Exploring Panglao: Dolphin Watching - Balicasag Snorkeling - Virgin Island

By Sarah Aterrado - July 30, 2015

Sun, sand, and the sea. What else can make me more excited?

Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol
Virgin Island. Where the water meets the heavens.

Dolphins.

Yes, dolphins.

I've always wanted to go swimming with the dolphins *points at the bucket list at the bottom right side of this blog*. No, I haven't swam with one. Not yet. But dolphin watching is the closest it can get. :)


I suppose this would be the highlight of our Cebu-Bohol trip. I've already missed taking The Plunge at Danao Adventure Park because the weather wasn't really in our favor. I can't miss seeing the dolphins this time even though that would mean waking up at 5 o'clock in the morning.

From Alona Beach in Panglao, we hired a boat exclusively for Php 1,300 to take us to where the dolphins are, and to Balicasag and Virgin islands as well.  Boats are just everywhere around the shores of Panglao. Rental charges usually range from Php 1,500 - 2,000, but you can always go lower depending on your haggling skills and charms. Smiling can do a lot of wonders. *wink*

Dolphin Watching at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Since we were on a budget travel, we brought food and water with us because I was pretty sure food prices at Balicasag island are quite steep. The same way drivers, guides, or vendors jack up their prices for tourists. Pfft! And I am right. Anyway, we ate during our boat ride, and that was even better than just eating some overpriced meal by the shore. :) 

The Wild Dolphin Chase
I had already managed my expectations with the dolphin watching activity. There's no guarantee they'd show up but I was really hopeful. And it was not long after when these playful marine creatures came and played tag with us. Had we not woken up early, then we would have missed this spectacular sight. :)
Dolphin Watching at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Dolphin Watching at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Dolphin Watching at Balicasag Island, Bohol

Snorkeling at Balicasag Island Fish Sanctuary
Following the wonderful experience with a lot of ooohs and woooahs with the dolphins, we arrived at the shores of Balicasag Island 30-40 minutes after. We paid Php 150/head for environmental fee and Php 150/head for the guide if you want to go snorkeling. You can bring your own snorkel or rent for Php100 each. The life jackets were provided but we chose not to wear it because we wanted to go deeper.
Balicasag Island

Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol

The world under water never ceases to amaze me. It's so beautiful the pictures don't do it justice.
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Feeding the fishes. :)
The guide took us via a paddle boat to the snorkeling site. Surprisingly, most snorkelers were just brought near the shore (waist deep) where they can just walk and wade but the guide took us deeper. And I guess, seeing that we're *ahem* good swimmers, he even challenged us to go further and deeper and we were more than happy to give it a go. Haha.
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Jan and I
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Exploring the abyss. See how deep is that? We can't even see the bottom.
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Bohol
Deep blue sea.

Virgin Island
We enjoyed snorkeling that we stayed in Balicasag for too long. We proceeded to Virgin Island when the sun was already shining too high. I was expecting to eat some sea urchins there, but I didn't see someone selling one. So we just walked around and took pictures under the scorching sun. Virgin island's sandbar is beautiful although on a less grand scale to Camiguin's White Island. Beautiful, nonetheless.
Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol

We were back in Panglao by 11am giving us more time to prepare for our trip back to Cebu. That's it for our Panglao adventure. We really enjoyed this trip. This is one of the best getaways I ever had. And surely there will be more to come! :)

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

18 comments

  1. I miss Panglao and this is one of the best places in our country. Few tourists and serenity. Thank you for bringing back that memory of mine.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like you had a blast! I'm more of the indoorsy type so I can't relate that much to swimming and beaches haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I really had a blast! Thanks for dropping by. :)

      Delete
  3. I can almost smell the salt water in this post. It must be amazing seeing those sea creatures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, it really was amazing. It's one of the best parts of our trip. :)

      Delete
  4. Never been into the place. And... oh, the sight of those dolphins! And the underwater as well! Much better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should go and visit there! It's a really nice place :)

      Delete
  5. Nice adventure w/ your special someone.hmm..hehe.. Will include this to my bucket list, planning to travel w/ my girlfriend. =)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome place plus an awesome person equals an awesome trip! I will definitely consider panglao on my next phils. visit :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you should. We had an awesome experience. You'll have an awesome one too, for sure. :)

      Delete
  7. Your post brougth back memories when we went to Bohol three years ago! I hope to visit again soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those who have been there wish to be back there because it's a great place. :)

      Delete
  8. Amazing! i can now add panglao in to my itinerary. Thanks for the info :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for your information, it was really very helpful: khasab overnight pacakges

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice and informative post, thank you such a nice sharing, we can hope find more from you on this thank you. khasab beach camping

    ReplyDelete