Just 2.5 hours drive from Manila. Anilao is one of the best-kept secrets in Asian diving. There are 30 secluded dive sites featuring a healthy reef system that teams with life. There’s world-class macro life as well as a great range of pelagic action.
Package Includes:
Accommodation:
05 Nights accommodation at Aquaventure Reef Club Resort
Aqua Venture Reef Club Resort - rooms with Air-Condition, hot/cold water & private toilet & bathroom. All Guest rooms feature native, rustic, architecture design that strongly gives Filipino ambiance for relaxation.
Flight & Transfer:
Return International Flight Dubai to Manila, Philippines
Return Airport transfer to and from the resort by coach approx 3hours/way
Meal:
Daily Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Diving:
04 diving days
02 guided boat dives per day
Unlimited shore dive without divemaster
Boat, Tank, weight and weight belt
Daily Marine Park fees included
Complement of 02 Night dives
Excludes:
Dive equipment
Own expenses and visa fee (if applicable)
Extra Dives USD 25.00 extra single tank: min 3 persons per boat USD 32.00 extra 02 tanks: min 3 persons per boat USD 30.00 Night dive: min 3 persons per boat
Famous Dive Sites:
Ligpo Island 30 – 140 ft
Conditions: Generally calm, but this dive can have some very fierce currents that change quickly. Not a dive for novices when currents are running. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
This popular site has plenty of red and yellow gorgonian sea fans. A 20 – 25 min banca ride will get divers there. 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, tasselled scorpion fish, moray eels and other reef fish. The multi colored gorgonians and the interesting rock formation are the main attractions along with the colourful reef fish.
The Cathedral 30 – 140 ft
Conditions: Generally calm but can have some strong currents that make photography
difficult. Visibility can reach 80 ft. The site is best dived at neap tide.
This is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably the best known Philippine dive site. There is a miniature underwater castle structure and a famous cross hence the name “Cathedral.” This concrete cross was installed by former Philippine president Fidel V. Ramos, when he was hten a Constabulary chief. Here you can find in the shallow area 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 variety of reef fish. Divers can find octopus, pygmy sea horses, green sea turtles, giant frogfish and marble sting rays. Grey Bamboo sharks may be encountered closer to 38 meters for divers who have deep diving experience. Great for night dives.
Mainit Point 15 – 120 ft
Conditions: This site is more exposed than most in this area. Currents can be very strong and afternoon winds can make the surface choppy and spoil the visibility. Best dived on a flood tide, preferably during neap tides. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Some rocks break the surface. A gradual set of boulders form mini drop offs from 16 ft to 100 ft plus. Due to the currents the marine life is plentiful and varied especially when the currents are running. There are good corals and the fish life includes Moorish idols, porcupine puffer fish, snappers, powder blue surgeonfish, jacks, scorpion fish, wrasse and fusiliers as well as all the smaller reef fish, angelfish and butterfly fish. There is a cave 23 ft in which Whitetip Reef sharks have been sited. The boulders are festooned with soft corals and anemones, together with many crinoids, colorful Linckia sea stars and nudibranchs. Because of the fierce currents, one has to shelter behind rocks to be able to photograph.
Beatrice Rock 15 – 35 ft
Conditions: Generally calm, with strong currents, but this site is exposed enough to get very rough at times. Best dived during neap tides. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Beatrice Rock offers a series of short drop offs with channels in between, from 16 to 90 ft and a pinnacle rising from 45 to 25 ft. There are large barrel sponges, good gorgonians, black corals, soft corals, stony corals, anemones with clownfish, nudibranchs and sea stars. The site is densely populated with just about all the reef fish you could expect including schools of triggerfish, snappers, surgeonfish, jacks and anthias. Occasionally, turtles and blue-ringed octopuses could be sited.
Sombrero Island 15 – 35 ft
Conditions: Generally calm with a strong current, but it can get rough on the surface. Visibility can reach up to 80 ft.
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 fish encounter. It is densely populated with marine fauna, lots of nuribranchs 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 colourful anthias that turns the water red occasionally. In mid water beside the dropp off, dives can encounter rainbow runner, surgeon fish, fusiliers and starry eyed puffer fish.
