Coron, Palawan: Sea Kayaking with Outback Greg

Beach Camping
On our second day, a big outrigger boat was hired to accomodate all of us, provisions for 3 days, and 6 new (as in fresh out of its bubble wrap) confluence sea kayaks. It was a short 30 minute boat ride to the nearest big island, Coron Island (not to be confused with Coron Town) where we made camp at a beach area called Atwayan. All of Coron Island is owned by its indigenous people, the Tagbanuas. It didn't take long until a paddle boat came upon our beach to collect the P100/person/day user fee.

Coron Island
At the break of dawn, sea kayaking was the order of the day. It was my first time to do sea kayaking and excitement to baptize these confluence sea kayaks was the name of the game. We chose our own kayaks and shortly thereafter, we were paddling our way along the edge of the limestone cliffs of Coron Island. As kayakers, we were able to go to the narrowest, shallowest clearances within the limestone crevices. I was treated to a narrow opening that led to perhaps the world's smallest secret beach. It was no bigger than a walk-in closet, completely surrounded by limestone walls with sand as fine as polvoron.

First Descent?
As we continued paddling, I couldn't help noticing the clear blue water and the pristine corals underneath. The overhang coral formation was completely new to me...and there was so much of it I was overwhelmed. Some sections we went to were completely out of the beaten snorkeling path that had I jumped in, it might have been the first descent on that reef.

Kayangan Lake
Next stop was Kayangan Lake, a brine water lake inside Coron Island. We docked the kayaks, paid the P100/person entrance fee and took a small hike over and beyond a hill. In front of us lay Kayangan Lake, reputed to be the cleanest lake in all of Palawan. Having brought my diving gear with me, I went under. What I saw was terrain reminiscent of Lord of the Rings...except this one was under water. There were limestone towers below water that went deep down it was difficult to see the base.

Mangrove Forest
On a different day, we ventured into the mangrove forest. It was a surreal sensation paddling our way through the rough open water and upon entering the mangroves, utter calm. We slowly cut through the silent water as we navigated our way through its myriad channels. Again, I can't see how anyone else can access that place without a kayak. It's too shallow for a diver, too narrow for an outrigger, and it's too far to swim to.

Safety Net
When we tired out, the big outrigger picked us up in the open water and loaded up our kayaks...cool! We could venture to go anywhere at all - we had a safety net: the big boat.

Ending Thoughts
Hmmm...kayakers go to places others can't. Gradually, the world of the kayaker was being revealed to me. Now I can understand why some kayakers choose to keep their little thing a secret. Now, my mind is racing. How about an ultra-light multi-day kayaking tour? There's enough compartment space in the kayak to stash a backpacker stove, cookset, mess kit, tent and more importantly, mask and fins. With Coron's coves and islands sprinkled all over, the possibilities are endless.

--- TheLoneRider

Related Links:

• Coron, Palawan SandCastles - Beachfront resort
• Tribal Adventures - Outdoor travel adventure

Reader Comments:

TheLoneRider
"...you must tell me where these secret lakes and passages are" -- Rachel Tan
(May 13, 2009) I was just following the rest of the guys, so I can't really say where, but my best shot is, it's somewhere along the eastern edge of Coron Island.

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