We Came for the Whale Sharks

Friends, family, we are super sad to be leaving the Philippines after a fun-filled two-week stay.

I added this beautiful island nation to our itinerary last year because I couldn't fathom traveling around the Pacific Rim and not swimming with whale sharks. I read that they migrate to the Philippines in May, so that settled it! But with my laser focus on the world's largest fish, I was not expecting so much non-shark beauty. In the end, we did not see a single shark, but what we found was so much better.

We started our trip on the northern tip of Palawan Island in a town called El Nido. Ginny was still sick from a bacterial infection that just wouldn't quit, so the doc started her on antibiotics and probiotics. Thankfully she felt well enough to do our first day of island hopping. For those who have not been to the Philippines, "island hopping" is the main event. Each tourist hub has its own series of tours (in El Nido they are called Tour A, B, C, and D) that are operated by different vendors. We went with Tour D.

Our first stop was Small Lagoon, where we rented kayaks to enter the lagoon through a narrow rock passage.

The green water surrounding by towering limestone cliffs was just spectacular.

Every times the kids saw something cool underwater they bailed out of the kayaks and started swimming.

Then we boated over to Cadlao Lagoon, where we saw a teenage sea turtle poking its head out of the water. Ryan and the kids swam behind the turtle and noticed it only used two of its flippers to swim. Our boat crew caught the turtle to make sure it wasn't injured, but it was fine! It was just born with two functional flippers instead of four. We said goodbye to our turtle friend and watched it swim away.

We we visited Bukal and Nat Nat beaches, where we had some lunch and played in the crystal-clear water. Baker was just about as happy as it gets, and Ginny was such a trooper.

Then back to El Nido after an awesome day. We've learned a lot about the kids over the past 11 months, and it turns out Baker's happy place is on boats. He loves the peace and calm of being on the water. I get it.

Oh, and this is what the sunset looks like almost every night.

Then it was time for some adrenaline! First we hit up the El Nido Zipline as Las Cabanas Beach, which speeds you over the ocean to the hillside across the water. Lu was too light to go by herself, so an instructor zipped with her. She was PUMPED.

It was so fun, and the views were incredible!

Then we ventured up the Canopy Walk through the forests above El Nido and enjoyed the view from the top!

Ryan took the big kids to the "Dreamcatcher" portion of the walk (Lu was too small) for another photo op.

From there we went to the famous Nacpan Beach, where the girls found a beach hammock and lounged in the crazy heat.

Baker jumped into the ocean and was promptly stung by a jellyfish (he was fine). This is his Baywatch run to tell me he was stung. I see lifeguarding in his future.

Then we hopped over to Coron, a city on Busuanga Island. Coron is magic. We started with the Coral and Wrecks tour. There are 12 shipwrecks off the coast of Busuanga from a US Navy airstrike of the Imperial Japanese Navy in September 1944, during WWII. The first boat we visited was the Lusong Gunboat.

It was wild to jump into the water and see this beast just laying on the ocean floor. The boat has become a part of the ecosystem, and seems like a natural part of the reef. It was incredible. From there we swam over the Lusong Coral Gardens, full of vibrant, healthy coral. I had never seen anything like it. I could have spent all day drifting among the massive corals.

We had lunch on the white sands of Pass Island and then visited the wreck of Teru Kaze Meru, an anti-submarine warship.

On the way back I just marveled at how much the kids have grown over the past 11 months.

I'm so incredibly tired of them, but also proud. They've done this trip with more grace than I ever could have imagined.

Okay, almost done! On our last day we took the Super Ultimate Tour of Coron (that's the actual name...how can you not take that tour?). We started at the Twin Lagoons, another limestone enclosure with clear green water. We took turns jumping off the bow into the warm water. It was so fun (and how great is Ryan's backflip?).

From there we hiked through a narrow limestone slit to Barracuda Lake, a brackish lake on the other side of the lagoon.

Barracuda Lake was amazing. The limestone cliffs plunge down 40 meters into the water and create and underwater dreamscape. Not the best pic, but it takes me right back. That's the bottom, 40 meters below me, with limestone spires breaking the surface. I loved every second being in that water.

We visited another brackish lake, Kayangan Lake, which was beautiful but not quite as breathtaking as Barracuda Lake. Still, an awesome day in a beautiful place.

Like I said, I'm sad to be leaving. But I know we'll be back. There is more to see. And maybe, whale sharks.

Tomorrow we start our journey to Taiwan. I feel the remaining days just slipping between my fingers as we start making our plans for home. I'm doing my best to treasure each day through the exhaustion and excitement to see all of you again.

We miss you all. Last two months, here we go!

All my love,

Madeline