[Paddlewise] Phillipines part 4

PHILLIPINES part 4

Dec 26 am

After a great xmass meal at Sangat resort [11* 57' 48" N / 120* 04' 14" E]

Xmass night treat...while paddling out to my beach around 11pm, the
bioluminance was fabulous, I started paddling backwards for well over an
hour like a mad idiot, chanting away and being totally blown away, I was
able to make tracers with my paddles that reached at least 2 boat lenght,
unreal, never seen anything like this before...I could of easily get lost
that night, no idea about my travelling except I was trying to circle and
catch my stars...Gotta to do more of this...And back to the beach for a
good sleep, loads of travel tomorrow...

10 am, the boys from Sea Canoe International [ Brian & Jeremie, where I
stayed while on land] picked me up to take me to Black Island, another of
caveman's great discoveries, a huge slab of jet black limestone, their
destination with a ongoing 6 day tour...I am to catch a ride up the coast
for more exploratory...Turns out 3 of their clients are from Calgary
Alberta [400 kms from my house, where i go kayak shopping...] they buy my
produce at the local market I deal with...So I hang around with promises to
cook up a great breakfast...Stop in at Conception on the way and set up
camp on Black Island at dark, on a fantastic beach...On the way there, 2 of
us saw a shark ? no I am sorry a big mother shark way out there in front
...Naw...just wishful sighting...or was it ???
        Black island     12* 9' 13" N / 119* 49' 06" E

In the morning, the paid vacationers were resting after 3 days of paddle
and unreal amounts of great tasting Jeremy cooking, we took the outrigger
and toured caluit Island, a private zoo Marcos had developed with African
critters, no predators and they did better than at home and reproduced
greatly...But still a huge nature park = zoo

We returned and had another great feast, and I headed off to circle the
island and see the sun set over the south china sea [ now from here the sun
sets right over Dam Mon peninsula in  Vietnam where I hang out ] When I
reach the edge of the island I check back, it's not so far maybe 1 1/2 km
in  distance but a very long time in sightseeing the cliffside, catching
glimpses of monkeys, more of my friends the kingfishers who seem to be
everywhere I go...Is it the same one or what???and many more critters...
....
        Suddenly I seem to feel / see lots of excitement on our beach back
there...better return, I am but a hitcher...Get back in a hurry...Now
everyone is out on the yaks...all dispersed in the ocean over about 1 km
square. 5 yaks...what's up. ..I paddle out and hear...It's a shark...no
it's a whale shark...it's right here...and this monster shark, whale shark
that is is swimming out with us, and coming right up to us time and time
again, he bounce a inflatable to this one girl's total amazement and unreal
shriek...Then a bit later I went to put my paddle blade in the water and
looked and there it is... HOLY SHIT...MY BOAT IT'S JUMPING IN... a huge
mouth filled with [what are they called them things they got whale
teeth???]

Swear to god, I could tickled it's chin without stretching my arm...The
eyes, the mouth, the magnitude... It was smiling at me and ducked
under...swear to god the tail fin was millimetres from my yak...
        { I found myself face to face with a full grown grizzly bear, maybe
15 feet between us, and this afternoon the bear episode faded a whole
bunch...]

So what the heck is swimming over there...another shark...NO way it's a
huge Manta ray and it's 3 feet under my yak and most un...real...And
another Manta ray...these 2 were about 3 meters long and wide and most
impressive when fulled stretched out under MY yak...Seeing them breach
water all tucked in and rolling at water level...

These critters were around us for over 1 1/2 hour, they would go and
return, every time going with inches of someone...Some of us even jumped in
with underwater cameras and such, I even have a photo of myself with my new
friends head right next to the klepper...

Dinner and evening was like kids after xmass, the vibes and excitement was
all over, took me 6 pages in my log and over 2 hours to write it down...

And we got a visit by a very colourful water snake who decide we did not
have enough excitement today, slithered right through dinner set up and out
again, maybe 1 1/2 meter long and very colourful...Someone did give me the
name but me and name don't get along...

A good sleep filled with great dreams was had by all, and in the morning we
set off to paddle up Busuanga river  [12* 9' 03" N / 119* 57' 20" E] a
smallish river meandering through rice fields, colourful mountains and
suddenly turns into a jungle edge  of unreal dimension [ the jungle plants
that is ]
        One of the yaks saw a small king cobra swimming across the river,
too fast for a double take, never mind a photo...And we returned to coron
city that night, having had another great 6 days on the water....

OH, How do I love that South China Sea ????
with it's mid 20's 'C and so many colours...


Now time to get going on my crossing of the Cullion straight to discover
off the route Linapacan Island before heading to Palawan island, a 2 week
odyssey coming up in part 5 and 6...


Enjoy


        *Having never been on a organised tour, I find myself looking at
that idea now, after such incredible treatmnet from Sea Canoe
International, and will for sure join up with Caveman's crew when I am in
Thailand for one of their tour there, well worth the expense is for
sure...even if I don't get to get so freaked by sea monsters again...

Yours naturally

sylvio  lamarche
Wycliffe organic gardens
& Exotic locales all over the globe



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