Macro Heaven - Anilao, Philippine
- Departure Date: March 4th, 2010 (Thu)
- Return Date: March 7th, 2010 (Sun)
The small world is always there, you just need to look, join us in Macro diving - Anilao of Philippines to spend a Big-Small adventure diving weekend!
Just a two-and-a-half hour drive south of Manila, Anilao, is regarded as the birthplace of diving in the Philippines. There is something for everyone here - from snorkeling, to sites for both novices and the experienced diver.
In the mid-1960's, a whole coral reef was transplanted onto a large rock formation close to the shore. Contrary to popular belief at the time that the adventure would fail, the coral has flourished. As a result, diving has developed and is at the forefront of the industry in the Philippines to this day.
Visibility is good and the opportunities for photography are excellent. Unfortunately, as the area has developed, so some of the more negative aspects of this have become evident. In particular, dynamiting, collection of corals and shells and over fishing are just some of the challenges that Anilao and Batangas must face. Luckily, these are being addressed. Most of the best dives are actually found around the islands of Sombrero and Maricaban, a short boat trip away from Anilao.
A short drive north of Anilao is the quiet town of Nasugbu where good diving is abundant, so get out your magnifying glasses and your cameras and be prepared to swim with your head down.
Dive Site Introduction
* Move mouse point on the dive flag to display the dive site name and click on the site name for details.
Logpo Island (9-43m / 30-140ft) (Current: moderate)
This popular site has plenty of red and yellow gorgonian sea fans. There is a drop off consisting of slanted rocks and a gentle sloping sandy bottom reaching to 30m/100ft. Divers can look for the long nose hawk fish, tasseled scorpion fish, moray eels and other reef fish. The multi colored gorgonians and the interesting rock formation are the main attractions along with colorful reef fish.
Cathedral Rock (9-43m / 30-140ft) (Current: moderate)
This is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably one of the most popular sites in Mabini. There is a miniature underwater castle structure and a famous cross! hence the name "Cathedral". This concrete cross was installed by former Philippines president Fidel V. Ramos, when he was then a Constabulary chief. Here you can find in the shallow area a plethora of colorful hard and soft corals along the gentle slope and sandy bottom. There are two rock pinnacles nearby the cross at 18m/60ft, and is covered with soft corals, huge gorgonian sea fans and a variety of reef fish. Divers can find octopus, pygmy seahorses, green sea turtles, giant frog fish and marble sting rays. Gray Bamboo sharks may be encountered closer to 30 meters for divers who have deep diving experience. Excelent place for a night dive.
Eagle Point (8-30m / 25-100ft) (Current: slight)
This is an easy dive site similar to Cathedral. There is a gentle sandy slope covered with colorful hard and soft corals from 8m/25ft to 18m/60ft. Divers can enjoy a plethora of reef fish, large barrel sponges, nudibranches and colorful crinoids (feather stars). This site is also home to the protected giant clams (tridacna maxima). Great for night dives.
Koala (9-30m / 30-100ft) (Current: moderate)
This is an easy dive site suitable for novice divers and the enthusiastic photographer. This site is often visited by green turtles, white tip reef sharks and a shoal of yellow tail Barracuda and a variety of groupers, black sail fin goby, anemones, flamboyant cuttlefish and pygmy seahorse. Great for night dives. Look for huge decorator crabs and pleurobrancus during the night dives.
Arthur's Rock (5-22m / 15-71ft) (Current: moderate)
This site is similar to Koala. It has a gentle slope with interesting boulder formations where a variety of groupers and snappers can be found. On the shallow slope divers can see plenty of soft corals, barrel sponges, colorful whip corals and gorgonians sea fans.
Deal Palm (3-21m / 11-70ft) (Current: moderate)
This site is a macro heaven for photographers. A good dive guide will be able to find pygmy seahorses and pink squat lobsters hiding in the barrel sponges. Slight to moderate current along shore side moving toward Mainit point. Sweet lips and shoals of chevron barracuda can be found on this site. Great for night dives.
Twin Rocks (5-15m / 15-50ft) (Current: moderate)
This site is a gradual slope with algae, hydroids, feather stars, sponges and sometimes with schools of barracuda and squid. The condition is calm with slight-moderate current.
Mainit Point (5-37m / 15-120ft) (Current: very strong)
Mainit means "Hot". Current is usually present due to its proximity to Maricaban Strait. The dive spot has shallow sandy bottom mixed with soft and hard corals and a sudden drop off to a slope of more than 30m/100ft. The drop off is a formation of boulder rocks covered with a variety of soft corals. Plenty of pelagic fish can be seen around this area including great barracudas, surgeon fish, blue fin jacks, rainbow runners and Giant tuna. Below the rocks, divers may encounter patrolling dog tooth tunas, shoals of long fin banner fish and occasionally white tip, black tip and grey reef sharks. There is always something exciting to find at this advance dive site.
Mainit School (5m-20m / 15-65ft) (Current: moderate)
A gradual slope dive site, which is calm with moderate current. The name was derived from the name of the school within the vicinity. It has an abundance of fish but corais are not as colourful as in Mainit Point.
Red Rock (2-15m / 5-50ft) (Current: very slight)
This site is about 25 minutes boat ride from Aqua Reef Club. It is generally an easy site. There is an underwater mound covered with crinolds (feather star), nudibranches, colorful soft corals and plenty of reef fish. The most noticeable landmark is the red wall rocks at the entry area. Another macro heaven as divers can find blue spotted sting rays, snappers and groupers, frog fish, nudibranchs, whip coral goby and porcelain crabs.
Caban Cove (5-18m / 15-60ft) (Current: very slight)
This site is about 30 minites by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait. Similar to Basura, it is ideal for novice divers and macro photographers. Divers can find zebra gobys, yellow goby shrimp, devil fish and more. The dive here can often be done by beach entry for training and entry from boat for fun divers which move toward the Bahay Kambing area.
Kirby's Rock (5-30m / 15-101ft) (Current: strong)
This is a popular dive site nearby Caban Cove is about 30 minutes by boat from Aqua reef Club. Visibility ranges from 10m-20m/33ft-66ft. Current is slight to moderate moving west ward most of the time. Divers generally start on the slope of the wall and follow down towards a big boulder where divers can find colorful gorgonian sea fans and plenty of nudibranchs and long nose hawk fish. Beneath the outcrops, there are a lot of yellow lined and harlequin sweep lips. This area is frequented by painted and clown frog fish, pygmy seahorses, twin spotted lion fish, sea snakea, octopus, small shoals of trevally and its resident purple fire and blue lined chart goby. Also ideal for snorkellers.
Bahura (6-40m / 20-130ft) (Current: very strong)
This is a favourite dive site for more experienced divers and is approximately 30 minutes boat ride from Aqua Reef Club. Visibility range from 10-30m/33-100ft and there can be strong currents present. Bahura is a shallow reef in mid ocean about 5m/16ft shallow. Divers can be sure to encounter some amazing pelagic fish including grey reef sharks, eagle rays, devil rays, shoals of barracuda, trevally and manta rays. It is recommended for the group to exit at the same time and with the use of an SMB (Surface Marker Bouy) upon surfacing due to boat traffic.
Layag-Layag (5-10m / 15-30ft) (Current: moderate)
Approximately 30 minutes by boat from Aqua Reef Club. Divers may experience some currents in this area. The visibility ranges from 10-15m/33-50ft. This site has a long shallow area of scattered big boulders covered with thick formations of branching hard corals. It has a shallow sandy drop off covered by natually crushed corals with makes it a great nesting place for red toothed trigger fish. The shallow area is fantastic for discovering a variety of reef fish, an occasional sea snake, green sea turtles, squids and octopus. This site is great for snorkeling.
Daryl's Laut (5-26m / 15-85ft) (Current: very slight)
This is a mirror wreck (part of the parking of a casino hotel) with lots of macro marine life. It is of interest to many underwater photographers. Divers can find mandarin fish and crab eye gobies. Along the hollowed out frame structure, divers can encounter shoals of bat fish, catfish, groupers, juvenile sweep lips, frog figh, leaf fish and a variety of nudibranchs and colorful anthias.
Belehem (5-18m / 15-60ft) (Current: slight)
Approximately 40 minutes by boat from Aqua Reef Club. There can be slight to moderate current with visibility ranging from 10-15m/30-45ft. This site has a sloped sandy bottom with a mix of scattered big and small rocks and covered with a variety of hard corals and barrel sponges. The site is ideal for macro underwater photography as divers can find some unique and rare kinds of nudibranchs.
New Bahura (23-34m / 75-112ft) (Current: very strong)
This site has a calm surface but with a very strong current. It has three coral mounds with lots of fishes, tuna, jack, sea turtle and shark.
Beatrice (5-11m / 15-35ft) (Current: strong)
This gradual and steep slope site has a calm condition with strong current. It was the wife of DBP who discovered this site located from the north of Sombrero and only 15min away from Sombrero Island. There are abundant of black and corals, sea stars, anemones and a lot more.
Sombrero (5-11m / 15-35ft) (Current: strong)
This site is about 30 minutes by banca across the Maricaban Strait to the northern end of Maricaban Island. "Sombrero's" hat shaped island is a great site for large fish encounters. It is densely populated with marine fauna, lots of nudibranchs where sometimes they are actually mating or fighting; lots of small caverns along the drop off are inhabited by thousands of red toothed trigger fish, groupers, lion fish and lots of colorful anthias that turns the water red occasionally. In mid water beside the drop off, divers can encounter rainbow runners, surgeon fish, fusiliers and starry eyes puffer fish.
Sepok Wall (5-11m / 15-36ft) (Current: moderate)
This site is about 35 minutes by banca boat from Aqua Reed Club. This site is known for its scenic wall dive. The wall itself is mainly covered with a variety of multi colored soft coral. In the shallow sandy bottom area, divers can find painted frog fish and leaf fish, twin spotted lion fish, scorpion fish and anemone fish and a multitude of reef fish.
Mapating Rock (5-43m / 16-140ft) (Current: strong)
This submerged rock is surrounded by a shallow area at 12m (40ft), which ends in a series of drop-offs down to 40m (130ft). The area is large, and the currents can be really strong. This dive site is for experienced divers only. The marine life is plentiful and varied. Pelagic marine life like white tip and grey reef sharks can be seen.
Batalan Rock (6-30m / 20-100ft) (Current: moderate)
About 40 minutes by banca boat from Aqua Reef Club. Main attraction is the long vertical wall of solid big rock that lies beneath the water just a little bit smaller than Sepoc wall. The top portion partly submerged in water and extend to depth of about 18m/60ft. Ideal for wall diving, current diving and underwater photography (while hovering) when there's little or no current with multi color gracefully soft coral, while the rest of the bottom are hard corals, in the deeper sandy bottom area where you can find some small frog and leaf fish in between small formations of hard branching corals.
Devil's Point (5-11m / 15-35ft) (Current: moderate)
About 45 minutes by banca boat from Aqua Reef Club. This site is situated in the southwest point of Maricaban Island. The visibility can range from 10-18m/30-60ft. There is a colorful coral slope, it has two pinnacle rocks coated with an abundance of soft corals, elephant ear, gorgonian sea fans, tree coral and leather coral and many more. In the deeper area sweet lips, blue fin jacks and dog tooth tuna can be seen.
Aphol's Point (6-30m / 20-100ft) (Current: moderate)
Appoximately 50 minutes boat ride from the resort. The dive site is a slope with a slight drop off with two big boulders of big rocks like Cathedrals where some of big groupers, bat fish and snappers reside in between of these rocks. On the shallow area you will see a wide variety of soft corals, sponges, lots of whip corals and some small gorgonians. Sharks can be seen occasionally on shallow lower caves down the slope at about 20 to 25 meters. Lots of rare nudibranchs and ribbon eels can be spotted on this dive site.
Gamao (6-30m / 20-100ft)
This slope and drop-site has a calm condition with moderate current. There are abundant corals and fishes.
Bonito (Culebra Island) (5-30m / 15-100ft) (Current: moderate)
Slight to moderate current, visibility is about 10m/33ft. The way to dive here can be one way or return to the boat depending on the current. Bonito has a long slope sandy bottom with a mix of scattered big and small rocks with crushed corals, such as big basket corals and soft sponges. The site is ideal for underwater photography and for beginner divers. it offers wide range of clown fish, dart fish and reef fish.
Malajibongmanoc Island (5-30m / 15-100ft) (Current: moderate to strong)
Shallow ledges, at about 15-25ft surround these two Marine Sanctuary's. This site is calm with strong currents and has patches of coral heads, sea stars, sea urchins, sting rays and moray eels on a sandy slope. Currents can be rough and ferocious but you can find sheltered and quiet patches. This is also good for fish feeding since there is an area for that. Between these two islands, there is an underwater hotspring. This is also good for macro photography.
Schedule and Program
- Day 1 (March 4th, Thu) Departure
Meet together and check in at Pudong airport around 22:00 in the late evening. - Day 2 (March 5th, Fri) Get to Anilao / 2 boat dives and unlimited shore diving
Arrive at Manila in the early morning and transport to Anilao and check in at local dive resort.
2 boat dive in the morning and unlimited shore diving (or another 2 optional boat dives) in the afternoon。
Stay overnight at Aqua Venture dive resort. - Day 3 (March 6th, Sat) 2 boat dives and unlimited shore diving
2 boat dive in the morning and another 2 optional boat dives in the afternoon / unlimited shore diving in the afternoon..
Stay overnight at Aqua Venture dive resort. - Day 4 (March 7th, Sun) Dry day and Back to Shanghai
NO DIVE today, free leisure in the morning.
Check out after lunch, transport to Manila International Airport.
Take the flight and get back to Shanghai around 11:45pm.
* Any dive site is available but dependant on weather conditions.
* OW students will take 2 shore training dives in the morning and 2 boat fun dives in the afternoon.
Hotel Information
Aqua Venture dive resort provides clean confortable A/C rooms come with hot and cold water.
Cost
Dive trip for Anilao
- Diver: 2,560 RMB / Per Person
- Non-diver: 1,870 RMB / Per Person
Optional Extras:
- Return Flight ticket from Shanghai to Manila: 1,900 RMB / Per Person (this is current price - final price please check 'Cebu Pacific Airline')
- Full Open Water Course: 2,970 RMB / Per Person (for this trip only)
- Advanced Open Water Course: 2,000 RMB / Per Person (for this trip only)
- PADI Nitrox Diver Course: 1,700 RMB / Per Person (for this trip only)
- Full set equipment rental: 1,200 PHP / Day
- Nitrox Fills: 350 PHP / Per tank
- Extra day dives: US$ 25 / Per Dive (Minimum of 3 persons per boat)
- Night dive: US$ 30 / Per Dive (Minimum of 3 persons per boat)
- DAN Insurance - 1YR membership 195AUD (CC) or 1,000RMB (cash)
- Equipment Rental Charge Full rental for PER Day: US$ 25
- Regulator + BCD: US$ 14
- Wet suit: US$ 6.5
- Under Water Light: US$ 2.5(Doesn't include Battery)
- Mask + Snorkel + Fins: US$ 4
Cost Included
- Travel Insurance
- Transfer between the airport, hotel and dive site
- Twin shared A/C room in Dive Resort
- All Buffet meals, water, coffee and tea
- 2 boat dives (1 out 2 dives) a day (4 dives altogether, optional extra dives available)
- Unlimited shore diving
- Tanks, Weight and divemaster services
- Dive pass (Conservation Fee)
- Entrance Fee (Government Tax)
Cost Excluded
- Flight Ticket
- Dive Equipment
- Extra Boat Dives
- Night Dive
- Nitrox Fills
- Soft drink and beer
- Departure TAX 750 Peso
- Anything not listed in the costs included
Leader and Instructors available
- Leigh Chan - PADI Instructor (#255357)
Requirements
- Non-divers
- Proof of certification
- Big Blue students who have finished theory and confined water course.
Seat Limitation
We have 10 seats for this trip, sign up today!
Remarks & General information
- LIST OF COUNTRIES ALLOWED VISA-FREE ENTRY
http://www.philcongenshanghai.org/visa-free.htm - We can help to apply for a Philippine Visa (if needed - please inform us at booking).
- The passport must be valid for more than 6 months.
- You'll need your Passport and Dive certification
- The water temperature is around 26 - 28c, 3mm shorty or full wet suit, thin Wetsuit or rash vest is suggested.
- Dive sites could change due to weather conditions.
- NO SPEAR FISHING.
- You will be responsible to follow Safe Diving Practices and diving within your limits.
- Indicate that you should wait a minimum of 18 hours and sometimes up to 24 hours after diving before you fly.
- Philippine Peso and USD is acceptable in Anilao,
the rate for USD is 1 USD for 45-47 Philippine Pesos. - Please keep 750 Philippine pesos for the last day for the airport tax.
- The power supply in the Philippine is 220 volt / 60 Hz, the power adapter is twin flat pins plug.
( http://big-blue.cn/en/faq_details.php?faq_id=2008040919254834 ) - Please note we need a Minimum 6 guests for departure.
Reservation & cancellation
Please email or call before February 18th, 2010 to check availability.
50% deposit is necessary to secure your seat, the remaining balance must be paid 15 days before departure.
For cancellations less than 30 days before the trip we are not able to give refunds.
If you need a reservation or have any question, please contact us by sending email to info@big-blue.cn or
call 86-21-6291 2110.
Big Blue is looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you very much.