tao expedition, palawan - part 3:

So this is the final part of our expedition from El Nido to Coron. We spent our last couple of days in the Calamian island group which is home to some spectacular snorkelling and diving. Unfortunately, the reefs near El Nido and the Linapacan island group have been damaged quite badly by El Nino in recent years, plus heavy dynamite and cyanide fishing which has done a ridiculous amount of damage to the coral and fish life. However, as we moved north into further remote areas the coral and fish life improved dramatically and was such a joy to explore. We saw reef sharks, turtles, thousands and thousands of fish, plus some navy wrecks from World War Two. It's another world under the sea, and an incredible one at that.
Our very last stop was Barracuda Lake. Hidden in the middle of an island just off Coron, the lake is comprised of differing layers, the first being 10 metres of freshwater, which then changes into 40 metres of salt water that is about 38 degrees Celsius. It's a pretty eerie place, but also extremely beautiful and different to what we had seen previously. Upon the completion of our trip, we spent a night in Coron town before jetting off to Istanbul (where we are now) via Manila and Singapore.

So that pretty much wraps up that leg of our trip. It was a pretty amazing start and something we will never ever forget. I highly recommend checking out Tao and considering Palawan as your next destination, it is a place that will change dramatically in the next few years, so try and get in quickly before it does. We are pretty keen to return to the Philippines and explore more of this beautiful country.  It tends to have a bit of  bad reputation security wise, however we felt safe at all times and were overcome by the friendliness and hospitality we encountered.

Next: Singapore

where we spent our last night on the boat

the water was so clear

plenty of jellyfish (and a couple of stings)

turtle!

Barracuda Lake