panglao’s sunrise

between sunrise and sunset, i like the latter more. because i don’t have to wake up too early just to be able to see it. but it was a treat seeing panglao’s sunrise last december when we went there for a family get-together.

starfish galore

i like panglao. it’s kind of like boracay minus the commercialism and the hordes of tourists who swarm the beach. i prefer something more peaceful. i’d rather have starfishes swarm my beach. =)

call me sentimental but i love it when pictures come out almost black and white. i love how the light of the sleepy sun plays tricks on the world, creating and un-creating shadows here and there. like this one did…

almost black and white morning

we decided to go island hopping around panglao. of course, who would want to miss the dolphins? i certainly didn’t!

black on blue

so imagine our delight when we saw hundreds of these dolphins somewhere between balicasag and panglao islands! there were too many of them to count — all on their way to negros island. and there we were delaying their trip. hehe.

the dolphins there were smaller than the ones i saw in bais, negros oriental when i went there last year with my friends. but what they lacked in size, they more than made up for their number. it was amazing just watching them swim up and down simultaneously. really makes you smile in spite of yourself.

balicasag island

snorkeled in balicasag island for a bit. they got a really great snorkeling spot out there. fishes and corals of every color were everywhere. it was quite relaxing snorkeling there, actually. although panic set in when i saw the blackness of the underwater cliffs. lol. so i just tried to stay away from the dark side. floated and snorkeled my way around the more colorful side of the sea, nevermind that it was rocky as hell. that was what the booties were there for, anyway.

but the best part of it all? the virgin island. simply because i found it very photogenic.

virgin island

virgin island off panglao island in bohol is nothing more than an extensive sand bar. it’s isolated, making it even more appealing, as tourists just dock their rented boats there, go for a swim, eat, whatever the sun inspires them to do.

because it is not inhabited, expect its shores to be filled with sea urchins and weeds, aside from the usual starfishes. so you gotta be more careful. but the water’s great. really cool and clear. and the view of the other side of the sand bar just as pretty.

all in all, virgin island is something you wouldn’t wanna miss. =)