Batanes: New secrets revealed
A picture is a secret about a secret. A recent trip to the beguiling province of Batanes revealed new discoveries.
Batanes is an enigma and a juxtaposition in itself. It reveals the most superlatives — the most beautiful scenery, enchanting natural arena, bedazzling daily sunrise and sunset in sprawling hills of green and gold. In Batanes, one is lost in time and space. It is as surreal as an elusive painting and as fickle-minded as an impervious woman. Here, the weather changes in an instant without prior notice. You may leave for a boat ride with the clouds overcast and in the middle of the sea, be subjected to the roaring current of a storm and in another instant, be warmed by the sun’s glorious rays once again.
The pattern of the weather is not the only irony that exists here. This northernmost province, though the smallest in the country, features enormous treasures. The centuries-old homes and churches may be historical icons of a proud heritage, yet in Batanes, one can find the highest literacy rate in the entire Philippines. The value for education is of prime importance for the people of Batanes and their values of honesty, determination and independence are worth emulating. They cherish their age-old traditions yet appreciate the knowledge of progress and development as well.
Most of us have already experienced the beauty and glory of Batanes that exists in its landscapes but few have explored what exists in its waterways. My dear friend Yvette Lee, a scuba diver and photographer, with her companions Raffy Go, Elaine Kunkle and Gladys Guy, embarked on a diving expedition to see what lay beneath the waters of alluring Batanes. It was an exploration that resulted in underwater seascapes and corals that are uniquely Batanes.
As we boarded the ultra-comfortable SkyJet airline, we excitedly anticipated the picturesque Batanes that many have compared to New Zealand, Austria and Cape Town in South Africa. SkyJet Airlines, founded by our dear family friend, New York-educated dentist Joel Mendoza, started in 2012 to provide Batanes with a regular and reliable air transportation to Manila. Mendoza, who is married to Maria Rosan Castillejos, a native of Batanes, operated a cultural travel and tour agency, which mainly brought tourists to Batanes.
“This is one of the best times to visit Batanes and experience ‘winter’ in the Philippines,†said airline president Dino Chua. “The vision of SkyJet remains — to offer business class service to all in niche destinations. We are not a low-cost carrier. SkyJet sells experience, not only seats. We are here to promote destinations and culture and help our government achieve its tourism targets,†Chua said. SkyJet’s new aircraft, a 79-seat British Aerospace Bae 146-100, arrived in Manila last December. It can carry loads of cargo and sports gears up to three tons.
From our charming room at the Batanes Dive Resort located next to the turquoise sea of the Philippine Sea, you would think we were on the film set of a tropical paradise perched above immaculate froth. My gaze did not just comb the windswept verdant fields, the dramatic mountain range that seems to puncture the clouds and the nostalgic lighthouses set atop hills like sentinels but also the romantic watery channels that beckon as well. I wondered what kind of marine life pervaded in the waters, what kind of eclectic corals thrived in seemingly unexplored territory, and which denizens of the deep patrolled the depths of the sea oblivious to the knowledge of man?
The competent scuba divers in our group were very impressed by the large and spacious dive boat of the Batanes Dive resort. According to Yvette, it is one of the best dive boats in the country as it handles the seas around the cliffs and rocky shores of Basco with ease. It also allowed them a chance to see the island from the water.
As they made their way through the deeper domain, they were astonished by their surreal finds. A short distance off the beach across from the resort they stayed at was a field of Pavona corals, as far as the eye can see. These are a massive type of coral that can withstand the hammering of the big waves when the seas are rough.
Near the main port of the province and in the shade of the picturesque lighthouse, there is an underwater pinnacle. Looming like a spearhead out of the ground, this monolith can be explored in an endless loop from top to bottom with a colorful nudibranch.
One of the dive sites is called Trevallies Lair and the divers found the overhang where a giant trevally (more commonly known as talakitok or mameng) gets cleaned by cleaner wrasses. For half an hour they watched this magnificent creature dart around and at times flare its gills to allow smaller fishes called cleaner wrasses to vacuum its gills. It was also a respite from the strong currents sweeping the place.
To the south of Basco is a dive site called the Canyons. A series of long coral formations extends like fingers from the white coralline bed. Divers are dwarfed by the steep slopes and walls of these canyons. At the top of several of them, colonies of Clarks anemone fish (Nemo’s cousins) have taken up residence, bright orange dots darting about.
Not as popular but interesting to lovers of the sea and boats is the burial ground near Diptain Beach. It is one of two archaeological sites in the Batanes group of islands to feature an ancient cemetery. Instead of the usual tombstone or headstones, the graves are marked with a series of rocks in the shape of a boat with the bow or the prow pointing towards the sea.
Take a ride out to the Diura Fishing Village and check out one of the waiting sheds in that area to get an appreciation of the handiwork and materials that make up the roof. It is a testament to the Ivatan skill and ingenuity that the lifespan of a roof in Batanes is 40 years while the ones in Manila only last between 10 to 25 years!

Although there is a marked absence of colorful reef fish, the area is rich in important food fish such as trevallies and dorado and flying fish in quantities that can sustain the native population. Nowhere is it more important to keep out commercial fishermen as this food source is essential to the residents especially when the winds brought about by the monsoons start blowing. You can see these drying in the sun along the roadside and in the yards of the houses and dried flying fish is a staple for breakfast.
Not far from the village, a short easy hike will take you to the Fountain of Youth, which is actually a spring that the residents have diverted into a catchment fronting the sea. I chose to go to the actual source of the water but the pool itself must be one of the prettiest freshwater pools on a beach, and its all natural with no chlorine or chemicals.
Many secrets in the Phillipines are waiting to be discovered. Diving in Batanes is just one of these impressive revelations. All you need to do is devote time to finding out what other treasures exist in your own backyard. Just like a glowing full moon tucked behind the ominous clouds, just because we cannot see it on the surface doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Explore the stunning dive sites in Batanes and the other new finds. These best-kept secrets are not secrets anymore. What are you waiting for?
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SkyJet flies to Batanes on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays,. Call its Manila office at 650-1058/59, 823-3366.
Email the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.
