Apo Reef
The Largest Reef System In The Philippines And Often Called The Second Largest Contiguous Coral Reef On Earth And It Was Nearly Destroyed Before It Was Protected · Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro
APO REEF IS THE LARGEST REEF SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS THE SECOND-LARGEST CONTIGUOUS CORAL REEF ON EARTH after the Great Barrier Reef - an atoll-like structure in the Mindoro Strait with three small islands, a lighthouse, a ranger station and nothing else. THE HONEST PART IS ITS HISTORY: IT WAS BATTERED FOR DECADES BY CYANIDE AND DYNAMITE FISHING before protection arrived, and the recovery since has been real but partial. What you see is a reef coming back rather than one that was never touched. THE WALLS AND THE SHARK SIGHTINGS ARE GENUINE and it is the best diving in this part of the country, but ANYONE ARRIVING FROM TUBBATAHA WILL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. IT IS REACHED FROM SABLAYAN BY A CROSSING OF SEVERAL HOURS that is regularly cancelled, and you camp on the islet or sleep on the boat. There is no fresh water, no shop and no power on the islands - everything comes with you and every scrap of rubbish leaves with you, rangers included in the arrangement.
Apo Reef Natural Park, Mindoro Strait, Occidental Mindoro, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines
APO REEF IS REACHED FROM SABLAYAN on Occidental Mindoro, a CROSSING OF ROUGHLY TWO AND A HALF TO THREE HOURS by outrigger across open water, and Sablayan itself is a long bus and ferry journey from Manila via Batangas port or a flight into San Jose. TRIPS ARE ARRANGED THROUGH THE SABLAYAN TOURISM OFFICE, which issues the PERMITS AND CONSERVATION FEES and assigns rangers; there is NO DAY-TRIP INFRASTRUCTURE and visitors either CAMP ON THE ISLET or sleep aboard. IT IS A STRICT NO-TAKE ZONE - nothing fished, collected or anchored on. THE CROSSING IS CANCELLED IN ROUGH WEATHER, which is common outside roughly MARCH TO MAY. THERE IS NO FRESH WATER, NO SHOP AND NO POWER on the islands; everything comes with you and leaves with you.