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Photo Journalism > Journal Excerpts > Coron Expedition
journal excerpts |Coron Expedition - 12 Days Expedition from May 19 to 30, 2000
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DAY 11: MAY 29, 2000 Monday
NAME: John Davenport
Sangat Island Reserve is a tropical cliche in an archipelago of beautiful islands. Andy, the English proprietor, has cleared an acre or so of ground behind a beautiful white beach. Only scrub and small bushes have been cleared through – the mature trees have been thoughtfully retained to maintain shade and as a concession to the natural limestone island vegetation that has been supplemented with the necessities demanded by a world’s media-enforced perception of a tropical paradise, i.e. palm trees, cacti, ferns, sandy trails and quaint rock grottos tastefully lit with soft coloured lighting.
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Your most embarrassing moment. What if it was recorded on film? Sue: "Difficult, most of my embarrassing moments are verbal. If it were recorded on film, I don’t know – I expect “friends” would wreak revenge." John: "Stupidly calling out to a cat called ‘Nigger’ whilst a student arriving back late one night a little drunk – just as a black lady was walking up the street." Helen: "Whilst here? To paddle to a drinks get-together, and while disembarking from kayak in front of everyone misjudge the distance between kayak and ship, and sink. A perfect entrance!" |
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The island is genuinely remote and this feeling is enhanced by the difficult seas that impede landing whenever the wind decides to blow in an unfavourable direction, many a guest has stayed longer I’m sure out of fear of a rollercoaster ride that may end in an addition to the area’s plentiful diving attractions.
The resort occupies a tiny part of a large limestone island that is covered in jagged pinnacles, thick vegetation and sparse sub-tropical forest. Positively inviting by the standards of neighboring Coron Island the terrain is still formidable. Monkeys, monitor lizard and a variety of bird life abounds. One side of the island is fringed with immaculate mangroves where dazzled light and picture-postcard reflections are a photographer’s delight. Pearl farms litter parts of the coastline and are observed by suspicious power-crazed guards sitting jaundily in their vantage boxes raised above the water on stilts and looking for all the world like a public convenience.
Evenings at the resort can be amusing and interesting. Andy is very knowledgeable about the area having lived in the area for years. There are plenty of stories of mad-cap island eccentrics, traveling corner and the Tagbanua, the native people of which Andy’s wife is one. Fact and fiction need to be segregated carefully however as Andy has a particularly dry sense of humor is at his happiest winding up gullible guests. One thing is for certain however is that he has a unique knowledge of diving in the area having a background of professional exploration here and of running the first dive operation servicing the wreck sites directly. He also has a BSAC pedigree for those out there harboring a PADI-phobia. Rum and cokes come by the half-pint by the way.