For travelers, adventure seekers and beach bums, Sipalay, Negros Occidental is the perfect place to be.
Sipalay is dubbed as the "Jewel of the Sugar Island" or "Jewel of Negros" because of its beautiful beaches, natural attractions, caves, waterfalls, coves, bays and underwater treasures. It is an ideal place to stay and relax for vacation away from your busy hectic life because of its laid back lifestyle.
For scuba divers, professional and enthusiasts, Sipalay is known for its beautiful dive sites. It offers 44 dive sites where several of which are wreck sites. This beautiful coral reefs and diving spots were mostly named by the owner of Artistic Diving Resort, Arthur Mueller.
One of the wreck sites is called Juliens, named after the sunken cargo ship. If one doesn't have a scuba diving experience yet, you can explore the site by snorkeling.
Juliens Wreck is near the Turtle Island. Its shallow depth is only 6-7 meters (19-23 feet) and the surrounding area can go as deep as 10-15 meters (32-49 feet). The wreck site is covered with colorful, brilliant corrals and is abundant of fish. One will be amazed of the beauty underwater. It is an easy dive site and a relaxing one too.
Juliens Wreck is only an hour away (one way) from Artistic Diving Resort. It is best that you pack some sandwiches for snacks in case you get hungry.
Story of Juliens
According to one of the dive masters of Artistic Diving Resort, the story of Juliens Wreck is believed to be a cargo ship full of corn cobs. In the 1980s, Sipalay is one of the resting points of cargo vessels going through long trips. The captain of the ship (Juliens) was so tired and decided to rest in one of the islets of Sipalay. The captain was not able to estimate the distance properly, it passed through shallow waters bumping into a hard corral, thus, dividing the ship into 3 parts.
Wreck diving at Juliens offers divers an experience that one will remember in their life time. I too was amazed of the beauty that was hidden underneath, the colorful fishes, the wreck itself and the amazing corrals covering the ocean floor. You will come back for more once you try it, whether scuba or snorkel, to see again the beautiful marine resources flourishing within the wreck.
Sipalay has diving centers that provide excellent services to Juliens Wreck that is PADI Certified, one of which is Artistic Diving Resort.
When In Sipalay, don't miss to experience this water adventure. And, let's have fun in Sipalay!
How to Get There
From Manila, you can fly to Bacolod (Php2500++, round trip, 45 minutes). From Bacolod-Silay Airport, you can take a shuttle (Php75-100 per head), or a cab and ask to be dropped off at the nearest bus station for Bacolod-Sipalay. You can ride a bus or a minivan (Php300++, one way, approximately 5 hours). If you opt for a bus, once in Sipalay, you still need to ride a motorcycle (around Php150) going to Punta Ballo where you'll find a series of beach resorts, one of which is Artistic Diving Beach Resort.
You can also arrange with Artistic Diving to fetch you at the airport. They have an 8-seater minivan that cost Php4650 per trip.
Note: Prices/rates may subject to change without prior notice.
