Apo Island

Apo is a small volcanic island off the southern tip of Negros, and it is one of the older community-managed marine sanctuaries in Asia: the fishing community closed part of its reef in the 1980s and the recovery that followed is now used as a case study. What visitors come for is the turtles. Green turtles feed on the seagrass beds directly off the beach, in two or three metres of water, and on most days you can swim out from the sand and find several within minutes. Beyond them the reef drops into walls and coral gardens that draw divers from the Dauin shore. Around two hundred families live on the island with limited power and no vehicles.

What you actually see

• The turtles on the seagrass - green turtles grazing in shallow water a short swim from the beach.
• The sanctuary reef - the protected coral garden closed to fishing since the 1980s.
• The wall dives - the drop-offs around the island, dived from boats out of Dauin.
• The village and viewpoint - the small island community and the climb to the lookout above it.

When to go

March to June is calmest for the crossing and the shore entry. The northeast monsoon from December to February makes the landing rough and the boats slow. Turtles are there year-round. Go on the earliest boat from Malatapay: by mid-morning several day-trip boats have arrived and the seagrass area is busy.

Honest expectations

Landings are on rock, not sand, and in swell they are awkward and occasionally cut feet. Guides are mandatory and charged per group, on top of the sanctuary fee and the boat. Currents around the point are strong enough to matter. The turtle area gets crowded and some visitors crowd or touch the animals, which the guides do not always stop. Water and power on the island are limited.

Nearby

Dauin's black-sand dive coast and Dumaguete are on the Negros mainland opposite.