Travel Guide: Anilao (Mabini, Batangas)

Three hours away or around 170 kilometers south of Manila is the coastal town of Mabini, Batangas, home to Anilao, the “so-called” birthplace of scuba diving in the Philippines. This town boasts of teeming marine biodiversity, with the abundance of corals and dense underwater life, making it popular not only in the Philippines but throughout the world. The town may not have white sandy beaches but its underwater ecosystem its biggest attraction. Numerous dive sites are scattered... Read More

New Milestone: Now an Enriched Air Diver

Oxygen is toxic under pressure. A lesson that stayed on my head since I took up a new diving certification last September. It is a fact highlighted during the course. It is also a fact that the air we breath on land is composed of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. In diving, the same proportion applies on compressed air. But studies and developments in scuba diving paved the way for breathing air on varying proportions, containing higher percentage of oxygen. This has proven to have... Read More

Seven Facts About Sea Turtles

I’ve got a thing about sea turtles. They simply never cease to amaze me. Whenever I see them underwater, in their gentle moves and meek faces, my heart melts. But what about the sea turtles? What’s with them that interest me? Well, here are some of the so many interesting facts that you need to know about them. Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Tubbataha Reefs 1. There are seven species of sea turtles and all of them are endangered. There are at least seven known species of... Read More

Beach and Underwater Cleanup at Opol, Misamis Oriental

September 25, 2010 was the International Coastal Cleanup Day, so I flew up all the way to Cagayan de Oro City for the second time this month to participate in cleanup activities on the shore of Opol Beach and its underwater marine sanctuary. It was organized by Dive Special Diving Central and the Local Government Unit of Opol, Misamis Oriental. Opol Beach and Underwater Cleanup Students, residents, volunteers and divers heed the call and willingly helped to cleanup on this day.... Read More

Diving in Camotes Islands

Only few dive reports exist on the net about Camotes Islands, pictures are also rare. The only sure thing is that, there exists an underwater paradise underneath this group of islands that deserves a spot in the diving world and waiting to to be explored. Huge tube corals underneath Tulang Island Of course with my best dive buddy Ate Claudia, armed with a little knowledge of the place, we braved the almost unknown. For us, what matters is that there’s a dive operator in... Read More

Diving in Camiguin and Balingoan (Mantigue and Mantangale)

The island born of fire is more than the white island, hot and cold springs, waterfalls, volcanoes and other inland natural wonders, underneath this wonderful island is an evenly enthralling underwater paradise, and this is where my dive buddy Ate Claudia and I headed for another fun filled diving experience in our continuous diving pilgrimage across the archipelago of 7,107 islands. A pufferfish in Mantangale's Banuag Shoal Camiguin, an island province popular for its stretch... Read More

Diving in Apo Island, Negros Oriental

In our continuous pursuit for great diving spots in the Philippines, Ate Claudia and I set foot in the central Philippine province of Negros Oriental to dive in one of the infamous dive sites in the country – the Apo Island. School of Jackfish in Coconut Point Straight from an hour flight from Manila, I arrived in Dumaguete City past eight in the morning and headed to the Scuba Ventures Dive Shop, just beside our hostel – Harold’s Mansion in Hibbard Avenue to... Read More

Diving in El Nido

This is the day two travelogue of the five-day trip to El Nido. El Nido may not have the challenging wrecks of Coron or as diverse as Apo Reef and Tubbataha, but being a marine protected area with numerous dive spots that offer great nature diving, El Nido is definitely worth diving! A starfish rests on a rock underneath (Olympus Tough 8000) El Nido’s Bacuit Bay has more than 20 dive sites ranging from shallow to deep waters. Blessed with rich marine life, the area is home... Read More

Travel Guide: Malapascua

For years, this northernmost island of Cebu is a haven for scuba divers aiming to have an encounter with the Thresher Sharks – the Malapascua Island. The island has been synonymous to the Threshers since it is the only known place in the world that guarantees daily sightings for sharks of this kind. A barangay of the town of Daanbantayan, Malapascua is five hours away from the city capital. The island boasts of world class diving spots and white sand beaches, making it a... Read More