Maybe you've never heard of giant clams. I've heard of them but assumed they lived in deep, remote waters where I'd never get to see them. Here, you can swim right up and put your arm or head inside one (but please don't). The real deal, you can see the water pumping in and out of its mouth... and surprising colors.Unlike all the other tourist attractions here which are run by the government, this is a private local co-op. Imagine that: a private local group preserving their coast as a wildlife sanctuary. Definitely worth supporting!Pay for the guided one-on-one swimming tour from the very friendly guide. Very cheap if you bring your own snorkeling gear. if you don't want to swim or snorkel, still worth a visit because you can see a lot just wading.
We were surprised.Not by the clams, but by the corkage fees they imposed to our own snorkeling gears. (50 percent of the rental fee).But the guides were really great. They make snorkeling really enjoyable and informative.
A least expected Hidden Gem in a little bit of isolated location in Camiguim Island. One of the island's best attraction.
Nestled in a cove near Cantaan, Guinsiliban, is a beautiful beach with white sand. This beach facing Mindanao is already a surprise. But actually the real surprise is the Giant Clam Nursery. It is a pleasure to observe the Giant Clams. They react on your movements and close their shells with astonishing speed. When you approach more carefully, or wait a few seconds while the clam opens again, you can observe the breathing and other movements. You may also go snorkeling around the nursery. Mangrove trees dwell around the beaches of Brgy. Cantaan near the basketball field just few steps to the beach. An even bigger mangrove swamp can be found about 1km after the village. A walk to the bamboo pole bridges is exciting to do as well and underneath is a crystal clear sea bed with giant clams thriving. The fees might be ridiculous and surprising to those who don't get where the proceeds will go. The sanctuary is actually ran by a private sector so more or less they don't have other means of getting their finances to all the maintenance of the sanctuary facilities they need but from the fees they collect. I suggest this facility should get an accreditation or some sort of non-profit sponsorship from an international agency of the same cause.
The place is so well maintained and the kids who are discussing about the calms are confident and knowledgeable. The fee is so minimal.
Awesome experience swimming aroung giant (and I mean it) clams, plus good snorkeling in the free area. They have more that 2k clams, even though only a hundred or so are really giant. A bit hard to find, but very interesting.
Difficult to get too but worth the effort, the staff who maintain the reef and Clam Sanctuary are very knowledgeable and helpful.We even swam with guides to observe the work they do in action, you'll need at least 2/3 hours to really chill n see everything.Bring your own food, there is food available but limited options.
We were told about this place by another traveler on Camiguin and were able to find it while riding our motor bike around the island. As other reviewers mentioned, it is not easy to find, the road is a little bit difficult to navigate, but once you do, it is quite enjoyable and worth it. The location means that it is also not crowded, there was only one other couple that visited during the one and half hours we spent at the sanctuary. The locals do a great job of taking care of the clams and reef that are literally just off the shore. They will rent you snorkeling equipment at a fair price and give you a guide that will show you where all the interesting clams are. I can't even use words to describe how impressive and massive some of the clams were, you will need to just go and experience it for yourself. I also have no doubt that my money spent is being put to good use in order to preserve the local marine life. Putting this place on the itinerary is an absolute must for anybody visiting Camiguin that enjoys snorkeling. The coral reef is not super impressive, but the clams truly make the experience worthwhile.
We hired a car to get around the island with a local and so we didn't have any troubles finding this place. There is a small entrance fee.There is almost no point going here if you are not going to snorkel as the beach is stoney and not much for chilling (although it has beautiful sorroundings). The sancturay is well staffed and they make sure that you don't start snorkeling without a guide - which is a good thing. The two of us had two guides that showed us different kinds of clams at the sea bed. Some of them were HUGE. Although we were unlucky with the weather, it was still very interesting to see these huge monsters. I absolutely recommend to go and visit this place if you have the time. We enjoyed it.
The lady who gave a short tour of the 'captive' clams was knowlageable and charming. And the snorkling scuba guide was also delightful and keen to be helpful. The clams were impressive and it was generally chilled and lovely. However, I saw a couple who tried to walk there: big mistake. It's really best to rent your own motorbike and go on your own steam ( though the road gets a little rough in one spot).