Bohol day 3: Awesome sea creatures and the Virgin Island

Finally, let me tell you about our last full day in Bohol. That day was all about the sun, sand, sea, and the creatures in it.

6am, we headed out to the beach and met up with the boat dudes (yes, I’m calling them that). We went straight to business, setting off for a long ride on a tiny boat with an insanely loud motor. We knew we were out to see the dolphins first, but for the whole 30-or-so-minute ride, there was nothing to break the hypnotic dance of the waves, except for the occasional flying fish.

As I began to think that maybe it was a bad day for dolphin sightings, we caught up with at least a dozen boats parked in a relatively small area. I quickly realized that this could be where the magic happens. Relatively image-heavy post after the cut, because this is the kind of thing where show is much better than tell.

Surely enough and without having to wait much longer, dolphins were showing up left and right. This was easily one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in my life.

I learned later that these were Spinner Dolphins, a species known for stunts. Absolute show-offs! We did see them flipping and jumping out there but sadly, didn’t manage any pictures of those. Believe me, these images do not do justice to the experience of seeing them so close. I was hoping for a dolphin high-five, but alas, it was not meant to be.

It seemed like they enjoyed teasing the tourists — we could almost imagine one telling another “Dude, do something cool, these ones scream!”. As much as I enjoyed watching them, it was soon time to head off to Balicasag Island for some snorkeling!

I’ll let the following pictures speak for themselves, credit to my friend Sven Sellmann for these.

Yes, we did find Nemo. Before I move on to the last island, I will grace you with an awesome (really bad) picture of me in my gear. Yup, I look really cool (stay with me here).

Erhm. Last but not least, we went to the beautiful Virgin Island — a crescent-shaped stretch of sand that was absolutely amazing to behold.

It was a wonderful contrast of colors between the white sand, crystal blue water, and green plants and trees at the very end. We spent less than an hour walking around and taking pictures, and there was technically nothing to do there but that, but it was a fitting way to close our trip.

We headed back in time for dinner, shared some drinks, and got ready for the trip back to the real world. Back to Hong Kong, back to work, and back to our responsibilities. Vacations like this never seem to be long enough, but I think the fact that they’re short and rare make them all the more special. I came back with new experiences, darker skin (hah), awesome pictures, and even better memories.

Up next, Valentine’s Day posts!

Disclaimer: All snorkeling pics are property of Sven Sellmann. All others are property of Brian Chong.

Related posts:

1. Bohol day 2: The countryside tour
2. Bohol day 1: Alona Beach, some tips to share