TRAVELSPECIAL
Aerial view of Magic Oceans ; the jetty has since been completed
“ I hope you don ’ t suffer from vertigo ,” grinned the resort ’ s co-owner Arie Hoogendoorn as our car swung off the dirt track and teetered briefly before tipping down a ridiculously steep concrete road and into the resort . A cluster of bungalows fringed a welcoming pool , while an adjacent group lined the coast itself . Arie and his wife Desiree Pullens are experienced hosts , having run resorts in the Philippines since 2015 . Magic Oceans is very much their vision , from the style of the 16 bungalows and the capacious dive centre to the gecko-themed décor of the dining area . It ’ s a treat for the senses .
Great and small
So , to the diving . With the resort facing east into the Bohol Sea , heading south yields lush coral walls and reef tops , while the sites to the north are mixed habitat – rubble , seagrass meadows and sandy slopes . Critter country .
We started by heading south to one of the nearest marked sites , a drift through coral gardens and walls called Turtle Point . I was diving with the dive centre manager Ailyn Sevilla , who carries out her role with the sense of fun that typifies the Philippine spirit . On the deeper sections of the wall , she posed for photographs next to some lovely soft corals , then led me to the shallows to look for turtles .
We must have drifted past at least 20 big turtles , mostly greens but with a few hawksbills to test my identification skills . Some of them fled at first sight while others slumbered , allowing a cautious approach . One of them opened his eyes and gazed at me languidly , stretching out its neck to inspect his reflection in my camera ’ s dome port .
We dived these southern sites for a few days , while the wind favoured that direction . All the while , the guides turned
Feeding porcelain crab
Electric clam , Cetenoides ales Green turtle in repose
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