Bohol Day 3: Dolphins, Snorkel and Sandbars

On our third day we woke up early and took a 6am bonca boat out to go see some dolphins. This was Dad and Terri's first bonca boat ride of the Philippines and we did it in style: seats, shade cover, this wasn't your typical rustic bonca boat. 

We drove out for about a half hour were we meet up with several other boats, all there for the early morning viewing. We lucked out and came across several pods of dolphins, one of which was right beside our boat. 

After our dolphin watching we headed out to a reef where we got to go snorkeling. As we approached the reef the water shallowed and I began to see coral underneath the waves, doted with bight cobalt blue starfish. We put on our gear and then I was the first one to jump off the boat.  It was beautiful. Once the bubbles cleared I could see a world filled with colour that stretched along the reef cliff. As I swam along the reef the coal become more and more vibrant and the fish more plentiful. I would find myself in the middle of a school of small fish bright silver, they all moving in unison, still always aware where I was, always donging my movement. The clown fish were my favourite, where all others ignored my presence, they would look right at you. There territorial nature made them very cute as they would come towards you and look right at you, charge almost. There were lion fish, bright blue and pink stripped ones, brilliant purple ones, red and blue, like Dr. Suess, but even greater. I could have stayed there all day. 

But there was other things to go see and do. So we went back to the small island, the shore littered with fragments of dead coral and shells, some still home to various crustaceans, others abandoned. We had a brunch of fresh fish. Then back out the boat and off to our next spot. We went to a sand bar which was covered and red star fish and several sea urchins, causing me to be on high alert when walking. 

Then we went back to the resort, laid by the pool, read my book and had a quite afternoon. That night we meet my friends Sam and Lehd for dinner where we enjoyed beautiful sunset views on top of a cliff over looking the ocean and great food.