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Uncover the best dive sites in Puerto Galera and Verde Island, exploring the stunning marine diversity of the Verde Island Passage.
Welcome to the finest dive sites in Puerto Galera and beyond! If you’re a passionate scuba diver on the hunt for an extraordinary underwater adventure, your search concludes here. Nestled along the remarkable Verde Island Passage, often referred to as the ‘Amazon of the sea‘ due to its distinctive marine diversity, North Mindoro serves as a gateway to a realm brimming with awe-inspiring dive experiences.
Whether you’re exploring the well-established and popular dive sites around Puerto Galera and Verde Island, or you’re daring to venture off the well-trodden path to discover Mindoro’s newest dive location, the islands of Calapan, you’re in for an unforgettable expedition.
From immersing yourself in mesmerising coral gardens bustling with vibrant marine life to encountering majestic creatures in their natural habitats, the array of experiences here is genuinely unparalleled.
A Conservation Contributor is a resort or dive shop in North Mindoro that has chosen to show a genuine commitment to Marine Protected Areas by assisting with the funding of Blue Alliance Philippines through their business model — Simply by choosing these resorts, you can leverage your stay to make a direct contribute to conservation.
Our comprehensive guide provides invaluable insights into the finest dive sites this destination has to offer. Whether you crave thrilling drift dives, fascinating wreck explorations, encounters with captivating macro wonders, or adventuring to new and exciting dive locations, our curated selection of dive sites guarantees an unforgettable journey into the depths. Get ready to dive into a world of adventure and witness firsthand the awe-inspiring marine biodiversity that makes this region a true diver’s paradise.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Exciting dive experience, drift or relaxed exploration. Dive starts shallow at mouth of channel and drifts towards open ocean, max depth 15m/50ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Abundant unique sponge and coral formations creating surreal lunar landscape. Hidden marine life in rock formations covered with green tree corals and table corals. Unusual critters like pipefish, nudibranchs, and frogfish. Diverse array of small reef fish. Anemonefish, yellowtail and cleaner wrasses, triggerfish, parrotfish, snappers, sweetlips, fusiliers, crocodile fish, blue-ribbon eels, stonefish, and scorpionfish. Hidden critters among coral and rocks. Excellent site for underwater photography.
🪸 🌊 Features: Plethora of unique sponge and coral formations creating surreal lunar landscape. Rock formations resemble giant mushrooms. Coral and sponge formations, including pink barrel sponges, add to visual spectacle. Suitable for divers of all experience levels. Ideal for novice divers due to shallow depth. Exciting dive with hidden marine life and visual appeal.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Suitable for all levels of divers, offering a multi-level experience. Sloping reef transitions into a small wall at around 20m/65ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Fascinating marine life and unique encounters. A hotspot for macro photography enthusiasts. Discover ribbon eels, blue spotted stingrays, frogfish, thorny seahorses, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, emperor fish, pipefish, orangutan crabs, and more. Encounter pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, and possibly passing thresher sharks.
🪸 🌊 Features: Diverse underwater world with a sloping reef and small wall. Abundant underwater flora including whip coral, sea fans, and pufferfish. Rich biodiversity and captivating marine species. Ideal for divers seeking macro wonders and unique marine encounters.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Captivating underwater garden for beginners, photographers, and snorkelers. Large coral heads on sandy bottom, extending from beach down to 10m/33ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Vibrant soft corals among coral heads attracting reef fish like anthias, parrotfish, sergeant majors, damselfish, butterflyfish, and angel fish. Hidden marine life in sand and outcroppings including gobies, lizard fish, shrimps, scorpionfish, juvenile lionfish, and occasional groupers. Drift diving opportunity with current carrying divers along reef, revealing feather stars, moray eels, turtles, fusiliers, and more. Enchanting night dives showcasing tubeworms.
🪸 🌊 Features: Scattered large coral heads on sandy bottom, providing backdrop for diverse marine life. Impressive variety of corals including brain corals, giant plate corals, basket sponges, and soft corals. Must-visit for picturesque coral formations and easy yet exhilarating underwater adventure.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive involves a free descent to a depth of 24m/78ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The Dry Dock dive site features a large steel and plywood construction that serves as an artificial reef. It is covered in vibrant coral and colorful sea fans, providing a habitat for various marine life. Divers can encounter larger reef fish such as sweetlips, batfish, surgeonfish, groupers, and snappers. Lionfish, pufferfish, and porcupine fish can be observed among the pylons. The legs of the former dock are home to various species of nudibranchs and flatworms. Adjacent to a small coral reef ridge, divers may also encounter octopuses, pygmy seahorses, and colonies of anemone fish.
🪸 🌊 Features: The Dry Dock dive site is a large steel and plywood construction that was intentionally sunk to create an artificial reef in 1998. Resembling a big table, the structure is now completely covered in vibrant coral and sea fans. The site offers a diverse underwater environment with various marine species making it their home. Divers should choose a time with minimal current for a smooth descent. The site is recommended for advanced divers, especially those using nitrox, and is not suitable for beginners due to occasional strong currents.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Depth ranges from 10m/33ft to 30m/100ft. Wall starts at 12m/40ft, extending down to 25m/82ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Magnificent multilevel drift dive in Puerto Galera. Abundant cracks and crevices on the wall provide hiding spots. Wreckage of an old sailing catamaran at the bottom, habitat for various fish species. Diverse marine life including corals, sponges, sea fans, unicorn fish, surgeonfish, jacks, fusiliers, lionfish, cuttlefish, and small reef fish. Occasional pygmy seahorse sightings. Nudibranchs, flatworms, moray eels, frogfish, barracuda during colder months. Ringed pipefish, pufferfish, juvenile fish at catamaran wreckage. Carpet anemones hosting anemone fish and porcelain crabs during ascent.
🪸 🌊 Features: Exhilarating multilevel drift dive with a range of depths. Wall with cracks and crevices for sea creatures. Vibrant marine life including various corals, sponges, and fish species. Wreckage of a sailing catamaran as a habitat. Diverse underwater landscape ideal for exploration and observation.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Two small caves at 21m/70ft and 27m/90ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Captivating dive site with small caves attracting marine life. Abundant fish life including surgeonfish, unicorn fish, fusiliers, and snappers. Sea fans and smaller groupers around the caves. Sightings of Hawksbill turtles, mantis shrimps, Christmas tree worms, trevallies, and mackerels.
🪸 🌊 Features: Caves are not penetrable but offer vibrant habitat for marine creatures. Reef surrounding the caves features small pinnacles, formations, and gorgonian fans. Recommended for advanced divers due to strong currents. Excellent visibility of about 25m/82ft. Biodiverse diving experience with a variety of marine life.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Average depth of 51m/170ft, maximum depth of 70m/230ft. Gradual reef descent to 70m/230ft with sandy bottom.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Captivating dive site with fish life at all depths. Cave at 51m/170ft showcasing Ribbon Sweetlips, Surgeonfish, and various grouper species. Sightings of Blue Spotted Stingrays, White Tip Reef Sharks in the cave or on the sandy spot at 54m/180ft.
🪸 🌊 Features: Main highlights include a cave, Ribbon Sweetlips, Surgeonfish, and grouper species. Drift to Monkey Wreck westward or gradual reef petering out eastward. Similar depth and reef profile to Monkey Beach. Conveniently located five minutes from dive shop. Suitable for Advanced Nitrox Divers, recommended for TDI Trimix or equivalent certifications.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site offers a depth range of 30-60m/120-200ft. Main diving areas include depths around 48m/160ft and the slightly deeper Horsehead Reef at approximately 54m/180ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Fishbowl provides encounters with large marine life such as sharks, turtles, Eagle or Manta Rays, and groupers. Marine life includes sweetlips, rainbow runners, whitetip reef sharks, tunas, and jacks.
🪸 🌊 Features: Fishbowl and Horsehead Reef are interconnected and feature boulders, crevices, canyons, and deep walls. The underwater landscape consists of whip corals, soft corals, rocky coral formations, black whip corals, and sea fans. The descent involves a blue water entry to reach the reef top adorned with whip corals and soft tree corals. The reef then drops off to a sandy bottom in deep water, and canyons with rocky coral formations, gorgonians, and black whip corals embellish the sandy bottom. Strong currents can present challenges, and diving during neap tides is recommended for optimal conditions.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Depth of 18m/60ft. Average depth of 10m/33ft suitable for beginners. Giant Clams situated in approximately 5m/16ft of water.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Renowned dive site with main attraction being majestic Giant Clams. Seahorses, mimic octopuses, and other unusual marine species. Hidden treasures include reef octopuses and diverse array of creatures in muck area. Night dive reveals hunting behavior of Mimic Octopus and Wonderpus.
🪸 🌊 Features: Fascinating underwater world with marvellous coral formations. Nearby reef sloping down to sandy area. Impressive 2-meter-high basket sponges. Muck area characterized by sandy grassy bottom. Extraordinary underwater adventure with captivating encounters. Suitable for beginners and muck diving enthusiasts.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Maximum depth of 18m/60ft, descending through stepped drop-offs, reaching a short tunnel at 12m/40ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Schooling fish such as drummers, sweetlips, trevallies, and snappers found in the tunnel where currents meet. Lionfish, scorpionfish, and stinging hydroids within the hole’s walls. Various fish species attracted to colorful soft corals on the top of the wall. Morays and puffers hiding in soft corals, sponges, green tree corals, and fans on the other side.
🪸 🌊 Features: Dive site located on Escarceo Point in Puerto Galera. Well-lit waters covered with beautiful hard and soft corals. Stepped drop-offs leading to a short tunnel. Second wall with diverse marine life. Lunar-like landscape with whip corals in the flat area after the drop-off. Strong currents create an exhilarating drift dive experience. Abundance of big fish attracted to the currents, creating a captivating spectacle. Suitable for divers of all levels, but caution needed during strong currents.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The reef has a depth of 33m/115ft, with a deep wall at the end descending to 55m/180ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Horse Head Reef is a bustling schooling site during flood tide. It features humpback snappers, sweetlips, spiralling schools of jacks, and occasional rays and tunas. Larger fish species such as manta rays, barracudas, thresher sharks, and hammerheads may also be encountered.
🪸 🌊 Features: The reef’s unique topography resembles the head of a horse. Notable features include rock formations resembling a horse’s head, along with impressive soft tree corals, large whip corals, and expansive gorgonian sea fans. The deep wall at the end of the reef and its rocky formations make it a captivating underwater destination. The site is recommended for advanced divers due to its depth and strong currents. It’s best explored during a weak flooding current.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The wreck lies at a depth of 42m/140ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The site hosts two resident moray eels and over 30 sweetlips, creating a lively underwater environment. The wreck’s location has attracted a diverse array of marine life over the years.
🪸 🌊 Features: The Japanese Wreck is a Philippine fishing boat that fell under Japanese control during World War II. It now rests on a flat sandy seabed, with only the engine block and propeller shaft remaining, offering an intriguing glimpse into its history. The origins of the wreck are believed to be that of a wooden coastal vessel attacked and sunk by the Japanese, leaving behind metal remnants. Exploring the site may reveal encrusted gauges and ammunition. Divers using nitrox can extend the dive by swimming towards the nearby Boulders. With its unique features and abundant marine species, the Japanese Wreck is suitable for divers of all certification levels, providing an engrossing underwater experience.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Two options: Shallow depths between 12m/40ft and 25m/80ft, or deep drift dive reaching up to 30m/100ft. Suitable for experienced divers due to challenging currents.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Thrilling underwater adventure with enchanting coral life, including sea fans, sponges, and whip corals. Diverse fish species like jacks, pufferfish, barracudas, butterflyfish, and more. High-speed drift dive direction with sightings of siphon sponges, gorgonians, giant tuna, Spanish mackerel, and rainbow runners. Possible encounters with reef sharks, snappers, and sweetlips.
🪸 🌊 Features: Dive site designed for experienced divers seeking high-octane adventures. Nutrient-rich currents and fascinating topography. Adrenaline-fueled dive with strong currents in a south-north direction. Dive master or guide required for navigation. Variability in current strength based on moon phase during tide fall. Electrifying and unforgettable diving experience for thrill-seeking divers.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Exceptional multi-level dive site with series of reefs, walls, and varying contours. Steps-like formations start from 8m/26ft and descend to 25m/80ft. Thresher Sharks present during colder months at shallow depths of around 18m/60ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Stunning coral formations and diverse fish species including red-toothed triggers, anthias, palette surgeonfish, banded sea snakes, and octopus. Impressive marine life such as octopi, cuttlefish, moray eels, and pygmy seahorses. Vibrant schools of fish, moray eels, frogfish, turtles, and emperor fish commonly spotted.
🪸 🌊 Features: Topography features steps-like formations and various ledges. Presence of Thresher Sharks during colder months. Rich biodiversity with stunning corals and diverse fish. Suitable for divers of all levels. Unique underwater encounters and abundant marine life
🤿 🫧 Depths: Dive begins with a gentle slope, extending to a gravel area at deeper depths. Wall and bay of Big La Laguna with maximum depth of 18m/60ft. Coral-covered hills at 15m/50ft to 20m/65ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Captivating dive site with diverse marine life. Anemone fish, scorpionfish, longfin bannerfish, sweetlips, cardinal fish, lionfish, nudibranchs, moray eels, and blue-ribbon eels. Frogfish, octopus, schools of snappers, and sea fans around coral-covered hills.
🪸 🌊 Features: Beautiful terrain with coral knolls, rocks, and bommies. Fascinating gravel area at deeper depths. Wall with cracks and crevices teeming with marine life. Two large coral-covered hills with sandy channel between them. Drift diving with weak current ideal for enjoying the underwater landscape. Enchanting dive site suitable for exploration.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site consists of a pair of parallel walls or ridges. One wall ranges from 30m/100ft to 39m/130ft, while the other extends to a maximum depth of 44m/145ft. The site has a flat terrain that drops off to around 50m/170ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Mahmouds Reef offers an active fish life and excellent coral cover. Marine life includes sweetlips, triggerfish, surgeonfish, and moray eels. There are also three encrusted mystery anchors along the deep wall, remnants of wooden vessels or lost by boats in distress.
🪸 🌊 Features: The site features a rocky canyon descending from 35m/115ft to 44m/145ft. There are caves, overhangs with basket sponges, fan corals, and a variety of gorgonian fans. Mahmouds Reef is exposed to currents and drift decompressions are required. The site is suitable for novice divers during slack water, and scooter dives are recommended to explore the extensive area. Diving during slack high tide is ideal, and having a knowledgeable dive guide is important for locating the site. It is recommended for divers with a minimum certification of TDI Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures or equivalent.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Diverse dive site beginning in shallow waters of 1m/3ft. Walls covered in sponges and corals encountered as dive progresses. Channel provides thrilling drift diving experience.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Abundance of stony hard coral and schools of small fish like anthias, butterflyfish, and sergeant majors. Mantis shrimps, eels, crabs, lionfish, and scorpionfish commonly found. Cuttlefish including flamboyant variety, and other marine life like nudibranchs and giant frogfish. Thrilling drift diving allowing observation of remarkable sea life.
🪸 🌊 Features: Picturesque backdrop of two walls covered in sponges and various corals. Walls adorned with purple gorgonian sea fans and green tree corals. Sandy bottom hosts fire urchins and mushroom corals. Fascinating marine life, stunning corals, and drift diving opportunity. Suitable for divers of all levels.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site features a gentle slope starting at 40m/130ft and descending to approximately 60m/196ft. The cave entrance is positioned at the western tip of the wall, accessible at a depth of 55m/180ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Inside the cave, a large gorgonian sea fan hangs from the ceiling, surrounded by vibrant soft tree corals illuminated by underwater light. Outside the cave entrance, swarms of smaller fish species and occasional reef sharks can be observed.
🪸 🌊 Features: The dive begins with a blue water descent to the top of the wall at 40m/130ft, adorned with whip corals and sea fans. From there, divers descend the wall’s face until reaching a sandy bottom at 55m/180ft. The cave itself is as spacious as a three-car garage, providing ample room for exploration. Nitrox diving and cave training are necessary for safe exploration, and proper certifications are essential to fully experience the wonders of Marcus Cave.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Coral slope descending to 20m/70ft, with a small wreck at 18m/60ft. Suitable for divers of all levels, including novices.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Small coral heads with crinoids and Nudibranchs. Variety of small reef fish. Frogfish, particularly the black variety, around the wreck. Shy jawfish in sandy areas. Mantis shrimp and other marine life like moray eels, turtles, and fusiliers. Vibrant tubeworms in night dives.
🪸 🌊 Features: Stunningly beautiful dive site suitable for all levels. Abundant marine life including crinoids, nudibranchs, and small reef fish. Gentle coral slope ideal for beginners. Opportunity for experienced divers to drift along the reef during ebb tide. Possibility of drifting to Sabang Point. Popular night dive spot. Encounters with critters and macro marine life.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The wreck rests at a depth of 45m/150ft on top of a short wall. Exploration opportunities extend to depths up to 69m/230ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Despite its collapsed state, the wreck is bustling with remarkable fish life, including Sweetlips, Red Snappers, Barramundi Cod, and Batfish. Inside the wreck, divers can observe various species. Stingrays, groupers, and Reef sharks can be found in the surrounding steps and walls. Emperor angelfish, blue triggerfish, barramundi cod, and other marine life like Rays inhabit the site.
🪸 🌊 Features: Monkey Wreck is an exciting dive site featuring the remains of an overturned boat resting on top of a short wall. The wreck provides close-up encounters for divers with flashlights to peer through its decaying structure. The surrounding steps and walls offer exploration opportunities at varying depths, with deep-water coral cover and small caves. The site is known for drift diving and is accessible to experienced divers due to its depth and potential for strong currents. The convenience of proximity to shallow water allows for a smooth decompression journey amidst an excellent coral reef, enhancing the diving experience.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Depth of 33m/110ft. Recommended for advanced divers with nitrox.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Impressive 8m/25ft high wall with gorgonian sea fans and black coral trees. Small holes and cracks on the wall host marine creatures like eels and blue triggerfish. Common sightings include stingrays and tuna. Shallow end showcases mesmerizing soft corals. Elusive frogfish inhabit the site. Thorny oysters, triggerfish, and occasional manta rays contribute to the vibrant underwater life.
🪸 🌊 Features: Dive site situated off Manila Channel. Distinctive 8m/25ft high wall with unique gorgonian sea fans and large black coral trees. Wall’s small features accommodate marine creatures. Varied underwater landscape with rich marine diversity. Nitrox diving enhances the exploration of Odies Dingding’s wonders.
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🤿 🫧 Depths: Shallow and sheltered location with a maximum depth of 15m/50ft. Ideal for novice divers and photographers.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Abundance of vibrant pink soft corals on fallen overhang. Enchanting during night dives with Moray Eels, Scorpionfish, Octopus, Sea Snakes, and Nudibranchs. Large cauliflower corals contribute to the underwater landscape.
🪸 🌊 Features: Unique fallen overhang adorned with pink soft corals. Fantastic colours of the wall create an alluring backdrop. Popular choice despite occasional rough surface conditions. Captivating dive site with vibrant marine life and visual appeal.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Depth ranges from 12m/40ft to sea grass at 4m/16ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Diver’s paradise known for marine life and diverse landscapes. Abundant critters including dragons, flounders, stick pipefish, ghost pipefish, snake eels, and stargazers. Sandy areas with sea pens revealing skeleton shrimp, demon stingers, and juvenile frogfish. Pufferfish, surgeonfish, nudibranchs, mantis shrimps, and small reef fish. Turtles, parrotfish, blackfish, and fusiliers.
🪸 🌊 Features: Rich marine diversity with various critters. Sandy areas, sea pens, coral boulders, small walls, colorful coral, and barrel sponges. Undulating fields of pink coral towards west. Convenient for checkout dives, courses, and discover scuba programs due to proximity to dive shops. Shore entry, gradual descent near floating bar. Astounding coral growth, variety of corals, and vibrant ecosystem. Captivating diving experience for all levels.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Colorful wall dropping to 24m/80ft. Ridge rising to 5m/15ft with crinoids and corals. Reef extends from shallow depths to 25m/80ft, with a small wall at 20m/65ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Pristine hard and soft corals. Abundance of fish. Large cuttlefish and octopus. Turtles frequently sighted. Pygmy seahorses on fan corals, blue-ribbon eels in sandy patches. Sightings of blue-spotted stingrays.
🪸 🌊 Features: Vibrant dive experience with colorful wall and diverse marine life. Pristine hard corals, soft corals, and crinoids. Ridge with corals at shallower depths. Wall leading to sandy bottom. Big purple sea fans, whip corals, and reef fish in deeper areas. Enchanting underwater landscape with captivating coral formations. Deeper sections feature purple sea fans, whip corals, and diverse reef fish.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Average Depth of 48m/160ft with a maximum depth of 60m/200ft plus
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The reef’s diverse marine life includes Ribbon Sweetlips, Barramundi Cod, Emperor Angel Fish, Clown Triggerfish, and a remarkable Honeycomb Moray measuring approximately 3m/10ft. Blue Spotted Stingrays can also be observed on the sandy reef top.
🪸 🌊 Features: Sabang Reef is a captivating dive site located on a ridge line that extends in both east and west directions. It features a deep-water coral garden with stunning formations of Gorgonian Fans, whip corals, and giant barrel sponges. The short wall of the reef has impressive pinnacles, and exploring the nooks and crannies reveals fascinating encounters with marine life. The site provides a mesmerizing dive experience and is accessible even in less favorable sea conditions. Divers with a minimum certification of TDI Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures or equivalent can fully appreciate the wonders of this underwater wonderland.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Famous Puerto Galera dive site with wrecks at maximum depths of 21m/69ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Haven for photographers and macro enthusiasts. Three wrecks with diverse marine life. Friendly batfish and large surgeonfish inhabit wrecks. Frogfish species like Giant, Painted, and Warty Frogfish. Caution needed for Scorpion and Stonefish. Orangutan crabs, ghost pipefish, and vibrant night dive spectacle with crustaceans and macro creatures. Spanish Dancers and Blue Ring Octopuses possible sightings.
🪸 🌊 Features: Consists of two wooden skeletons and a steel hull yacht. Teeming wrecks with abundant marine creatures. Captivating photo opportunities. Must-visit for underwater adventure.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Dive depths range from shallow 3 meters to a gradual descent to 15m/50ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: San Antonio Bay is a haven for macro underwater photography enthusiasts, offering a diverse array of marine life. Species include Hairy Frogfish, Sheep Nudibranch, Ornate Ghost Pipefish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, various Nudibranchs, Coleman Shrimp, Leaf fish, Seahorses, and Green Sea turtles. Night diving opportunities are exceptional, and macro species thrive in the area.
🪸 🌊 Features: Situated in front of Montani Beach, San Antonio Bay features a compact size but hosts a remarkable variety of macro species. The dive site is approximately 200m away from the Giant Clam dive site. The site’s topography includes a gradual descent and a water pipe to explore, revealing sponges, lionfish, moray eels, and Flasher wrasses. Tidal currents and topography can lead to the accumulation of marine trash in the area. Divers should be cautious of varying currents during tidal changes and check conditions before diving for a safe and enjoyable experience.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site ranges from a sandy slope starting at 45m/148ft, descending to a rocky underwater cliff reaching a maximum depth of 64m/210ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Secret Reef is known for its abundant schools of large fish like Batfish, Emperors, Snappers, and Jacks. A dimly lit overhang at 57m/190ft is home to large lionfish. Divers can encounter Barramundi Cod in an intriguing small cave to the east. Shoals of jacks, snappers, and batfish populate the area’s underwater landscape.
🪸 🌊 Features: The site features a sloping sandy bottom adorned with gorgonian sea fans, basket sponges, and black corals. The north face of the reef drops from 50m to 65m. The complex of Markus Cave/Sweetlips/Secret reaches its deepest point here. The underwater world is densely populated with large fish species. The dive is best during slack highwater, and decompression is done while drifting. The site is adjacent to Sweetlips Corner to the west and an unnamed outcrop with a Barramundi Cod-inhabited cave to the east. Secret Reef offers an impressive range of underwater exploration and encounters.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Wall descends to 40m/130ft, with vertical section from 10m/33ft to 30m/99ft. Additional section with a wall starting at 5m/15ft and descending to around 25m/80ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Renowned dive site for nudibranch enthusiasts, offering rich macro photography opportunities. Abundance of larger fish species, including Yellow Sea Cucumber. Occasional Thresher Shark sightings from December to mid-March. Diverse aquatic life including Moorish Idols, lizard fish, zebra, lionfish, surgeonfish, and more. Resting turtles and macro critters.
🪸 🌊 Features: Impressive dive site known for diverse nudibranch collection. Wall with rich coral display and larger fish species. Multi-level dive setting, vertical section, and slope with rock formations. Soft corals, fans, green tree corals, branching coral, and gorgonian fans. Captivating underwater experience with marine life and coral formations.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The retired live-a-board dive boat is sunk at a depth of 20m/40ft. An adjacent wreck of a speedboat is also available for exploration at the same depth.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The sunken dive boat has become an artificial reef, attracting juvenile snapper, batfish, and other reef fish. The area is adorned with vibrant soft tree corals, colourful feather stars, and sponges. Blue spotted rays glide gracefully over the sandy bottom. Night dives reveal a bustling ecosystem of small shrimp and crabs. The adjacent speedboat wreck offers sightings of giant frogfish amidst a captivating scene of Sergeant-Major fish guarding their eggs from butterfly fish and wrasses.
🪸 🌊 Features: St. Christopher, also known as Anton’s Wreck, is a retired live-a-board dive boat intentionally sunk off the El Galleon Pier. It rests on a slightly sloping sandy bottom, and despite its deterioration, the wreck offers fascinating discoveries both on and around it. The surrounding area is adorned with vibrant soft tree corals, colourful feather stars, and sponges. The dive site is subject to moderate to strong currents during tidal changes, making it advisable to dive at slack tide. The site also includes an adjacent wreck of a speedboat, providing divers with further exploration opportunities and marine encounters.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site features a gentle slope leading to a wall starting at 40m/130ft, descending further to depths between 51m/170ft and 60m/200ft. Two distinct sites, Markus Cave and Sweetlips Corner, are a couple of hundred meters apart.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Markus Cave is accompanied by ledges with deep-water reef fish and occasional White Tip Reef Shark sightings. Sweetlips Corner, to the east, features a dog-leg swim-through at 51m/170ft, where Ribbon Sweetlips, Emperors, Jacks, and Batfish seek shelter. Pelagic species like Dog Tooth Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, and occasional Mantas have been observed. The site also boasts sweetlips, triggerfish, surgeonfish, and large moray eels residing in wall crevices.
🪸 🌊 Features: Sweetlips Corner includes a picturesque cavern (Markus Cave) and a dog-leg swim-through. The site has small caves and overhangs with gorgonian fans along the wall’s face. Long whip corals adorn the sandy bottom at 40m/130ft. The cave offers a tunnel leading back to the reef. Divers should plan for drifting decompression during slack high tide. The site’s allure comes from the presence of schools of sweetlips, tuna, jacks, emperors, and occasional manta rays. A knowledgeable guide is recommended to locate the dive site.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Sits at a depth of 30m/100ft, making it an ideal training site for specialties like nitrox, wreck, and deep diving.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The wreck is adorned with encrusted hard and soft corals, fostering a diverse marine ecosystem. Divers can encounter various marine species including sweetlips, snappers, batfish, jacks, lionfish, boxfish, rabbitfish, and more. Provides opportunities for wide-angle, wreck, and macro photography.
🪸 🌊 Features: A captivating dive site located off the end of the pier. Sunk intentionally in 2003, the steel hull and wooden cargo vessel has transformed into an attractive underwater attraction. Its impressive 60-ton structure and rich biodiversity make it a popular and captivating dive site in Puerto Galera. Offers exploration of the wreck’s interior, swimming alongside its structure, and observing thriving marine life within and around it.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Prominent dive site with large rock formation rising from 20m/65ft to 33m/108ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Array of intriguing features to explore. Overhanging rock with soft corals, fans, sponges, and marine life. Small crevices housing reef sharks and stingrays. Other side inhabited by eels, lionfish, nudibranchs, and octopuses. Occasional large groupers and pelagic fish. Immersive dive experience with vibrant colors and captivating marine creatures.
🪸 🌊 Features: Large rock formation rising from depths. Overhanging rock creating captivating environment. Hidden world on other side. Nitrox recommended. Exciting dive with varied marine life and immersive underwater surroundings.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Average depth of 13m/43ft, maximum depth of 18m/60ft, making it suitable for muck diving and exploration of the seafloor.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Abundance of peculiar marine creatures makes it a prime spot for macro photography. Divers can encounter sheep nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopuses, hairy frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses, dragon nudibranchs, flamboyant cuttlefish, and blue-spotted stingrays.
🪸 🌊 Features: The site features a gradual slope leading to a sandy bottom adorned with sea sponges. Mooring lines tied to wrecks serve as a descent point. Each dive is unique, with different creatures revealing themselves. The dive master’s expertise is crucial for spotting tiny creatures. The Boatyard promises an unforgettable diving adventure for macro enthusiasts and those fascinated by the diverse marine life of the seafloor.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site features large boulders stacked from 5m/15ft to 30m/100ft deep.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The isolated coral formations of The Boulders offer fantastic hiding spots for a diverse range of marine life. Common encounters include seahorses, octopi, cuttlefish, jackfish, mackerels, lionfish, frogfish, and scorpionfish. The site also features stonefish, scorpionfish, snappers, sweetlips, and other impressive fish species amidst vibrant coral reefs. Additionally, the diverse underwater ecosystem includes red-toothed triggers, anthias, pallet surgeonfish, banded sea snakes, and octopuses.
🪸 🌊 Features: The Boulders dive site is named after the collection of isolated coral formations on the sandy and gravel bottom, with large boulders stacked at various depths. These formations create overhangs, tunnels, and swim-throughs that divers can explore. Despite its distance from the centre of Sabang, the dive site offers an enjoyable experience for divers who journey to the other side of the island. The site’s features provide ample opportunities for encountering a wide variety of marine life in a captivating underwater environment.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Average Depth: 13m/42ft Maximum Depth: 20m/65ft
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The Coral Garden / Mangroves dive site offers a great location for open water dive training. Divers can explore a combination of stunning hard coral formations and sandy bottoms. The shallower coral reefs are abundant with marine life, including vibrant blue spotted stingrays and graceful Green Sea turtles. When there’s current, the area becomes lively with mid-sized fish such as Parrotfish, Surgeonfish, schools of Fusiliers, and Wrasse fish. Close to the surface, you may even encounter snorkelers being towed by motorized outrigger boats, adding excitement to the dive.
🪸 🌊 Features: The Coral Garden / Mangroves dive site provides an ideal location for open water dive training. The underwater landscape combines beautiful hard coral formations with sandy bottoms. The site is characterized by a variety of marine species, including blue spotted stingrays and Green Sea turtles, which thrive in the shallower coral reefs. Divers can experience a bustling community of mid-sized fish when currents are present. The presence of snorkelers being towed by motorized outrigger boats adds an extra dimension of excitement to the dive experience.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Situated at a depth of 30m/100ft, with the option to explore canyons for a break from the current.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Abundance of marine life including drummers, snappers, emperors, sweetlips, barracudas, jacks, trevally, and occasional sharks. Mesmerizing schools of trevally, tuna, and barracuda navigating the currents. Shoals of snapper, giant trevallies, sweetlips, barracuda, emperor fish, sea snakes, and various nudibranchs.
🪸 🌊 Features: Signature dive site in Puerto Galera. Three drop-offs covered in soft corals and sponges. Canyons providing shelter from currents and opportunity to observe marine life. Old Spanish anchor after the third canyon serving as a gathering point. Impressive coral formations and diverse marine life. Strong currents require careful ascent monitoring. Recommended for advanced divers, offers wide-angle photography opportunities. A must-visit destination in Puerto Galera.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site is situated between depths of 66m/220ft and 82m/270ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The Deep Atolls host a diverse marine life community typically found at shallower depths, including Ribbon Sweetlips, unidentified snapper schools, Batfish, Barracudas, an ancient grouper, and frequent sightings of pelagic creatures such as Thresher Sharks. The area features large moray eels in fractured rocks, stingrays on sandy slopes, and the possibility of unique and rare marine species.
🪸 🌊 Features: The site comprises intriguing ridges and atolls, offering a captivating and unique dive experience. The landscape evokes a sense of ancient mystery, with shadowy walls and the presence of giant Potato Cod and eels that have witnessed decades. Diving during a flood tide eliminates currents, and decompression takes place in open water. The Deep Atolls are located just ten minutes from the dive shop, requiring certification in TDI Advanced Trimix or equivalent to explore this extraordinary underwater realm.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Maximum depth of 12m/40ft. Suitable for novice divers and photographers.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Vibrant coral heads, sponges, and soft coral on the hill’s top. Exploration reveals seahorses, nudibranchs, and octopuses. Elephant ear corals and diverse sponges attract small reef fish. Habitat of mandarin fish, observed during dusk activities and potential mating rituals. Blue-ringed octopuses, flamboyant cuttlefish, giant cuttlefish, and moray eels can be spotted. Diving at dusk offers encounters with shrimps, crabs, and brittle stars.
🪸 🌊 Features: Captivating dive site with stunning underwater landscapes. Well-protected, calm diving experience with minimal current. Abundance of marine life, coral formations, and sponges. Home to various captivating species like giant clams and larger nudibranchs. Optimal conditions should be confirmed with a dive master due to tide considerations. Suitable for snorkelers and divers in training.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Sloping reef starting at 5m/16ft, transitioning to sandy areas at 25m/80ft. Deeper regions with whip corals and hiding spots for various marine species.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Marine life includes butterflyfish, pipefish, damselfish, sergeant majors, Moorish idols, pufferfish, sea cucumbers, Christmas tree tubeworms. Blue-spotted stingrays in sandy areas. Red tooth triggerfish, scorpionfish, octopuses, pufferfish, and groupers in deeper regions. Schools of big mouth mackerels, juvenile tunas, trevallies, and emperor fish near Escarceo Point.
🪸 🌊 Features: Versatile dive site in Puerto Galera suitable for all levels. Possibility of currents propelling divers to Canyons or Hole in the Wall. Abundant marine life and picturesque features including boulder corals, table corals, and colorful coral formations. Good visibility showcasing vibrant coral variety. Gentle slope with fascinating sights. Nitrox divers can cover West Escarceo and the Canyons. Ideal for both drift dives and photography sessions.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Shallow freighter remains positioned on rocks at the surface. Two hulls of a sunken sailing catamaran at 28m/90ft. Descending further reveals abundant hard and soft corals on a surrounding reef.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Novice divers and photographers can enjoy the diverse experience. Fish species around the freighter and catamaran include lionfish, moray eels, and others. Smaller fish like spectacled hawkfish, neon damselfish, anthias, and blue-green chromis near table corals.
🪸 🌊 Features: Located in West Escarceo area. Freighter remains with exposed ribs visible at low tide. Surroundings feature excellent hard corals, colorful feather stars, and diverse marine life. Wall with abundant hard and soft corals, large clam rooted at one end. Potential for relatively easy diving but strong currents can be encountered, offering exhilarating drift experiences. Serves as jump-off point for drift dives towards Hole in the Wall during peak flood tides.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site features a stunning vertical wall that descends to around 77m/255ft before transitioning into a gradual slope. Depths exceeding 100m/330ft can be found in some areas.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Verde Island Drop Off boasts an abundance of marine life, including a diverse array of fish species typical of current-prone tropical dive sites near deep waters. Marine creatures congregate in shallower waters during flood tides, creating a captivating spectacle. Divers can encounter large pelagic fish such as tuna, snapper, wide mouth mackerel, Chub, and neon-coloured blue streak fusiliers. Anthias, sergeant majors, damsels, banded sea snakes, hawksbill turtles, warty frogfish, and assorted eels are also commonly spotted. Massive sea fans, barrel sponges, and colorful sponge growth add to the underwater landscape.
🪸 🌊 Features: Verde Island Drop Off is an extraordinary dive site near the tip of Verde Island. The most popular spot to explore is a vertical wall transitioning into a slope. Strong currents and an upwelling effect enhance fish life. Pinnacles break the surface on the east side, leading to vertical reefs adorned with Gorgonian fans, sea snakes, frogfish, and schools of pelagic fish. The site offers exceptional visibility and a variety of coral formations, including large plate and staghorn corals. The site’s depth and currents require advanced diver certification and experience for safe exploration. It is regarded as one of the top dives in Puerto Galera and Asia, offering a captivating underwater ecosystem.
🤿 🫧 Depths: The depths of the dive site range from 6m/20ft to 14m/45ft.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Washing Machine Verde Island is a thrilling dive site suitable for experienced divers. The site features a series of seven shallow gullies where a strong current creates a rollercoaster-like experience for divers. During slack tide, the canyons showcase large, healthy rocky coral formations, vibrant basket sponges, sea fans, and colorful siphon sponges. The area is rich in marine life, including tubeworms, sea squirts, and feather stars in various colors. Divers can spot wrasses, parrotfish, eels, and the black and white frogfish. The site truly comes alive when the current is running, attracting schooling fish, pelagic species like tuna, trevallies, and black and whitetip reef sharks. Thousands of anthias and other colorful reef fish create a dynamic spectacle.
🪸 🌊 Features: Washing Machine Verde Island is a dive site characterized by a series of seven shallow gullies with depths ranging from 20 to 45 feet (6 to 14 meters). The strong current in the canyons provides a thrilling experience akin to a rollercoaster ride. Divers should have prior experience in diving with currents and be guided by knowledgeable professionals. The canyons’ beauty is revealed during slack tide, showcasing large rocky coral formations, sea fans, siphon sponges, and marine life. The current intensifies gradually, creating a dynamic and mesmerizing spectacle. The site is known for its unpredictable nature, requiring experienced divers to exercise caution and proper guidance. While not suitable for novices, it offers an adrenaline-filled adventure. Gloves and reef hooks are recommended for maintaining stability and avoiding damage to live coral during the dive.
🤿 🫧 Depths: Dive depths range from 20m/65ft to over 100m/330ft. The pinnacle starts at 20m/65ft and descends into the depths. Visibility ranges from 20m/65ft to 30m/100ft+.
🦈 🐠 Wildlife: At recreational depths, the site is teeming with red-toothed triggers, lionfish, nudibranchs, jacks, and batfish. For technical divers, the dive reveals a school of blackfish, impressive overhangs, giant gorgonians, and a mix of hard and soft corals. The site is rich in marine life, providing a captivating underwater spectacle.
🪸 🌊 Features: A pinnacle dive that offers different experiences for both recreational and technical divers. The dive starts at a pinnacle descending over 100m/330ft, leading divers through captivating formations adorned with corals. The journey includes a swim along a pinnacle, an upward ascent through a forest of giant gorgonians, and exploration of intricate features. The dive transitions to a tranquil six meters of water in a sandy and colorful reef, offering a delightful decompression stage. The site’s unique topography, rich marine life, and challenging conditions have earned it a reputation among experienced divers. A high level of certification and diving experience is recommended to fully appreciate the wonders of Blackfish Corner.
Verde Island stands out as a premier destination for advanced divers, thanks to its challenging currents and exceptionally rich marine biodiversity.
Balatero Port is a vital entry point to Puerto Galera, offering convenient ferry access to the island’s renowned beaches and dive sites. It provides essential amenities and connections, ensuring a smooth transition for visitors eager to explore the tropical paradise that awaits them in Puerto Galera.
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