Unlike Sumilon Island, there was no fee or permit needed for me to do aerial videos of Malapascua Island: our resort’s host cheerfully said go right ahead and have fun when I asked. I guess this is in good part because the island is not the usual tourist hotspot, and even fewer international visitors stay overnight even if they are doing day trips for the island’s snorkeling spots. So there weren’t municipal authority types patrolling the area asking for money from hobbyists to take aerial videos, unlike the nickel-and-dime permit I had to apply for at Sumilon Island.
I did two drone sessions: one in the late afternoon of Day 05 yesterday, and another at sunrise on Day 06. There were several very interested islander kids watching what I was doing too! From chatting with them, it seems there have been guests on the island before flying drones, but apparently it’s not common.
Aside from small groups of ang mo visitors who were mainly here to dive, and a pair of Chinese nationals who didn’t look like the diving types, there did not seem to be any other tourists on our side of the island. This has been a lovely island, and I’m glad we opted to stay a night on it!
We’ll be checking out of our resort in the mid-morning, boating back to the mainland, then starting on the long drive and ferry ride to Bohol, where we’d be spending three days. To be continued!