Snorkeling in Bohol

A Day on Bacasag Island: A Mix of Wonder and Disappointment

Bacasag Island, a paradise island in the Philippines, is renowned for its turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, and exceptional marine biodiversity. I have to say that the experience was a mixed bag.

Waking Up at Dawn

The adventure began very early, well before sunrise. We were picked up by a tuktuk that took us to the beach. There, we crossed a sandbar to board a boat. The sun rose during the crossing, offering a magnificent sight.

In Search of Dolphins

Our first goal was to go dolphin watching. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to spot any. The boat stopped for a few moments and the crew let us know there weren’t any. We barely had time to scan the horizon before we set off again toward the island.

Arrival on the island and planning activities

Once we arrived on the island, we were immediately asked to make reservations for dinner. Meanwhile, we were introduced to the various activities: two snorkeling spots, one for viewing coral and the other for sea turtles.

Disappointment and frustration

We waited in a makeshift waiting area for the skippers to take us out—three on one boat and four on the other. Luckily, we were still alone; when we returned, see for yourself in the photo. There were more and more people.

We were indeed all alone on our bancas; the snorkeling area was marked off with a rope to prevent damage to the coral.

After about thirty minutes of snorkeling at the first spot, we returned to the beach. Too short for my taste. There, we learned that the second spot was closed due to dangerous conditions, according to the skipper. And yet, less than an hour earlier, we’d been sold on the idea. Disappointed, we voiced our dissatisfaction. In the meantime, they served us our meal—it was 9 a.m., and we’d clearly thought this was supposed to be lunch—and nothing tasted good!

The atmosphere was tense; we felt like we were just another group of tourists on an assembly-line tour. And that’s exactly what we were. We were told that since we’d spotted and filmed a turtle, that was good enough—we’d done the “turtle” part!

Tired of waiting, part of the group headed to another beach, while the rest waited for a solution.

In the end, some of us were able to see the second spot, but the disappointment was palpable. On top of that, we were forced to head back quickly, without having time to fully enjoy the island.

Mixed results

Despite the beauty of Bacasag Island and the richness of its underwater world, this day will be remembered for its disappointment and frustration. The lack of organization and the feeling of being treated like unimportant tourists spoiled part of the experience.

Tips

Ask for as much information as possible about the tour; don’t settle for the first restaurant you come across—as we walked around, we saw much more appealing restaurants.
Not to mention the boat—its exhaust was so loud that our ears took a bigger beating than they would have from a night at a nightclub.

The boat rental cost us 4,000 pesos plus 2,100 pesos in taxes, not counting the 400-peso tuk-tuk ride and the 3,250-peso lunch.

On the last day, some of us had breakfast at a restaurant called “Le Paprika” in a hotel complex perched on the edge of a cliff, and we spent the rest of the day at the beach and the hotel pool before heading to Boracay.

Here are a few photos from our last day:

Yours truly, Ninve