Description of the attraction
Apo Island is a small volcanic island with an area of 12 hectares, 30 km from the city of Dumaguete and 7 km from the southeastern tip of the island of Negros. Only about a thousand people permanently live on it.
The island, which is part of a marine reserve, has long gained popularity among diving enthusiasts and has become one of the most popular dive sites in the world. In 2008, the reputable Sport Diver Magazine named Apo as one of the 100 most popular dive sites in the world. Its southern, northern and eastern shores are famous for their huge underwater walls, reaching great depths and teeming with exotic species. Here you can see tuna, big-eyed carax, napoleon fish, hammerhead shark and manta rays. One of the most popular marine life in Apo is the clownfish, which nests on soft corals. A total of 15 interesting diving sites have been identified around Apo.
Apo is only 1.5 km long and about 1 kilometer wide. More than 650 species of fish and about 400 species of coral have been recorded in the waters of the island. There is a small fee for visiting Apo and diving and snorkeling, and all the money raised goes to fund the work of the reserve, created in 1982 by scientists from the University of Silliman. Dr. Angel Alcala, who settled on the island in 1951, was at the origins of the creation of the Apo reserve. It was he who became the author of the revolutionary at that time idea of designing a marine reserve around the islands of Apo and Sumilon to preserve their unique marine fauna. For many years, he explained to the inhabitants of the island how important it is to use natural resources rationally, and how they can benefit from it in the future.
The attraction of the island is the lighthouse, which stands on a small hill with a wonderful view of the island and its surroundings. The road to the lighthouse from the village of Apo will take about half an hour. Several subsistence families live near the lighthouse - they grow their own food and collect rainwater for drinking.
