Dugong Dive Center Blog

New Dive Operation at Cashew Grove Beach Resort

The Dugong Dive Center will start operating its newest dive center at Cashew Grove Beach Resort in February 2012,http://www.cashewgrove.com; pictures will follow.

The dive sites are the same than for guests at Club Paradise, El Rio Y Mar and Vicky's Guesthouse but it gives our guests a additional choice for accommodation.

Dive the Philippines at it's best...

WWII Shipwrecks (Coron Wrecks)

Dugong Watching

Tara Islands (12 dive sites)

Apo Reef Natural Park ( 20 dive sites )

Diboyoyan Island ( 2 dive sites )

Barracuda Lake

Dimakya Island House Reef ( 4 dive sites )

Dive Palawan with Style

D.F.

 

Northern Palawan Turtles mating and nesting season is around Dec. to Feb. Every year, turtles come in the night to the beaches of Dimakya Island / Club Paradise and dig holes to lay down about a hundred eggs per nest. This year (2010-2011) eight nests have been placed just in front of the guest rooms and hatched safely. The Dugong Dive Center Staff put a fence around the nest to protect the eggs from the predators ( Monitor Lizard, Birds and Crabs ). After about 3 to 4 weeks the baby turtles hatch and are guided to the sea. Some of each batch stay in a small pool where they get food to grow a bit stronger, they will be released in small groups later on. The kids are the one who release them. This is a project to increase the survival rate because by nature only 1% survive. Five species of sea turtles have been recorded in the Philippines (only the green and hawksbill turtles are known to nest in the country ). One of the biggest is the leatherback turtle . All turtles belong to the endangered species and are protected. The first protected marine animal by law in the Philippines is the dugong (1992), the second is the whale shark (1995). Diving in the Philippines, the place where evolution is still forming new species, a must for every diver. Especialy Busuanga, Coron, Palawan where you find everything for a diver's heart; shipwrecks from WWII, Dugongs, well protected Coral Gardens, Wall and Drift dives.... D.F.

Another Turtle story from last year: Back in the Wild by Janet Fahrenbach, Tangay ‘Y Ang Laud Calamian A female hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) measuring 45cm long and 40.5cm wide was released from the shores of Club Paradise Resort (Dimakya Island, Coron, Palawan). The Turtle Release Team, headed by CENRO Felizardo B. Cayatoc and Ms. Brenda Ermita, took custody of a hawksbill turtle one early morning of Sept. 2, 2010. This turtle was brought by a certain fisherman to Hotel Michelangelo (Coron Poblacion) some eight (8) months ago. From the Poblacion, the team headed to the designated area of release, which is known to have less disturbances and is routinely monitored. Aboard M/B TASHINA, the team reached Dimakya Island at exactly 1100H. To ensure minimum stress to the turtle, the team immediately conducted a 15-min IEC campaign on turtle conservation (and identification) before an audience composed of resort staff and guests. Shortly before the release, a DENR PCP tag (PH 0255E) was fastened to the turtle’s left front limb by DENR personnel Alexis Bianzon and Anthony Castro. Tagging is done to identify a marine turtle as an individual and provide information on habitat residency, movement patterns, reproductive life-history, and strandings. The turtle found its way back to the sea at exactly 1130H, with Club Paradise RM Loida Almeñana leading the release. There are 7 marine turtle species in the world. Of which, 2 species are known to nest in the country; the green and the hawksbill. Turtles are vulnerable in all its life stages, from egg to hatchling to adult. This is the reason why all 7 species are in danger of getting extinct. To help in saving this endangered creature, please do not patronize turtle byproducts like bracelets, carapace guitars- nor take them to your home as pet- for their home is the sea. Report dead, captured, or injured marine turtles to: DENR-CENRO and/or the PCGA Wildlife Rescue Hotline (0908510171). APPRECIATION goes out to the following for causing the return of this magnificent creature to its home. Palawan Governor Hon. Baham Mitra, Alberto of Hotel Michelangelo, DENR-CENRO, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, Club Paradise Resort, Dugong Dive Center

Diving in the Philippines , the place you can find everything from XS to XL. 7107 Islands, a true Paradise !!! In the northern part of Palawan the main Plankton season is usually from December to April. The temperatures drop by about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius and the water has a lot of food supply from the deep. The visibility is still good and you can see more often the big Plankton feeders. This season it's only happening in mid January and here they are, Whales, big Manta Rays and of course Whale Sharks. On our last two Dugong watching Trips we had not only Dugongs; Whale Sharks and many Manta Rays made all the Guests very happy. Of course the Dugong is still the number one attraction because they are much more seldom to be found during a dive vacation. DF

The Octopus in a Glass, Amazing creatures, an Octopus use a broken glass and a shell for its shelter. The Veined Octopus lives on sand and can be easy spotted by predators the moment it is emerging to feed. That’s why it is using shells, human settlements and even coconut shells for its protection. The octopus has a good grip on its “house” that make it even difficult for humans to pull the shells apart. See also “octopus on a catwalk” at our Video gallery. The dugong watching site “Turtle Islands” has not only Dugongs to offer, you find Frog fishes, different kind of cuttle fish, octopus, scorpion fishes like stone fishes that hide in the sand, Cockatoo fish, different kind of pipe fishes, Snake eels, many Green Turtles that like to eat on the same sea grass species plus much much more … Pictures by Bernd Doernen and Mike Muerkens from “Turtle Islands” Busuanga / Palawan during a dugong watching trip. DF

The Bay around Dimakya Island has an average of 22 resident Dugongs and so far this year we had out of 58 dugong watching trips 49 Trips with dugong sightings (84.5%). The last trip was on the 18. August and the 11 guests joined been lucky and saw mother and calf. The 12 years old Claudia’s big dream came true …. Since she is a very good swimmer and skin diver, she could follow them for more than 30 minutes and took a lots of pictures and video clips. The visibility was not so good and there was no sunlight, but everyone has been so happy. Dugongs visited also the House Reef already 16 times this year. All guests from Club Paradise ( Dimakya Island ) could see the amazing Sea cow by snorkeling and diving on those days. Even the last 5 month of 2009 dugongs show up at the house reef every month. The sea grass bed is just in front of the resort restaurant. Picture by Claudia Fajarmes from Spain