Monday and Tuesday, Oct 20 & 21 - Island hopping

Monday and Tuesday, Oct 20 & 21 - Island hopping

There are dozens of islands in the immediate area around El Nido. The islands have dramatic vertical rock cliffs, and are surrounded by clear blue water and choral reefs. Most have at least one sloping beach where you can easily land a boat.

Island hopping means you hire a boat like the one below. (Basically it is a big wooden canoe with a very narrow keel and outriggers. The narrow keel makes it very efficient in the water, the outriggers make it stable, and the whole thing can operate in both shallow and deep water.) There are lagoons and hidden beaches to explore.

We stopped and snorkled at several islands and saw some amazing sea life, including lots of varieties of coral and way more fish than I imagined possible. We also saw a modest-sized sea turtle and a flounder. At one point I discovered that the fish were as interested in me as I were in them. I could float suspended at the surface and be swarmed by a wide variety. They seemed very curious about what I was.

Another high point was the glimpse of the manta ray that we caught. We were in the boat out in open water when the guide suddenly slowed and pointed out an enormous white speckled creature about 20' to one side. Ben wanted to get in the water but the guide wouldn't let him: "There are sharks out here."

One of the things I learned is that these fish are exported around the world for exotic aquariums and high end restaurants. What you don't know is how they catch them. The most common method is cyanide poisoning. You can read more about it here and here.

Perhaps ironically, at lunch your guide grills fresh fish over an open fire, and serves it with rice and some kind of cole slaw or similar vegetable. Here is our cook/guide at work. I hope this is hook or net caught.