or four snorkelling stops around the island, with lunch on board. We leave on time, so please be ready.
Time to rinse off, warm up and tell us what you saw.
Sometimes, for a short while. Divers and snorkellers share the boat, so now and then it leaves the mooring to pick up divers who have surfaced a long way off or need a hand. Don’t worry: the crew know exactly who is still in the water, we have never left a guest behind, and the boat comes straight back to the mooring. It helps a lot if you tell the crew where you plan to swim and roughly how long you’ll be, so they always know where to look for you.
Pancakes or pandesal to nibble on the way out, with our home-roasted coffee made in a French press on the boat (a snack rather than a breakfast, so eat before you come). Water, coffee and tea all day, and fruit, usually bananas, with chocolate after the second dive. Lunch rotates with the trips: usually a vegetarian rice dish with a Filipino side such as pancit, and a barbecue when the weather allows. Tell us about allergies or dietary needs when you book.
It depends on the day. Apo sits in open water and feels the wind from both monsoons: the north-east monsoon (Amihan) and the south-west monsoon (Habagat). On calm days the boat rests gently at the buoy; on windier days it rocks, and because there is no sheltered bay at Apo, that can last the whole day. As a rule of thumb, the north-east monsoon brings the roughest crossings from January to March, and from around April or May to November it is generally calmer, with choppy spells when south-west monsoon fronts come through in late July, August and September. No two years are the same, and it is rare that the sea is too rough to go at all. We only go out when the Coast Guard has cleared the conditions, and we choose the calmest sites of the day. If you are prone to seasickness, a tablet before we leave makes a big difference.
A guide in the water is an optional extra. The snorkelling day trip includes the boat, three or four sites (weather allowing), mask, snorkel and fins, lunch, morning snacks, coffee and drinks, and you snorkel at your own pace near the boat. If you would like a private snorkelling guide for the whole day, just ask when you book so we can have your guide ready, and we’ll quote the price.
To protect the coral, no. There is no jetty for boats our size, and an anchor would damage the reef inside the sanctuary, so we tie up at the mooring buoys and you dive or snorkel straight from the boat, with the best coral right beneath you. At some sites the beach is about 50 metres away, and confident swimmers sometimes swim in for a look and back; just let the crew know first.
Safety always comes first. Apo Island trips depart only when sea conditions allow and the coast guard permits. If a trip cannot go ahead, we will do our best to rebook you on the next available date.
Yes, subject to space on the boat. Our snorkelling day trip to Apo Island visits three or four sites, weather allowing, and costs PHP 2,500 per person, all in: lunch, morning snacks and drinks on board, mask, snorkel and fins, and the marine sanctuary fee. A private snorkelling guide for the day can be added; just ask when you book. Let us know when you enquire and we’ll reserve a place.
Tell us your dates and whether you’d like a private snorkelling guide, and we’ll match you with our next Apo trip. Trips run subject to sea conditions and space on the boat.