Apo Island
Apo Island is a small island off the coast of Dauin, Philippines. The scuba diving here is a stark contrast to the nearby shoreline of Dauin. Huge coral reefs cover every square inch of ground in some areas around the island. Massive schools of jacks hang just off the deeper parts of the reef bathed in current and rich in food. Small reef fish stay close to the protective corals they call home. They do have to share their beautiful neighborhood with turtles, sea snakes, and cuttlefish as well.
Soft corals fight hard corals for space in the shallows and down the submerged walls of Apo Island. It is usually done as a day trip from one of the many dive resorts over in Dauin. We planned a 3 dive day trip. When I saw how small the island was and how fast the current was I thought we would see everything on the first two dives but our guide saved the best for last.
The first two dives were drift dives along the sloping walls. This is where we swam through schools of jacks hanging in the current as well and caught a rare glimpse of a huge bumphead parrotfish. The water was very clear until we rounded a corner where the waves were hitting and murking everything up. Sitting topside in between dives was also fun with coffee in hand and some of the best tropical island views you could ask for.
Our third dive was around the protective side of the island into a very tranquil coral garden. This is where we saw sea snakes, a green sea turtle, and thousands of colorful reef fish. It is also where we found the clearest water. Apo Island was hit heavily by a monsoon a few years back and lost much of its shallow coral. This damage can still be seen but luckily it is confined to one area. It will take time to recover but as long as they continue to protect this place I think it will only get better and better.
I took advantage of the clear water and beautiful reefscapes to use my wide angle underwater setup. The Philippines are known for being a great place for macro photography with all the nudibranchs, sea horses, and frogfish, so I wanted to show a different side and find some places to do some wide angle photography. Apo Island is that place!
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| Heidi and flourescent snapper |
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| A green sea turtle gliding above the coral |
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| Sea snake heading up for air |
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| Split shot- Divers ending their dive and climbing aboard |
Soft corals fight hard corals for space in the shallows and down the submerged walls of Apo Island. It is usually done as a day trip from one of the many dive resorts over in Dauin. We planned a 3 dive day trip. When I saw how small the island was and how fast the current was I thought we would see everything on the first two dives but our guide saved the best for last. 
The first two dives were drift dives along the sloping walls. This is where we swam through schools of jacks hanging in the current as well and caught a rare glimpse of a huge bumphead parrotfish. The water was very clear until we rounded a corner where the waves were hitting and murking everything up. Sitting topside in between dives was also fun with coffee in hand and some of the best tropical island views you could ask for.
Our third dive was around the protective side of the island into a very tranquil coral garden. This is where we saw sea snakes, a green sea turtle, and thousands of colorful reef fish. It is also where we found the clearest water. Apo Island was hit heavily by a monsoon a few years back and lost much of its shallow coral. This damage can still be seen but luckily it is confined to one area. It will take time to recover but as long as they continue to protect this place I think it will only get better and better.
I took advantage of the clear water and beautiful reefscapes to use my wide angle underwater setup. The Philippines are known for being a great place for macro photography with all the nudibranchs, sea horses, and frogfish, so I wanted to show a different side and find some places to do some wide angle photography. Apo Island is that place!
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