The Hinatoan River is a deep spring river on the island of Mindanao
This enchanted river has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines.
It earned its moniker enchanted River after being described in a poem written by the Diplomat Modesto Farolan.
The enchanted river is a magical stretch of water
meandering 648 meters between the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean
the waters are so crystal clear and bright blue
that it could easily be mistaken for a location from a fantasy movie like Avatar
The surface of the water is typically calm and peaceful and this combined with the impressive
clarity of the bright blue water gives this place an unreal magical quality
In one of the rivers lagoons, the part of the river that everyone comes to take photos of
is a deep dark hole which goes down 80 feet
The deep hole leads into a subterranean cave system exploration of the caves has continued to this day
but remains largely unmapped
Which further adds to the mystique of this wondrous place
Another somewhat mysterious aspect of the enchanted river is where do all of its fish come from?
Many of the fish here are large enough to actually make swimmers nervous and it is not exactly known
how these saltwater species got here
The fish are a popular attraction
Especially during the daily feeding times that take place here
Every day at noon a bell is rung
Which is the signal for all swimmers to exit the water?
When everyone is out a tune called the hymn of Hinatoan is played over loudspeakers
Upon which a large school of fish seemed to materialize out of nowhere on cue
Staff members then throw rice, minced meat, shrimp, octopus, and other scraps of food into the water
This keeps up for about an hour during which time no one is allowed to enter the water
When the feeding time is over the vast number of fish proceed to simply vanish as if they were never there
The river is rich in folklore and tales
The pristine blue water is said to be kept clean and cleared by various spirits, fairies
Pixies and other mystical creatures which also act as guardians of the river
The spirits are said to be most active at night and that they will attack or chase away
Anyone who comes to bathe here after dark
with many inexplicable drownings in the river being blamed on these supernatural entitie
This superstition is so strong and pervasive that the river is
Off-limits after dark and even during the day some areas are not accessible
Probably just for the visitors safety, but some say because the river spirits are especially aggressive in those areas
While tales of fairies and spirits are quite possibly pure folklore and superstition
the very source of the river itself has long been somewhat of a mystery
as the question of how it manages to remain so impeccably clear and free of any silt whatsoever
One suggestion is the water is filtering through limestone
Which would remove impurities and produce the crystal-clear water, but the true reason remains a mystery
I hope they never answer the many questions surrounding this mystical place
as it adds to the overall charm and mystique of the enchanted River
Anyway, that's the end of this video. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time. Bye. Bye