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Duikstekken Filippijnen |
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Escarceo Point (5-28m)
/ Air / Nitrox Pristine reefs line these monolithic cliffs in a thrilling series of dives, boasting some of the best coral in the area. The shallows are home to huge table and staghorn corals spread to catch the suns rays. These corals have been spared the bleaching that has devastated reefs in many other parts of the world. This is probably due to cold water emanating from Verde Island passage. Above the corals hover fishes in their thousands! Photographers can find endless subjects for wide angle and macro shots here too! Worth more than just one visit this area is a favourite of both new and experienced divers alike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (10-13m)
/ Air Just off Escarceo Point is the short swim-through known as 'Hole in the Wall'. This natural tunnel through solid rock is an exciting dive and emerging from the hole is a great way to surprise the large schools of drummer and sweetlips that play in the current. Sheltering behind a coral wall, divers kneel on the sand allowing the fish to come ever closer. They seem unafraid of the divers as they tumble in and out of the current. From time to time larger ocean going pelagics such as tuna, mackerel and giant trevally dash overhead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (28-30m)
/ Air / Nitrox Increasingly, even more massive animals are being seen above the canyons. Mantarays, thresher and hammerhead sharks have all been seen there. Standing at the end of the canyons is large coral-encrusted anchor; an ancient relic leftover from the Spaniards that once controlled this area; marking the end of a world class dive. The canyons dive is best made on Nitrox breathing gas - the extended bottom time gives you a great chance to explore and take in all the sights. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (10-25m)
/ Air / Nitrox Just across from the sleepy fishing village of Sinandigan on the way into Varadero Bay lie three slumbering giants, huge boulders completely covered with hard and soft corals. A series of small caves and a short swim through are host to many beautiful fish and invertebrates. The ribbon eel can sometimes be found here as can large groupers and green sea turtles. Large schools of emperorfish and leatherjackets play in the current and are hypnotizing to watch. The biodiversity on this dive is truly awesome. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (42m)
/ Air / Tech Just past the boulders on the sandy sea bed lies the remains of a WW2 Japanese patrol boat. It was attacked by American airplanes and destroyed so badly that the majority of the hull and ribs fell to pieces and are now gone! The massive engine block, propeller shaft and propeller still remain and are home to some rather large moray eels. Oblique and painted sweetlips are common here in small schools also. The very short NDL on this dive means that although diving this is possible, it’s best done as a tech dive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-30m)
/ Air / Nitrox In the shallows the wall is covered in pastel coloured soft corals. The flower like arms of the soft coral all beat in unison filtering the water of its plankton. Cuttlefish are also common in this area. Like chameleons they have cells in their skin which enables them to change colour to blend in with their surroundings. As divers approach they become stressed causing patterns to flash in waves across their skin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5 –
25m) / Air / Nitrox Some of the rarer creatures that have been encountered here include the blue ringed octopus, the robust ghost pipefish, barramundi cod Thresher Sharks. This reef is also an underwater kindergarten; the diver with a keen eye can find juvenile red toothed triggerfish and tall fin batfish who are experts at camouflage (they do a great leaf impression!) The delightful young harlequin sweetlips spend their infancy playing under table corals before progressing into spotty adolescence. Once they have matured enough they school in the stronger currents and are commonly found around many of the dive sites in the area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (18-20m)
/ Air Swimming up the reef from these wrecks there is an area of sea grass at 5m/15ft. This harbours many exotic fish rarely seen in other areas such as the short finned dragonfish, the harlequin ghost pipefish or even the cockatoo waspfish. Further West is a small part of the cockpit of a WW2 Zero fighter. This area highlights more than any other area what makes diving in Puerto Galera so special. Many dive destinations have big fish, others beautiful coral and others great variety, but it is rare to find all three in one place. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (26-28m)
/ Air / Nitrox Laying in the mouth of the cave it is possible to approach within a couple of meters of the sharks. If they become disturbed they simply swim away. On the rare occasions that there are no sharks in the cave, blue spotted stingrays can be found on the sand and octopus are commonly seen on the reef above. About 90 metres from the caves stands the atoll. This building sized rock harbours many moray eels, lionfish and scorpionfish. Red toothed triggerfish hover above the rock and duck into holes at the slightest sign of danger. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (12-50m)
/ Air / Nitrox / Tech One of the most popular routes goes past Pink Wall. Here the current picks up and the reef becomes a blur. Schools of drummer and jacks often swim up from the deeper water at this point to feed. Further on a sharp left turn takes you out of the current and into the more tranquil area of the Hole In the Wall. Like many of the more ferocious drift dives in Puerto Galera this dive is best done in small groups and only with local guides. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-15m)
/ Air Adjacent to these, some of the most diverse and healthy hard coral species can be found standing perpendicular to the current. Sea horses, moray eels and sting rays abound in this undisturbed treasure trove of rare marine creatures. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-28m)
/ Air / Nitrox Carrying
on from the wall most guides lead their divers into the shallows of
Dungon Wall. Here majestic table corals spread to catch the rays of
the sun. Amongst them play many of the smaller fish that are so often
overlooked. Spectacled hawkfish stand guard with brilliant marks around
their eyes. Neon damselfish can also be seen, they boast an irridescent
blue that it is rarely seen in nature -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-28m)
/ Air / Nitrox Ernie was a large grouper who lived under a large coral head which became known as Ernie’s Cave. Alas, Ernie has not been seen for many years, but his memory lives on in the excellent site named after him. Ernie’s Cave is now the roost for a large school of copper bellies. These small copper coloured fish hang around the entrance to the cave during the day, marking its entrance much the same way as bats mark the entrances to caves on land. Sometimes on the reef it is possible to see devil scorpionfish. Many fish school above the site, fusiliers, surgeonfish and unicornfish all feeding in the current. The area is very pretty and is resplendent of a Japanese garden; it also makes a relaxing drift dive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (42-55m) Sunk by all the dive centers back in 1993, Monkey Wreck was a local wooden cargo boat of about 28m/90ft resting on the bottom between 40 and 45 metres. Drifting down into the deep water, the first view of the wreck is often an indistinct shadow against the bottom. One of the more difficult dives in the area it should be dived only by more experienced divers. Mostly collapsed it still attracts many divers due to the abundant fish life that shelters within the hull. Large emperorfish, angelfish, schools of red toothed triggerfish and the oddly shaped barramundi cod all take shelter within the bare bones of its ribs. Multi-leveling up the reef, divers can spend more time up on Monkey Beach. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (22-30m)
/ Air / Nitrox A welcome addition to the dive site is the larger wreck of the Alma Jane. Sunk in March 2003 it is an all steel inter-island freighter. About 30 meters long and 80 tons, it stands uprights and is buoyed. The descent down the line gives a great sight of the mast and bows rising high off the bottom. It has already attracted lots of batfish and a couple of large emperorfish. This wreck makes an excellent subject for wide angle photography. A short
swim up the reef past St.Christopher takes you into Small La Laguna.
Here too frogfish are common, ambushing their prey with one of the fastest
'gulps' in nature! In fact they are the only fish able to swallow almost
the same size of fish as themselves. The reef here is great not just
for divers, but also for snorkelers. Skin-divers usually find it best
to enter the water from the jetty at the point, or through the boat
channel in front of The Full Moon Restaurant. The shallow areas of the
rest of the beach have almost complete coral cover making it difficult
to enter from these points. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (8-16m)
/ Air Almost
a hundred clark's and tomato anemone fish live on a colony of anemones
that covers more than 10 square metres. These small (but brave) fish
defend their anemones against all comers! In nature they can live to
be 6-10 years old, while there have been fish that lived to 18 years
old in aquarium. Since juvenile anemones are almost never seen it has
been suggested that anemones may live to be old as 100! The Hill is
also home to rare species of nudibranch, pygmy seahorses and mandarinfish.
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/ Air The Coral Gardens boast some of the most magnificent coral in the whole of Puerto Galera. Diving in this area on a sunny day really makes it easy to see why this corner of the Philippines is such a fabulous success with all traveling divers. There are so many fantastic subjects for photography here, so much life and such vivid and vibrant colour that this dive really is quite unforgettable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-60m)
/ Air / Nitrox / Tech Much like sharks, snakes receive a bad rap from most non divers. Hollywood has done much to further the myth. Sharks can down helicopters and evil snakes will track a family half way around the world. The truth of course is that sea snakes are poisonous for defense. Usually they ignore swimmers and divers, concentrating on looking into holes for small fish and invertebrates and are often found in the shallows of dives like the Verde Island Drop Off. The drop off is now a designated reserve and there is an entrance fee of P200 per diver which is used to protect the area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (12-30m)
/ Air / Nitrox However, good buoyancy control is required to protect the corals. More experienced divers often chose to pull themselves forward with their hands rather than risk kicking the reef with their fins. This is more than acceptable if care is taken not to hold the living coral, just the dead coral or rock.
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