Hello everyone!
In my previous post, I promised to share about my Kayangan Lake experience, but I still haven't finished my post. And then I changed my mind. I'm always like that. I'm halfway through and then I suddenly lost my interest only to find something else to write. It turned out that there's so much to unpack for that Kayangan Lake post. From the bits of information about the lake that I never knew to the two separate sets of photos, I still have to figure out what to do to proceed with that travel post. So, for now, let's have this second lake of Coron: Barracuda Lake.
From Kayangan Lake, we were supposed to go directly to our next destination which is Skeleton Wreck and Beach 91 to have our lunch, but a couple who are part of our tour group said that Barracuda Lake was included in their tour package as they requested it a day before. There was confusion among the tour guides on which boat those couple are to be included. But as there's always an amicable solution, we just agreed to go with them to the lake even if we would have to add Php 200.00 (USD 4.00) for the entrance fee. I mean we were already there, so we might as well maximize all the tourist spots that could be visited in a day.
It's more of a shortstop than a detour because Barracuda Lake is just along the way to Beach 91. The guides told us that we will have to consider the number of boats that are docked near the lake since it might not be worth it. As our boat traversed Coron Bay, the usual sights are the nearby islands of Busuanga and Uson. For more photos about those islands, you can head out to my previous post:
For more context about this travel series, you can read my two posts, if you haven't yet, that are from our first day in Coron:
Just a few minutes from Kayangan Lake, we reached the docking area of Barracuda Lake. Again, I was mesmerized by the majestic karst formations. It's like everywhere I point my camera, there's always interesting to shoot.
Since there are only a few boats that are docked, we decided to visit the lake. It means there were only a few tourists there. The guides told us that it was a very different scene compared to before the pandemic. The thing is, unlike in Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake is much smaller that it could only cater to a fewer number of tourists.
In the docking area alone, those karst formations are just too awesome to marvel at. I mean look at these photos below:
Coron Island, Palawan, Philippines
To access the lake, some wooden walkways and stairs meander through the spiky sharp limestones. It's not that far though, like just 20 steps up and then another 20 steps down those stairs and the lake is on the other side.
Halfway through the stairs, the view of the docking area is also awesome that I never missed taking photos even if it was too bright that I felt my photos are overexposed. I didn't care too much at that time. It was just too overwhelming for me.
Et voila! Welcome to Barracuda Lake!
BARRACUDA LAKE
There's so much to unravel in this lake. Don't worry. This post is just half of it. From the crystal blue waters to the majestic karst formations to thermocline and halocline phenomena underwater, this post is just at the surface. Don't worry, I decided that I will go back and I'm already booked for May 15-22, 2022. I also decided that I will bring my fins and GoPro to freedive in this amazing lake. For now, I can't talk about the underwater experience because I have no proof to show.
Barracuda Lake is one of the two lakes on Coron Island that are open to the public. The remaining eleven are not accessible because it was decided by the elders of the Tagbanwa Tribe to be closed for conservation purposes. No permanent structures are to be constructed near the lake and even on the whole of Coron Island because it's in an ancestral domain of the Tagbanwa people.
Barracuda Lake got its name from the barracuda fish that could be found on the lake. But now, they can rarely be seen and you are lucky if you can see them swimming near you. The locals name the lake Luluyuan Lake which came from the local dialect term "luyo" which means back or other side. Literally, it's located at the back or other side of Kayangan Lake, hence the local name.
I have a natural aversion to confined bodies of water like lakes, but I couldn't resist the crystal clear water. It's said to be one of the cleanest lakes in the Philippines. They said that Barracuda Lake is best experienced through scuba diving to experience the thermocline. The lake is naturally brackish, but due to the separation of different water densities due to different salinity (halocline), there's a phenomenon where different water temperatures are experienced with varying depths. They say that in Barracuda Lake it started cold at the surface then it becomes hot at a certain level below for like 40 degrees celsius, and then it becomes cold again at the bottom of the lake. I always wanted to try that, but for now, let's just be contented with what's at the surface.
We just swim for a few minutes there before going back to the boat because it was almost time for lunch. I guess that's all for this post and I'll leave this majestic, impressive, elevated, towering, magnificent, colossal, gigantic, and all the adjectives for this karst formation that serves as the wall of the lake.
See you in my next post! Hopefully, it will be Kayangan Lake because it has been long overdue. But whatever. Bye!
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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