Location: Panglao, Philippines
Recommended by Elizabeth of The Three Week Traveller
The Philippines is a popular spot for exciting water activities such as diving, snorkeling, boat trips, and surfing. If you plan to see different places, make sure to plan accordingly because not all islands have direct flights to one another, often you might have to connect in Manila or Cebu.
For visitors with limited time, spending 3-weeks in the Philippines will allow you to visit popular places such as the capital region, Boracay, Palawan, Siargao, and Cebu where you can head to Panglao and see turtles ethically. It’s best to plan your trip between November to March to avoid the typhoon season and the temperature is more bearable.
How do I know it’s ethical?
In the entire country of the Philippines, it’s illegal to catch, buy, or sell turtles. In this marine sanctuary on Balicasag Island, they rescue turtles that are hurt and nurse them until they are safe to go back into the wild. It is unclear if the sanctuary is also helping the population of turtles by ethically breeding them before setting them out to the sea. Regardless, there is no such thing as a “tour of the marine sanctuary for amusement, selfies, petting, or the likes” that is open to the public. What is allowed to be done in the area is boatmen or tour agencies can bring tourists here for snorkeling and diving. However, unlike in other places, the tour operators are not allowed to cause distress to the turtles and other animals by trapping them for photo ops. No one is also allowed to touch or feed the turtles as well.
Description of the Experience
Usually, a visit to Balicasag Island to see the turtles are included in a package boat tour which also takes you to other islands for more snorkeling opportunities. The day would start at about 9.00 in the morning and ends around 3.00 in the afternoon. Keep in mind that the lunch will include meat or fish dishes, fruit, and rice. For vegetarians or vegans, it’s best to bring extra snacks.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium was featured in the 2011 movie Dolphin Tale, which was based on the true story of a bottlenose dolphin named Winter. Winter lost her tail after it became caught in a crab trap line. Through the work of a prosthetist and other experts, a prosthetic tail was developed for her to help her swim properly again. The aquarium features many exhibits related to Winter and how the prosthetic tail was developed for her.
Company/ Cost:
The trip costs about $30-$100 per person including lunch and other fees. Part of your tour cost includes a fee that tour agencies pay to the sanctuary to keep the place running and well-staffed. Most, if not all, boat companies that will take you to Balicasag Islands are operated by the locals. It’s cheaper to wait until you get to Panglao and walk around the main town where you can compare prices versus booking one in advance. English is one of the main languages in the country, hence it will be no problem to interact with tour operators to give you more information.
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This is one post on a series of ethical animal tourism posts by travel content creators. The experiences cover all seven continents and a variety of animals. Ensure that your animal experience is an ethical one.
Learn More About Ethical Animal Tourism
10 Questions to Ask to Ensure the Encounter is Ethical?
