| Apo Island Marine and Fish Sanctuary |
|
Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental,
A small wildlife sanctuary off the coast of Negros Oriental,
Apo Island beckons with its pristine shoreline and sparkling blue waters. Make your way here on a native outrigger boat. Bring out the flippers, snorkel and scuba gear, and prepare for an exciting round of seaside adventures.
Apo Island is a 72-hectare volcanic rock situated in the Mindanao Sea (09.05N,
123.15E). Home to eight hundred plus people, of whom three hundred and fifty (and
increasing) are children. The Apo people are simple fisher folk mostly dependant
on fishing and the fishing way of life for their income food and life style.
The weather, along with the cycles of moon, play an important role in the way
that life is lived on this small rocky island. The moon precedes over all; its
phase's determining the tempo of life on the island since fish 'bite' accordingly
to its rotation in the sky.
Two distinct weather systems visit Apo's shoreline. The Northeast Monsoon from
November to June, carried on strong'ish winds, bring to our lives predominately
sunny days with periods of rain. The Southwest Monsoon comes in on the backs of
low pressures systems, characteristically rainy squalls opening up to short sunny
spells. The approximate six-week change over periods between the different monsoons,
around June and to a lesser extent November, bestow windows of relative calm,
flat seas and sunny periods upon the island. These are often the best times to
visit the island.
Apo Island's evening sky is a magnificent kaleidoscope; heavenly bodies dancing
the night away, sit on the beach and just look up. Always on time. The waning
and waxing of the moon arrives, to join the revelry of serenity happening around
you. Music and song is popular part of the way off life here on the island, often
impromptu parties gather around one of the talented guitar plays.
