I think this trip alone deserves its own post, so here it is. As you know, I love freediving, and encountering sea animals is one of the best feelings in the galaxy lol. I’ve gotten addicted to freediving with butanding, turtles, sardines, and manta rays. It’s now kind of a goal for me to freedive with as many sea animals as I possibly can.
Since we’re going to Coron, I didn’t miss the opportunity to freedive with a dugong (sea-cow). Apparently, I almost missed it because the videographer I contacted, who only does private tours, was already fully booked. But thanks to the water deities, he became available because his guest cancelled on those dates, and I was able to secure a slot for a private tour!
Coron is one of those places where you can dive with Dugongs. Other places include Egypt, Indonesia, Northern Australia, and Micronesia. *thanks Google* Also, the Dugong spot is in Caluit Island, which is in the northern part of Coron, hence the travel time of 3-4 hours one way.
Actually, there are other options to get to Dugong by booking through other tour agencies. However, the problem is that you will be in a joiners’ tour, and your time with the Dugongs will be limited. Since diving with Dugongs is limited to 4 pax per 15 minutes, I’d rather do a private tour and have those 15 minutes all to myself *evil laugh*
How Much is the Private Tour?
It is 16,000 pesos for 2 persons but since we added Calauit Safari in this tour, we paid 20,0000 pesos in total. Otherwise, if you want a joiner’s tour, I see signages in Coron Town Proper that it’s only 4,500 pesos each.
How to Get There?
You will be picked up at 4:00AM and the travel time is 2 hours by van *insert Fast & Furious OST*. You will then transfer to a boat and travel time is around 1 hour to get to the Dugong spot.
I was also anxious because the dugong spot is in the open sea. Since I was traumatized by the waves in Nusa Penida, my mind kept imagining worst-case scenarios, even though it’s summer, which makes it unlikely, but not impossible. I also didn’t mention to Ron that it’s in the open sea, so I’m a bit concerned about him lol. Aside from that, if there will be no dugongs, there will be no refund so it adds to my anxiety haha!
You can check the map here if where exactly is the Dugong spot so you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about.
But then, when we looked at the waves that morning, they were so calm that even our guide said it was calm that day compared to the other days. So I guess it was the perfect time for the dugong encounter!
We arrived at around 7AM and we still need to wait for the Bantay Dugong, who will accompany you during the dive, to arrive as it officially starts at 8AM.
Tourists who can dive with the dugongs are limited to only 80 people per day. As mentioned earlier, only 4 people are allowed to dive every 15 minutes. Since this is a protected area, all visitors must follow strict rules.
- Keep a distance of at least 5 meters from the dugong.
- Do not position yourself in front of it or block its path.
- Avoid jumping into the water or creating splashes, as these can stress them out.
- The number one rule in marine life: never, ever, ever touch them!
There are two dugongs in the area, Aban and Pingas, but they stay far from each other because they are both male and territorial. Aban can be found in waters about 8 meters deep, while Pingas, who is the larger dugong, is usually found in waters ranging from 1 to 6 meters deep. On that day, we were diving with Pingas.
My guide also mentioned that some of his guests wait until noon or the afternoon since it operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Luckily for us, we were the first to arrive! When the Bantay Dugong team arrived, they gave a short introduction and orientation.
I was so excited the whole time we we’re waiting and can’t wait to meet the dugong! So let’s diveeeee!
Ron, who is known to be scared of anything in the ocean, went snorkeling with the Bantay Dugong guide and was really amazed by it! He didn’t want to go snorkeling at first, but the Bantay Dugong guide was able to persuade him. As proofs, that’s him in the background LOOOOL.
Still, I’m so proud of him to conquer his fear and was able to seen the Dugong first hand BECAUSE not everyone can experience this. *claps with a proud face*
The Bantay Dugong guide will let you know once it’s almost done. After 15 minutes, it’s time to say goodbye to this cutie. As mentioned, Pingas can usually be seen at depths of 1–6 meters. At first, he was at a depth of 6 meters, taking a nap until I arrived and woke him up. After a few minutes, he glided so fast that it was hard for us to swim toward where he was going. That’s when he was seen in a 1-meter-deep area of the corals (as shown in the images above).
It was a very lovely experience, and both Ron and I were very happy! If I’d rate this trip, I’ll give 100/10! We also gave a tip to the Bantay Dugong guide who assisted Ron because he was very kind and patient with us. So if you have extra, don’t hesitate to give a tip as a gesture of gratitude.
Overall, this trip was so perfect – from very calm weather, being the first to arrive and dive, and seeing Pingas! Me and Ron even planned to go back next time, and I just hope he can dive with me by then already! But there’s no such thing as forever, so we had to say goodbye and head back to the mainland to go to Calauit Safari to meet the zebras and giraffes!
If you are looking for an underwater videographer and wants a private tour like me, you can contact him through here https://www.instagram.com/coron_freediver