Bayawaks and Macaques

We continue the story of the two boys’ trip in El Nido. Back in their respective cities, the animals they see would only be dogs and cats. They came in for a big surprise as a giant water monitor lizard greeted them moments after stepping onto Pangulasian island. Well, “giant” might be an overstatement, but for them, a lizard as big as that is truly a sight to behold. Aside from the giant lizard, the only species of monkey in the Philippines also presented themselves by almost attacking the ignorant boys. So, for those keeping up with our story, here’s our tip for you: never look these monkeys in the eyes unless you want the same experience.

For the next few days, they were given the task to audit the tours the guides were giving. In one of the tours, they were brought to a small entrance which led to a secret lagoon, a naturally made swimming pool made millions of years ago that is hidden from the outside world, unless one knows how to get to it. Unsurprisingly enough, the name of this place is, wait for it… Secret Lagoon.

After swimming in the lagoon, the boys were able to experience their second dip into the waters of El Nido. They were then brought to the island known as Shimizu Island for snorkeling. As soon as they hit the water, they were welcomed by the colorful reef and marine creatures that they only saw through their TV’s back in their homes’. As marine life lovers, it was a sight to behold and they could not help but continue to explore this one snorkeling area. Both in disbelief that this was only one snorkeling area yet they already found so much marine life. 

Another place they were able to visit was a cave by the beach. The entrance of this cave was narrow and the inside of the cave looked very dark. However, once they were able to enter the cave, there was a natural light that shone from above the cave as if they were inside a cathedral. This natural light was able to show the boys the beauty of the cave known as Cudugnon Cave. 

They did not expect to see things such as a naturally made swimming pool shaped by weather and ocean currents over the years. To their surprise, on one of the island tours, they were brought to the center of a walkway that stretched all the way from the mainland to a small island. The boys, curious as to why this was so, went to the small island’s highest peak. Once they got up, they had a better view of the walkway. It was a sandbar shaped as if it were a snake. Snake Island proved to them that bridges and pathways can also be made naturally. 

Even if they were able to experience the natural beauty of El Nido, it was not just about sightseeing and experiencing the different environment landscapes. They were tasked with helping out the sustainability team with gathering data from guests and guides. With so many activities, the boys were tired from all the work they have been doing. I mean you have to take breaks from work from time to time, right? They were given this chance by going to an island called Entalula. This little trip to the island helped them be able to recharge and prepare their minds for the following days to come. 

As interns, they also visited the resorts’ Materials Recovery Facility and helped in the removal of Crown of Thorns. Seeing the process of using the resources that the resorts get on a daily basis and the removal of an invasive species gave them a realization – El Nido continues to stay beautiful and one of the most visited destinations in the Philippines because of the constant protection and implementation of sustainable practices by the Sustainability Team. With this new understanding, the boys used this to fuel themselves for the following work they were going to be doing. 

What felt like only a few days, a week of work on Pangulasian has passed. It was time for them to say goodbye and thank their new found family in Panga and set sail to meet their new family on Miniloc Island. We are going to miss your sunsets, Panga!