I was planning on just devoting one post about Danjugan Island but it seems like I enjoyed my stay so much that a single post cannot contain everything I have to say about our experience. Just explaining why this island is one-of-a-kind made my previous entry too lengthy. Read about the history, wildlife and wonders of Danjugan Island here.

So here’s the continuation and on this post, I’ll write about the activities we did and the places we visited on the island.

Typhoon Beach Camp

There’s a beach on the island where you’ll find a few “mud houses.” This is where guests who wish to spend the night on the island stay. They follow a “back to basics” principle here so the houses are really bare.

We visited the place even though we would not be staying overnight. To get here, we took a short boat ride led by Kuya Allan (our boatman) and then followed a bamboo trail. The place was fantastic; it had a great view. From here we saw the legendary tree (that was threatened to be cut down by former inhabitants until the island was managed by PRRCFI) and the eagles that lived there.

Unfortunately, I was busy living up to my “Poor Traveler” name as the rain poured heavier and the lens of my camera got too foggy because of the rain and the cold. Also, you might also want to apply some Off lotion (or other mosquito-repellent) before going here.

Look, Sea Snake!

Just before we hop onto the boat, we spotted a big sea snake. I had seen sea snakes before but NOT this big. It was hiding under a rock on the shore, moving slowly.

We were supposed to snorkel in the area but fear got the better of us. We were just too paranoid knowing that there was a big sea snake around. National Geographic taught me that the venom of sea snakes are way more potent than that of a cobra. National Geographic also taught me that sea snakes avoid humans and avoids trouble unless provoked. Kuya Allan was saying the same thing, encouraging us to snorkel but we were just too scared. From now on, I shall be called “The Chicken Traveler.” Cowardice is my middle name.

Snorkeling: An Explosion of Color

Kuya Allan decided to just take us a little farther from the shore (where the sea snake was) and convinced us to snorkel there instead. We put on our masks and jumped off the boat. AND WHOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH. It was one of those times when I regretted not having an underwater or even a water-proof cam. The view underneath was just, ah, orgasmic. Fish and corals everywhere and they were oh-so-bright and colorful! I had seen so many bright blue sea stars in Bohol (we called them Lady Gaga sea stars) but I had never seen them this huge.

Looking at the reefs was like visual masturbation. It was so inviting, like the marine creatures were inviting me to live with them. Bwahaha. There was just an explosion of colors beneath the water surface and they were all alive.

We saw several giant clams. And they were bright blue. We saw blue-and-yellow-striped fish. We saw corals that looked like they were radiating neon lights. We saw pink this, red that. It was like I even saw colors I didn’t know existed before.

Lunch at Danjugan Island

After tiring yet worthwhile hours of snorkeling, Benj invited to head back to the shore for lunch. They served squash soup, chicken adobo (but sweeter than the usual), an eggplant dish we didn’t catch the name of, a fish dish, and mangoes for dessert. We had always thought we were gluttons but the food was just too much even for us. The perks of being the only guests on the island that time.

We left the fish dish almost untouched ‘coz we all felt a little uncomfortable having fish for lunch when we just had mingled with colorful fish minutes before.

Sharks or No Sharks?

After the sumptuous meal, it was time for kayaking! Although the island only had four kayaks, each of us was able to get one since we were the only guests. Benj led the way and we just followed him wherever he went. The water at the lagoon were crystal clear that we could see even the small fish and the grayish eels beneath. In the words of Rebecca Black, it was fun fun fun fun fun fun.

At one point, Benj taught us how to plant mangroves while sharing more interesting info about Danjugan.

Benj also asked us to go to a place where black tip sharks abounded. At first we were afraid (as always) but Benj said that there had been no incidents and there wouldn’t be a first time as long as we won’t provoke them. We got so excited but unfortunately the water was too shallow (low tide, I hate you) for the sharks to stay at that time. Too bad.

Anyway, there’s a video of black-tipped sharks posted on their official website. Here it is:

Turtle Beach

Later on, Kuya Allan led the way through the dense forest to a beach on the other side of the island called “Turtle Beach.” Obviously, it was so-called because of the turtles often seen at the site. Again, unfortunately, they weren’t there. We saw the tracks they left on the sand but not the turtles themselves.

It was completely fine, though, because the beach was gorgeous and there was a flock of seagulls (?) flying around the area. There was an islet off Turtle Beach, where seagulls’ nests were.

Time to Say Goodbye

It was heartbreaking to leave Danjugan Island. We hated the idea that we could only stay at the island for so long because we had other items on our itinerary and our flight was on the next day. We signed on the island’s Visitor’s Logbook and left messages for those who manage the island and expressed our gratitude for the wonderful time we had.

We will NEVER forget this island and I swear I shall be back. The island is just a paradise in many ways.

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