Tuka Marine Park Adventure, Part 3

Posted by bariles On June - 11 - 2008 - Visited 1672 times, 1 so far today

Tuka 3 Beach‘s sand has the same off-whitish, beige tint as that of Boracay and even Gumasa in Glan, although bigger and coarser in texture. For city mice like my 3 younger nieces Paula, Bea and Alanna however, this is the least of their worries as they immediately immersed in the shallower part of the shore, away from the corals, and started to build sand castles.

The whole stretch of the coastline of the cove measures about 600 meters and lies nestled at the foot of a mountain heavily covered with thick foliage and coconut trees. At opposite ends are cliffs extending into the sea and separate Tuka 3 from Tuka 2 and 4.

With lunch still being readied, I saw an opportunity to exercise and walked my way to the farthest end of the beach. There below the cliff were large black rocks which much have fallen from the mountain above, making them look like islets from a distance, jutting above the water.

I tried clambering up one of the biggest rocks and from that vantage, I realized how beautiful the whole expanse of Tuka 3 really was. I stayed there for a few more minutes until finally summoned by my nieces for the much-anticipated lunch.

After the healthy meal of grilled pork chops, matang baka (tulay) and kinilaw with my siblings, I noticed that the tide was fast coming in making for more comfortable swimming. I immediately put on my life jacket, goggles and snorkel, part of the swimming gear on loan to us by Kiamba First Lady Daday Falgui’s staff.

In no time at all, I was floating above the water, face down not quite prepared for the marvelous sight of the paradise that would greet my eyes down below.

It was literally a garden of corals before me, corals of all shapes and sizes, of amazingly different colors and hues, moving and swaying in slow motion with the undercurrents, as if performing their own underwater ballet.

Darting in and out of the corals and rocks were fish that one only sees in Walt Disney’s animated movies. There were a few I recognized- couple of clown fish, a dwarf angel fish (I FOUND NEMO!), a school of butterfly fish, a scary-looking puffer fish and I swear, a 3-foot long sea snake which nearly made me panic when it appeared to swim directly towards my direction.

If not for the big waves which have started to materialize and the warning of rains above, I would have stayed longer underwater.

Now it was time to head back home through the same fishing boat which came back for us. Trying to be responsible citizens, we carried back everything we brought into the marine park including our trash.

And why not? That was the least we can do for Tuka Marine Park considering how priceless our fun there was. Preserving her clean, uncluttered and unspoilt condition was our SMALL way of saying THANK YOU.

To get to Tuka Beach, take any of the vans waiting at the ABLOG’S TRANSPORT GROUP TERMINAL along North Osmeña Street in GenSan. A one-way fare to Kiamba will cost you P120 (used to be P90 three weeks ago). Tell the driver to drive you directly to the Kiamba wharf. There, a fishing boat will take you and your companions to Tuka 3. For my group of 10, we paid P1000 (back and forth). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thanks to Kiamba First Lady Mrs. Dayday Falgui & the Calis Family.

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28 COMMENTS

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28 Responses

BOB LUARDO Says:

Vel,
The site is so beautiful and inviting, do they allow fishing out there? can I bring a fishing rod?
am not sure if I missed a sign out there…. they have restrooms right?,, how long does it take to travel from Gensan to this place?…I’ll make certain I’ll visit TUKA MARINE PARK. Goodbye Pearl Farm,, Hello Tuka!!!!!! (kyuryos lang,, saan nanggaling ang pangalang TUKA? – tuka – toka mo ng mag blow-out?)

Thank you and best regards,
Bob

Posted on June 12th, 2008 at 2:34 AM
bariles Says:

Hi Bob! I don’t see any problem if it’s only sports fishing. Yes, they have restrooms. Gensan to Kiamba normally takes an hour via private vehicle. The roads courtesy of USAID are the best in these parts.

Once you’re here, would love to accompany you there… with our batchmates…hehehe!

Tuka means “beak” in english, right? The coves must have looked like beaks as seen from the mountains. Just my wild guess..hehehe!

Thanks for visiting Bob.

Posted on June 12th, 2008 at 10:17 AM
bernie allen Says:

Hi Bariles,

This place looks like that nice place in Glan where I went 30 years ago. With the looks of the water surface, you are right, you can spend the whole day snorkling and it will be a great sight experience, someone just have to invent a snorkling umbrella para ilagay mo sa likod mo habang nag iisnorkle ka, ung ti natatangal kahit mahangin.

What a nice place!

Boracay may have finer and whiter sand but it’s no longer a nature lovers destination so it’s blasphemy to compare both. Tuka Marine Park is a great destination I believe, but If you want to “dive between two feet” then Boracay may still be ok.

Posted on June 12th, 2008 at 10:18 AM
jhona may Says:

hello po. nice po tong site nyo. na ex-explore diff spots ng gen san. i love looking at pictures kc lalo na pag nature so i enjoy a lot, mas lalo na kc taga gensan ang mahal ko. goodluck po sa susunod na mga adventures! Godbless.

Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 1:04 PM
jhona may Says:

pwede din po kayong bumisita dito sa CDO anytime welcome kayo!

Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 1:07 PM
bariles Says:

Hi Bernie Allen! You are right! Gumasa in Glan is still ok but Tuka is tops when it comes to snorkelling.

It would be a blast if you could come to this place once you chance to be in Gensan together with your camera. Then you could take photo shots as you used to do long before I got hooked to photography.

Make sure you could shoot underwater though.

Hey, by the way, check out Bambi’s comments somewhere here. Hehehe!

Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 3:28 PM
bariles Says:

hello Jhona May! Thank you for regularly visiting my site. Hopefully I can meet up with you and your loved one when you’re both here together.

Will contact you once I’m in CDO. Ayo-ayo!

Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 3:47 PM
donG hO Says:

nice blog you’ve got here! i discovered your blog after reading brycebugz top ten lisf of emerging influential blogs. you deserve it. nice travel blog of mindanao.

donG hOs last blog post..an islander’s outlook

Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 4:03 PM
lelen zab Says:

oh my! tuka 3 is the best manay…looks like paradise.
we better put that in our next reunion itinerary, just like gumasa this year.
and we can bring tents for our overnight camping by the beach, pwede?
snorkeling even without the goggles? must be a sight to behold!

wonderful article on kiamba’s marine park…well done!

Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 9:24 AM
donG hO Says:

this are the beaches that i really look forward to see. ive never been to this side of mindanao. im planning to go to davao and maybe a sidetrip to gensan will do. if that will happen, what would be the top three places that i should see in gensan? im into beach and hiking.

donG hOs last blog post..an islander’s outlook

Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 12:17 AM
Allan Barredo Says:

galing nito! meron palang ganito kagandang beach sa kiamba. its definitely a must visit.

Allan Barredos last blog post..the candaba experience

Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 8:40 AM
bariles Says:

Hi Dong! Nice of you to take time for a peek here. Most of the places to visit here except for the International Fishport where all these giant tuna are downloaded are outside of GenSan. Tuka is one. Gumasa Beach in Glan, Sarangani is next and Lake Sebu, South Cotabato is 3rd. If you’re into white water tubing, Maitum in Sarangani (about 20 kms from Kiamba) is the place to be. Check out sarangani’s site at http://www.sarangani.gov.ph and soutcot’s at http://www.southcotabato.gov.ph.

Hope this helps. Thanks again dong! Keep in touch.

Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 9:39 AM
bariles Says:

hello ache len! that can be arranged… am sure by that time, march 2008, we will be more than ready with our diving suits. hehehehe! thanks for subscribing here! how’s the weather in canada?

Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 9:40 AM
komodo dragon Says:

part three looks like even more fun then the other two parts

Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 9:37 PM
bariles Says:

hi Komodo Dragon! You think so? Hehe…thanks. I always leave out the best for last. Thanks.

Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 10:22 AM
toto Says:

ayos! hehehe now that I know how to get there, kauban na lang para mag share sa gastos ang kulang.

Nyahahaha

Thanks kuy

Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 1:10 PM
bariles Says:

Hi Toto! Hahaha! Wise jud ka ha? Ok lang uy basta ikaw dala tripod ug camera. Hehehe! When are you coming back?

Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 4:34 PM
toto Says:

Sa Koronadal na kuy. Trying to sort things out for my photo exhibit next month at the NDMU lobby.

totos last blog post..Father’s Day

Posted on June 17th, 2008 at 11:49 AM
The Islander Says:

one nice beach… i admire remote beaches. not crowded. it gives me the feeling like i own it and the whole world.

The Islanders last blog post..Recent Outings

Posted on June 18th, 2008 at 9:20 AM
bariles Says:

Hi Toto, dont forget to invite me to your exhibit so I can blog about it. Text lang.

Hello Islander! We have lots around these parts of the Philippines. Why not come and visit us? Thanks.

Posted on June 18th, 2008 at 10:30 AM
orman Says:

well what can i say about our (this) trip to tuka? the boat-ride was uneventful but i was psyching myself up for another difficult transfer to shore. surprisingly it was not too bad. i was holding on to my EXPENSIVE camera and my dog (a mini-pinscher) CHAD as i bravely made my way towards the shore (yes, virginia, i was in the water!). am not a beach person. i don’t like the sun. but i like a pretty view that nature can offer. tuka has got loads of them as shown in avel’s pictures. i was just concerned of dengue mosquitoes as there was a big paddle of water under the coco trees. and there’s the problem of toilets! so i did it behind the coco tree. hehehe! in the end, it’s always nice to discover places like tuka. i take my hats off to mayor rommel and first lady dayday falgui for leading the way in developing the tourism treasures of their municipality!

ormans last blog post..Way Over Yonder by Carole King

Posted on June 20th, 2008 at 12:09 AM
The Tuka Marine Park Adventure, Part II | Says:

[...] THE CONCLUSION, CLICK HERE. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “The Tuka Marine Park Adventure, Part II”, url: [...]

Posted on June 23rd, 2008 at 8:04 PM
Coral Snake Says:

these photos are very pretty , nice and bright … sounds like you had a great time the beach looks lovely , nice and crowd free , pollution free , just plain beautiful , as it should be

Posted on June 28th, 2008 at 12:14 PM
bariles Says:

@Orman, thanks for sponsoring the trip! That was the best family bonding I’ve had so far. More, more, more sis!

Posted on July 5th, 2008 at 10:16 AM
bariles Says:

@Coral Snake, hello! Thanks for your comments. Are you a beach person too?

Posted on July 5th, 2008 at 10:19 AM
arsenia a. b Says:

do they have hotels around or can we stay overnight at the beach?
how much would the entrance fee be? great site!!

Posted on July 17th, 2008 at 12:21 AM
Samara Says:

My, my. Thanks for blogging about Tuka Marine Park. This would be a great destination for our small clan next summer. We’ve been frequent tourists in Gumasa beach resorts for the past few years and I should admit that way back our first year, we were awed by the beautiful corals there while snorkeling. But as the years passed, the number of corals have been reduced and at most, dead corals were abundant. Not to mention that we barely see the usual starfishes recently this year.

Anyways, I’d like to ask if we need prior reservations before getting there, and same with Arsenia’s question, if we could stay there overnight. By the way, this is a great blog.

Posted on July 19th, 2008 at 10:34 PM
bariles Says:

@Arsenia, I don’t think they allow overnight camping. Entrance is only P10 each.

@Samara, hi! Tuka is the best snorkeling paradise in this side of Mindanao by far. I would recommend that you visit the place as early as you can in the morning and make the most out of your day trip there.

bariless last blog post..My Journey to Balut Island, The Series: On board M/V Song of Dolly

Posted on July 20th, 2008 at 9:56 PM