Magic In Enchanted River

The Enchanted River in Hinatuan, Philippines, is one of the most desired tourist destinations in the area. The water of the river is crystal clear and blue.

Barangay Cambatong, where the river is found, is steeped in oral tradition. 

Legend has it that one firefly-lit night, fairies floated above the river while elves watched from cliffs and banks. With their wands, the fairies stirred the water, toyed with sapphire and jade, and made the tones fade and meld to achieve a shade of bluish green that now paints the riverbed.


What lends credence to the river’s name? Fishermen swear to seeing various fish but couldn’t catch any no matter how they tried—not by hand, spear or net. Fishwives lay their fish traps at dusk only to find them hanging on a branch the day after. A foreigner plunges into the visible riverbed and finds it unfathomable. A father and son see two long-haired, alabaster-skinned women bathing under a plump moon then vanishing in a swirl of fireflies. Boatmen gape at sunken boulders of twisted images that are there one day and gone the next.

Also, there’s a cave farther away, just before the river flows out to the Hinatuan Bay facing the Pacific Ocean. Accessible by foot during low tide, the cave showcases limestone naturally carved as furniture sets and positioned as though Neptune were hosting a party for underwater denizens.

An added attraction when visiting the Enchanted River happens at noon when the bell is rung and bathers are requested to get out of the water for about an hour. As the Hinatuan Hymn begins to play, groups of fish come out from nowhere like on cue and feed on food scraps the caretaker and tourists throw into the river. This feeding frenzy makes spinning scales and tails catch light, turning the natural pool into a liquid canvas of the magical and the fabulous.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/279714/nature-spins-magic-in-enchanted-river#ixzz2qnqBxXdl