Apo Island is a small volcanic island, 7km off the southeastern tip of Negros Island in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve; protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (N.I.P.A.) and comes under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (P.A.M.B.). The island is home to nearly 800 people, mainly fisher folks.

 

Since 2002 Apo has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, both of which have their own dive centers. Apo Island Beach Resort is the smaller and more exclusive, Liberty's Lodge is larger. Apo Island is one of the world's best known community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented, by the global science community.

 

The project was started in 1982. It is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals. Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there, these fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.

 

 

Apo Island, a small and pristine island that offers fantastic snorkelling and some of the best diving in the Philippines. This Island has some lovely and scenic view with a magnificent and good assorment of dive sites. Stunning and outstanding hard and soft corals are all around and enormous table corals, stag horns, brain corals and fire corals can be seen. You will also encounter lovely beaches and a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere, as no automobiles are allowed on the island.

 

The waters around Apo Island are calm due to the unique coral formations that also attract an array of marine life, making this an ideal diving location. Big drop-offs and spectacular walls are in the southern, northern and eastern side of the island. Unique, exotic and enchanting marine life species can be experienced when the currents are strong because a variety of large pelagic species are attracted all around the island.

 

Stunning Marine life will be encountered such as large pelagics, including tuna, big-eyed jacks, humphead wrasses, hammerheads, and mantas. This island is considered to be part of the jurisdiction of the town of Dauin, Negros Oriental. Its pride is its fantastic rock formations scattered over the terrain, a protected marine reserve, magnificent white sands and a relatively virgin endowment of natural marine resources.

 

It listed six-hundred-and-fifty documented fish species and four-hundred types of marine corals. Apo Island is one of the top ten dive sites in the country and around the world. You can opt for a one-day adventure or stay nights at nearby hotels and beach resorts, some of which are the Liberty’s Lodge or Apo Island Beach Resort. Life in this island is said to have its own pace. Perhaps this is where time has stood still -- in the primitive and wild beauty that it is most well-known for.

 

You can snorkel, scuba or deep sea dive in as much as 15 pre identified points around the island. Other activities include island boat rides, treks and bike rides. This island is sure to fascinate every diver’s and vacationists’ imagination – from the unique aquatic habitat and its dwellers, the rustic view of an old lighthouse, the image of a sunset tinting the sky with pink to the magical feel of white sand on your toes while having a cool drink on a night of the full moon. Explore the Apo Island today and experienced its white sand beaches, clear aquamarine waters, its lush coral reefs and diverse marine life, and surely you will treasure this. 

 

 

A small volcanic island named Apo Island is located seven kilometer off the southeastern tip of Negros Province in the Philippines. Located five kilometers off the coast of Dauin in southern negros Oriental. It is twenty kilometers from Dumaguete City, Province of Negros Oriental and can be reached by a thirty-minute boat ride from the fishing and market village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.

 

 

The flights that are available here in the Apo Island are daily from the airport of Manila to Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The flight from Manila takes approximately by an hour; another ten minutes are taken by the taxi, or tricycle to downtown. Dumaguete is readily accessible by sea. High speed ferries from Cebu City run thrice daily for about two-and-a-half hours.

You have several options to choose from like the fast ferries run from Dumaguete to Siquijor three times daily for forty-five minutes, or you can also take the way between Tagbilaran, Siquijor and Dumaguete direct by fast ferry boat. You can also get there by thirty-minute travel time by land from Dumaguete airport plus forty-five to sixty minutes by pumpboat.

If you are going to visit the Apo Island it is good for you to experienced to ride a small boat that is available in this place. The boat has the capacity of five to six passenger. And prepare to get wet! The boat is very small and the water is usually a bit rough because of wind and current. The sea is more calm in the morning, so it is better for you to ride at this time if you don't want to get wet at this early.

 

 

 

Fiesta here on Apo Island is a very special time, for it is much awaited by the locals here. In the weeks preceding the big day, relatives start to arrive home from all around the Philippines to celebrate the festival. The families return home, the men love to go fishing reconnecting with their roots, while their wife’s help out with house hold preparations. April 4 is the Despratas, the festival's eve of the Fiesta of San Vicente Ferror the saint of fishermen.

Each of the Purok’s presents a boat decked out in homemade lively Fiesta motifs, the regatta of pump boats is then taken around the island, much to the delight of the people. The evening of the festival is a time for party. One of the many traveling discos is shipped over from Negros, stores are set up around the basket ball court and a entrance fee is charged to enter the disco area, the proceeds going to one of the needed projects on the island. Also, they have beauty pageant and dancing activities.

 

 

Kinaiyahan Festival is held in the small jubillant town of Dauin during the town's fiesta every 10th day of September. The town of Dauin is known for its world class coral reefs and beautiful beaches. The festival is a way of thanking God by the people for the gifts and blessings of Mother Nature. Celebrating the bounties of nature and underscoring Dauin’s campaign to conserve its natural resources and attractions. Many years back, the town's people has abused Mother Nature by not taking good care of their environment.

 

There was devastation in the land bringing grief to the inhabitants. The people mended their ways and with their faith in God stability returned to the land. The celebration of nature is depicted in the theme of the festival. Other activities that accompany the festival are cockfighting(sabong), disco dancing at the town plaza, beauty pageant, streetdancing and showdown, and of course "tuba" (coconut wine) drinking which adds mirth and spirit to the festival and enhances the dignity of the "mangangabis" whose livelihood is "tuba" gathering.