Diving and the Critters of Bohol

When we last left you we were near Bohol. Bohol holds many surprises for those land based, but we started our adventures here on board a dolphin watching boat.

Now for those of you who have seen them in Hawaii, you know they tend to be very acrobatic and get right up near the boat. Not the case here as a pod of maybe 20 was being chased around by 25 or so loud bangka boats for the better part of the morning.

We weren't too impressed with the tour, but we were able to spend the rest of the morning at Balicasag Island. This small island has some amazing snorkeling and a nice beach to relax on. Michelle read her book and walked around the entire island while I chose to snorkel a bit (twist my arm) with our new friend Payal. Since she had never been snorkeling before I'm sure she was stoked to check out the amazing variety of fish and corals that were showing off just below the surface. Here are a few shots from our snorkel adventure... Come visit us in Hawaii Payal and we'll get you certified to scuba dive in no time!






Our day was cut short as rain began to fall, but no worries. The following morning I had a two tank dive booked and had a great time with Alona Divers. A great boat, good divemasters and intense drift dives were exactly what I was looking for. Too bad it was pouring rain! Here are some of the highlights from my final dives of the trip including a batfish, clownfish and some colorful reef shots.







With my thirst for underwater thrills quenched and Michelle's desire to read her book on the beach, we set out for a day of land exploration. Bohol is home to a variety of wildlife including snakes, amazing birds, and our favorite the Tarsier.

Our day began with a great driver who told us a lot about Philippines in general, the history of Catholicism in their country and the unique wildlife of the region. Greg took us first to visit Prony, a 25+ foot python that eats a small pig or two small goats every month!

Next up was a journey into the interior of the island. Chocolate Hills is a region of almost Mario Brothers like humps that rise up out of the land. It's hard to describe them but they vary in size however all have the same haystack shape. Michelle got this photo from the viewpoint...



When we came down from the grueling 100+ step climb to the viewpoint, we noticed this strange creature.....



From what we had read of the Philippine Tarsier this one was way too big, they fit in the palm of your hand, was exposed to direct sunlight (they hide in the jungle during the day and hunt at night) and had of all things, a beard?

Something just wasn't right here so we jumped in with Greg and headed for the Tarsier Center about an hour away in Corella. The guidebook we used described these little guys as a cross between a Gremlin and ET or a real life version of Furby. With their HUGE eyes and heads that can swivel almost 180 degrees this was sure to be a fun afternoon.

Since we had heard that their numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction, we didn't feel right just pulling off to the side of the road to see these little guys in a cage. We both thought it was best to support an organization that was doing something to help protect the critters. At last, we arrived at the Tarsier Center, a quiet and lush stretch of Bamboo forest. Our guide says that about 10 of these guys come and go in their sanctuary and took our crew into the massive area. In a matter of minutes we had spotted one..... SO SMALL! His head swiveled around and the tiny hands stayed clutched to the branches. Because they have such massive eyes, they can barely see during the day but mainly hunt at night!

We kept our voices down so as not to disturb them and saw about 4 or 5 in our half an hour. You just can't imagine how small they are and they could really fit in the palm of your hand! Michelle claims she wants one for a pet now.... In fact, our backyard might be just the place.... hmmm?



Our time in Bohol was coming to a close, but the trip was great. Michelle was back to full strength and our next adventure was sure to be amazing. As we headed out on an early ferry to Cebu it was hard to think that we were already at week 5 of our trip! Michelle will have more on the next leg of our adventure, but for now you may want to check out this link...... Whale Sharks on Wikipedia