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Apo Island update

Discussion in 'Tourist Information' started by cabb, Jan 8, 2018.

  1. cabb

    cabb DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster ✤Forum Sponsor✤

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    Curious if anyone had dove Apo Island in the last year or so and what it's state is these days. It sounds like a typhoon destroyed much of the East side a few years ago.

    A team of scientists and environment advocates proposed the development of a marine reserve on the western section of Negros Oriental's Apo Island so that sea life that lost their habitat on the eastern side due to recent typhoons could have a new home.

    Greenpeace, Silliman University, and the Coastal Conservation Education Foundation surveyed the coral reef southeast of Apo Island last July 9 to 12 and found that nearly all of the reef was destroyed.

    “Ninety-eight percent of the reef has been wiped out and in some areas about 100 percent ‘yung damage sa reef. The reef has been wiped out. Walang natira,” according to Mark Gia, regional oceans campaign manager of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.


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  2. Dutchie

    Dutchie DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Veteran Army

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    Here's an (apparently, to my layman's eye) good article about present conditions around Apo Island.
    Cousteau gives 2 thumbs up to Apo Island protected area | BusinessMirror
    The article is from September 2016, but I assume that means it is still pretty much current.
    About halfway down the article it is stated that the (smallish) Marine Sanctuary is closed to all non-scientific exploration for now (because of the damage done by the typhoons in 2011/2012).
    As for actual recent experience, I can only recount that my daughter and her boyfriend went to dive around Apo Island last year and came back very enthusiast, so I must assume there's still enough beauty to be found in accessible areas.
     
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  3. davewe

    davewe DI Junior Member

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    I don't know.
    Four of us went there a couple weeks ago and it was spectacular. Now only 1 of us dove - the rest snorkeled. But we saw tons of turtles, which is the prime reason to go. As to whether some parts of the sanctuary are still closed, I don't know. But there were still plenty of dive spots open.
     
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  4. Wildlands1

    Wildlands1 DI Member Restricted Account Showcase Reviewer

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    I don't know.
    The east side is much less visited by divers or snorkelers. I too would like to try it IF the reef is OK. The rest of Apo is "ok" with great coral, tons of turtles, but very "fished out" due to lack of protection and/or lack of enforcing no fishing rules. Seeing how much of a tourist attraction it is, one would think that the Gov would turn it all into a strictly protected park with zero fishing allowed anywhere near the island. But I doubt they'll have the foresight.
     
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