Asian Diver — October 2017

PUERTO GALERA

BUQUETE

SAN ANTONIO

LA LAGUNA

Alma Jane

Sabang Wrecks

Pinnacles

Coral Cove

Sinandigan Wall

Giant Clams

Canyons

St Christopher

SABANG

SINANDIFAN

PALANGAN

“If you are diving a macro site, bring

a magnifying glass!

Many little critters pop into focus

once divers get a chance to have

a closer look. Especially at sites

with no current, focus on a single

critter and examine colour patterns,

distinguishing factors and more.

A camera with a macro lens can offer

the same results, but if you’re lacking

sophisticated electronic equipment,

pick up a regular magnifying glass

and drill a small hole through the

handle. Pass a cord through it and

clip to your BCD!

Voila, you are now on your way to

becoming a macro master!”

• Marco Inocencio, Marine Biologist,
  Atlantis Dive Resorts

TOP TIP: DETECTIVE DIVING

CRITTER DIVING

Puerto Galera is an excellent place

for critter diving. Blue-ring octopus,

pygmy seahorses, mandarinfish and

dozens of nudibranch species are

awaiting divers at dive sites that offer

easy diving with no current, and sandy

or grassy substrates.

A couple of dive sites worth visiting

include “Giant Clams”, a protected area

in Puerto Galera Bay with clams that

are hundreds of years old and which can

be as much as 1.5 metres wide. Sloping

down to a sandy grass-covered bottom,

this is a popular site for spotting hairy

LEFT The reefs are

abuzz with life in

Puerto Galera

ABOVE Get up close and

personal with critters

like this Rhinopias

Simon Lorenz Simon Lorenz

frogfish, mimic octopus, wonderpus

and flamboyant cuttlefish. Lesser

known dive sites with excellent macro

include “Montani” and “Shipyard”.

“Coral Cove” is another excellent

macro site, with a sloping reef filled

with nudibranchs, ribbon eels,

pipefish, frogfish, seahorses, and

orangutan crabs. “Sinandigan Wall” is

a 30-metre-deep wall with a profusion

of nudibranchs littering its sandy,

boulder-strewn bottom. This is a

great place to spot leaffish, frogfish,

crocodilefish, various anemones, and

plenty of small shrimp residing in the

mushroom corals.

Puerto Galera has optimal

conditions for certifications. Learn

to dive while experiencing the

stunning marine diversity of the

Coral Triangle!

Sabang Beach is the vibrant centre EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS!
of tourism of Puerto Galera, with many
restaurants and shops. Immerse yourself
in the culture as well as the area’s
phenomenal diving...