Bauan, Batangas: Home of Jack Fishes

Our lives become meaningful whenever we try something new. This is something that I realized recently — even if we’re doing the same routine every day, we should give space to new experiences, new sights, new smells. It makes life bearable, happy even.

One of the local activities that I’ve wanted to experience is seeing the famous school of jack fishes in Bauan, Batangas. This is a popular snorkeling and freediving spot, where you can mingle up-close with the jack fish (commonly known as “talakitok”).

In 2020, the jack fishes vanished in the area after the eruption of Taal Volcano. In fact, that year I did beginner scuba in the area c/o Summer Cruise Diving Resort but we didn’t see any sign of them. This year, the locals have happily reported their return.

Our trip to Bauan, Batangas

I went here with my boyfriend Hali for a 3-day trip last June, just after summer and before the habagat season. From our abode in Manila, it took us about 2 hours to reach Bauan, Batangas. Once we reached the parking lot, we waited for the banca that will take us to Kantil Dive Resort.

Stay at Kantil Dive Resort

Kantil Dive Resort (formerly known as Bunker Dive Resort) is one of the handful of resorts located in the coastline of Barangay Balite, San Luis, where the jack fishes are usually found. If you’re a budget tourist, you are probably more familiar with Binukbok View Point Resort beside it.

The reason we booked with them was random — I saw one of their online posts about the jack fishes and thought I wanted to go there, and within the same week we left for Batangas.

Kantil Dive Resort is a casual beachfront resort with affordable rooms. Our room was simple, but it was clean and airconditioned. It has no private bathroom, so you need to use the shared toilets and showers. Normally I would mind, but the facilities were regularly kept and cleaned that even I was impressed.

The resort also has an open area, which serves as the place for dining and hanging out. Day trippers rent the tables here. We tried to stay here as much as we could, but during our visit it was very hot and humid and there were insects due to the fruiting trees in the back forest. Nonetheless, the view of the beach and sunsets here were nice.

The owner of the resort, Ms. Bles, kept us entertain about the going-ons in the resort. She also gave tips on where to find the jack fishes.

We booked a package deal that includes room + complete meals instead of the room only, because it was easier and cheaper. The package deal was a bit more expensive, but food-wise the offerings were good and there was unlimited kapeng barako too. Every meal includes rice, meat, and vegetables as well as fruits for dessert. This is Filipino food done right — in fact, we were always looking forward to meal times.

That’s really all you need to know about the resort. Now let’s move forward to the reason of our visit — the jack fishes of Batangas.

The famous jack fishes of Batangas

Jack fish, commonly referred to as “talakitok” in the Philippines, are a popular species among local fishermen and divers in Bauan, a coastal community in Batangas. The waters surrounding Bauan are part of the Verde Island Passage, which is recognized as one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the world.

These fishes belong to the Carangidae family and are known for their streamlined bodies, strong swimming abilities, and predatory nature. They are commonly seen in schools, patrolling the reefs and sometimes coming close to shore, especially in areas with strong currents or abundant prey.

According to our guide, the reason the jack fishes linger in the area is because of the abundant food supply.

We went for a swim for 2 mornings and both times we were able to see the jack fishes!

In the first morning, we set out at around 7AM with a young guide. As per Ms. Bles, the best time to see the jack fishes is before the tour boats have arrived at the shore.

We snorkeled to see the coral reefs, fishes, and open tunnels underwater. There were also metal hoops underneath for practicing freedivers.

Not before long, we spotted the jack fishes!

Seeing the big school of jack fishes felt unreal. Hali freedived to get nice underwater shots with the help of our guide, who was holding the action camera. We learned that there’s an art to freediving photography as well. Basically, if you swim straight down, the jack fishes will scatter — so what you need to do is to freedive from a distance and then glide towards the fishes. This way, the water won’t be disturbed and they will tolerate your presence.

Even as a non-freediver, I enjoyed the swim immensely. The jack fishes stayed at the shallow parts, which means even I could get close to them!

The next morning swim was equally great. There was a moment when I swam close to the jack fishes and they surrounded me. I felt an initial panic and then calm as it dawned on me how special this experience was. Alas our action camera stopped working at this point, so there were no photos of this magical moment.

We also tried exploring the waters past lunch hours, but visibility wasn’t as good and there were lots of trash floating around. We couldn’t get a decent photo without a plastic photobombing the frame. I was told that this happens during habagat season, when the currents change direction and drive the litter toward the shorelines.

It was saddening but I hope the local government do something about it since it seems to be a recurring problem.

Overall

We had a really nice time at Bauan, Batangas. If you haven’t seen the jack fishes yet, this is your sign to do so!

We also liked the accommodation that we booked — Kantil Dive Resort. Here’s a short summary of our resort review:

• Pros: Great location for snorkeling and freediving, specifically for seeing the jack fishes. Rooms are simple but affordable, shared toilets and baths are clean. Food is fantastic and there is unlimited kapeng barako. Ms. Bles was very friendly and helpful during our stay.
• Cons: Intermittent mobile data. During our stay, it was hot and humid with insects outside (condition depends on when you visit).

Overall, the resort offers great value for money. 🙂

How to get to Bauan, Batangas

From Manila, it takes 2-2.5 hours to get to Bauan, Batangas.

There are a few resorts you can book at Barangay Balite in San Luis in Bauan. Here are directions on how to get there:

• From Manila, take a bus to Lemery, Batangas. Get off at Xentro Mall. Travel time is about 2 hours. From there, charter a tricycle to your resort’s designated parking lot.
• Once at the parking lot, contact your resort for their motorized boat to fetch you. Travel time is about 20 minutes.

Book your stay at Kantil Dive Resort

You can book at Kantil Dive Resort via Facebook.

As of our visit this June 2024, here are the rates:

• Fan room with meals: P2400 per person
• Aircon room with meals: P2700 per person

This includes round-trip boat transfer from parking lot to the resort. Accommodations-only are also available, as well as table rentals for day trippers.

Other fees:

• Overnight parking: P200
• Corkage fee: P300 per person (24 hour period)
• Guide: P500 (whole day)

You may also avail of their freediving activity and various rentals (snorkeling, fins, buoy, action camera).

Things to know before you go

• The best time to go here is during the summer months.
• The best time to see the jack fishes is early in the morning, around 6-7AM before the tour boats arrive. They usually linger around the docking area. You can hire a guide if you’re unsure on where to look, but we find that it’s not really necessary.
• Also referred to as Binukbok View Point (in reference to the popular resort), this place is ideal for snorkelers, freedivers, and scuba divers. It is not for casual beach-goers, since the beach is rocky and the waves are too rough for a swim.
• Bring your summer essentials! Eco-friendly sunscreens are a must to keep your skin protected and the marine life unaffected by chemicals. I also recommend bringing your own snorkels and fins, as well as buoy if you require one. Resorts also rent out various equipment.

On booking your stay:

• While day trips are doable, we recommend staying a night or two to ensure you have plenty of time to find the jack fishes.
• If staying at Kantil Dive Resort, we recommend bringing books and/or movies to fill up your spare time due to intermittent mobile signal. Another resort that we recommend is Summer Cruise Diving Resort. This is also located in San Luis, with its own home reef and about 15 minutes of boat ride away from Binukbok area.

Did you enjoy this article about the jack fishes in Bauan, Batangas? If you have questions or comments, let us know in the comment section below!

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