Coron Dive Blog: Part 2, Barracuda Lake
Sunday, January 25
Barracuda Lake: Limestone is Pretty But Dangerous
After diving Alcatraz (which I am saving for the next post), we pulled into a cove for lunch, right in front of the entrance to Barracuda Lake. The view was breathtaking: pristine water, white sand, limestone cliffs. Stunning. I'd been itching to take off my wetsuit and go for a good old fashioned swim since Alcatraz, and this was my chance. Within seconds after docking, I jumped into the water like it was nobody's business. And oh, did it feel good. I'm actually surprised nobody else jumped in after me... baka ganon lang sila kagutom. After we ate, snorkeled, and let the food settle, it was time to dive.
Going into this dive, I knew a 10-15 minute trek was involved. So in my head, I could imagine us hiking up a trail - oh, you know - on soil, with maybe a little grass. But this was not to be. The trek in question is actually a climb through limestone rocks, with only dos por dos handrails to keep you from plunging to a death by impalement. FUN! Only a week ago, I had slipped and tumbled down our stairs at home (about 10 steps) and wound up in the ER with bruises on my back, thighs, knees, and shins. So you can imagine how positively THRILLED I was at the prospect of falling down THESE "steps." Blessedly, we had the option of having our BCDs and tanks carried for us. There was just no way I would've made it otherwise.
I'd never been more grateful for the little rock-climbing skills I have. It's been yearsss since I last hit Power Up, but I hadn't forgotten the basics. Plus, Eugene was right behind me, so kung nahulog man ako at least may karamay ako :D The distance we had to climb wasn't that great, but the trek is time consuming because you have to be really, really careful and of course, pose for the occasional photo op ;)
We got to the lake as projected, after 10-15 minutes of climbing. The view, again, was amazing. The lake isn't just a good dive spot-other tourists were there just to swim and take in the scenery. We went down once our party of 13 was complete, and it was like nothing I had ever seen.
The highlights of this dive for me were 1) the limestone walls, 2) experiencing thermoclines for the first time, and 3) getting up close and personal with cleaner shrimps. It was also my deepest dive yet, at 99 feet. Had I realized I was already that low, I would've dangled my dive comp a foot below me.
The water on the surface was normal at about 30C (86F), but at 12ft the temperature was as hot as 38C (according to Marcel's dive comp) or 100F. Pwede nang mag-Bikram (hot) yoga sa tubig. Swimming through it made me wonder if it's possible to sweat underwater (a quick Google search reveals that it is). Even though the "cold" section was warmer than the ocean, the sudden contrast made it seem so much chillier. Eugene actually saw the line where hot meets cold, but I missed it. Will remember to watch out for it next time.
For some reason this dive felt a little more laid back than the open water dives. Maybe it's because we were in a relatively confined space, or because it felt like we were in a sauna. At some point, Qubry and Malvin did an underwater version of the swing, to music only they could hear. Nagsayawan pa talaga sa tubig :)
We all took turns getting our fingers nipped at by efficient cleaner shrimps. Bryan Kim and Kuya Bob even had their teeth cleaned, and from what I understand, ayaw tumigil ng hipon! Baka na-OC sila! Hehehe. There aren't many dive sites where you can experience that, so it was pretty cool we got to do it.
"Mela and the Cleaner Shrimp"
After a few more photo ops, I started to run low on air (500psi) and switched over to Marcel - he-who-dives-with-two-tanks. The advanced group stayed an extra 5-10 minutes and took some really great pics among the rock formations. Was sorry to have missed that, but oh well.
By the time we got back to the boat (going through the perilous limestone path once again), we were famished. So we ate and rested in preparation for our *sniff* last dive of the trip...
(Photos from Tita Doris, Ate Sha, and my own camera)
Part 3: Reefs and Sundry Musings
Barracuda Lake: Limestone is Pretty But Dangerous
After diving Alcatraz (which I am saving for the next post), we pulled into a cove for lunch, right in front of the entrance to Barracuda Lake. The view was breathtaking: pristine water, white sand, limestone cliffs. Stunning. I'd been itching to take off my wetsuit and go for a good old fashioned swim since Alcatraz, and this was my chance. Within seconds after docking, I jumped into the water like it was nobody's business. And oh, did it feel good. I'm actually surprised nobody else jumped in after me... baka ganon lang sila kagutom. After we ate, snorkeled, and let the food settle, it was time to dive.
Going into this dive, I knew a 10-15 minute trek was involved. So in my head, I could imagine us hiking up a trail - oh, you know - on soil, with maybe a little grass. But this was not to be. The trek in question is actually a climb through limestone rocks, with only dos por dos handrails to keep you from plunging to a death by impalement. FUN! Only a week ago, I had slipped and tumbled down our stairs at home (about 10 steps) and wound up in the ER with bruises on my back, thighs, knees, and shins. So you can imagine how positively THRILLED I was at the prospect of falling down THESE "steps." Blessedly, we had the option of having our BCDs and tanks carried for us. There was just no way I would've made it otherwise.
I'd never been more grateful for the little rock-climbing skills I have. It's been yearsss since I last hit Power Up, but I hadn't forgotten the basics. Plus, Eugene was right behind me, so kung nahulog man ako at least may karamay ako :D The distance we had to climb wasn't that great, but the trek is time consuming because you have to be really, really careful and of course, pose for the occasional photo op ;)
We got to the lake as projected, after 10-15 minutes of climbing. The view, again, was amazing. The lake isn't just a good dive spot-other tourists were there just to swim and take in the scenery. We went down once our party of 13 was complete, and it was like nothing I had ever seen.
The highlights of this dive for me were 1) the limestone walls, 2) experiencing thermoclines for the first time, and 3) getting up close and personal with cleaner shrimps. It was also my deepest dive yet, at 99 feet. Had I realized I was already that low, I would've dangled my dive comp a foot below me.
The water on the surface was normal at about 30C (86F), but at 12ft the temperature was as hot as 38C (according to Marcel's dive comp) or 100F. Pwede nang mag-Bikram (hot) yoga sa tubig. Swimming through it made me wonder if it's possible to sweat underwater (a quick Google search reveals that it is). Even though the "cold" section was warmer than the ocean, the sudden contrast made it seem so much chillier. Eugene actually saw the line where hot meets cold, but I missed it. Will remember to watch out for it next time.
For some reason this dive felt a little more laid back than the open water dives. Maybe it's because we were in a relatively confined space, or because it felt like we were in a sauna. At some point, Qubry and Malvin did an underwater version of the swing, to music only they could hear. Nagsayawan pa talaga sa tubig :)
We all took turns getting our fingers nipped at by efficient cleaner shrimps. Bryan Kim and Kuya Bob even had their teeth cleaned, and from what I understand, ayaw tumigil ng hipon! Baka na-OC sila! Hehehe. There aren't many dive sites where you can experience that, so it was pretty cool we got to do it.
"Mela and the Cleaner Shrimp"After a few more photo ops, I started to run low on air (500psi) and switched over to Marcel - he-who-dives-with-two-tanks. The advanced group stayed an extra 5-10 minutes and took some really great pics among the rock formations. Was sorry to have missed that, but oh well.
By the time we got back to the boat (going through the perilous limestone path once again), we were famished. So we ate and rested in preparation for our *sniff* last dive of the trip...
(Photos from Tita Doris, Ate Sha, and my own camera)
Part 3: Reefs and Sundry Musings
posted by gloriagiselle at 5:26 PM
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