Asian Diver — October 2017

44

PORT OF

PLENTY

We discover that there is so much more to

Puerto Galera than meets the eye...

Text by Roni Ben-Aharon, Atlantis Dive Resorts

Images by various contributors

KNOWN MOSTLY FOR ITS white

sandy beaches, pristine blue water,

and it's party atmosphere, Puerto

Galera is a village located in the north

tip of Mindoro, Philippines’ seventh

largest island. Other than a relaxed

beach vacation, it offers incredibly

diverse diving in the heart of the

Coral Triangle.

Just across the Isla Verde passage

from Anilao, independently famous

for macro diving and nudibranchs,

Puerto Galera offers over 40 dive sites

just along its coast, with healthy coral

reefs and an abundance of fish.

Many divers attribute strong current

to the area, and think of it as a place

mostly suited to advanced divers, but

that is only partially true; stronger

currents depend on the lunar calendar

and in certain dive sites, occur two

weeks each month, with crazy drift

dives four days after the new moon.

Puerto Galera has several inner

bays, with no-current shallow coral

gardens and sandy patches that are

ideal for courses; Open Water students

can immerse in skills learning while

actually seeing some marine life!

Puerto Galera also offers relaxed

critter spotting dives (a haven for

photographers!), interesting

underwater topography and a

couple of wrecks for the rusties.

PORT OF PLENTYPORT OF PLENTY

PUERTO GALERA

PHILIPPINES