The jackfish of Miniloc Island

My previous post was about my very first trip to El Nido in Palawan.
Owing to the success of that first trip (and yes, to the clamor from attendees), organizers made El Nido the destination for the next 2 or 3 Synergies. You do not get tired of Lagen Island. The event set the bar so high, that other out-of-town trips have suddenly become so ordinary.

For one particular year, Synergy organizers have decided to add a little spice to the event and decided to hold it still in El Nido but this time in nearby Miniloc Island.

It was an easy choice because the group running Lagen Island is also same group behind Miniloc.

But the similarity ends there. If I can describe Lagen Island as a honeymooners enchanting getaway, Miniloc Island is partly opposite. Miniloc visitors are actually encouraged to go out and enjoy more activities that the island offers. There is a basketball court, a table tennis table, and billiards/pool to complement the water sports facilities. Miniloc is also in a cove, but has more open spaces than Lagen Island.

For me, two activities stood out. Fish feeding and snorkeling.

You do not need to venture far, because there is an area in Miniloc where you can feed the fish and snorkel to your heart’s content. You can do the typical fish-feeding routine. Get a piece of bread, shred it into pieces, throw it into the water and watch throng of colorful few fish go to you. Or, you can take fish feeding into another level. You can don a set of snorkels, dive in, bread in hand, and watch as the fish feed right before your eyes.

You have to hold your nerves though because some of the fish you are going to feed are big. Really big. Jackfish about the size of a small child, are often found swimming on the fringes of Miniloc Island’s dock. The fish are actually an attraction, and have seem developed an affinity to the wide-eyed tourist wanting to swim alongside them. These fish are huge, even more so underwater.

They move torpedo like, and if by chance they swim by and brush you with their elegant bodies, you will feel it. The surrounding waters off El Nido are protected areas, and the jackfish have found a small sanctuary in Miniloc. And the wide-eyed tourist will be waiting bread and snorkel set in hand.