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Dive Sites up to 18 metres (60 feet)
sites up to 30m sites over 30m back to map CORAL GARDEN 
The word garden is the best way to describe this beautiful dive site, which is also perfect for snorkeling. The reef starts in very shallow water and slopes off gently to a maximum depth of 10m/30ft. Between the white sand Large Coral Bommies, Brain Corals, giant plate corals are abundant along with basket sponges and colorful soft corals. Just about every variety of small tropical fish life can be seen, Angel fish, pipe fish, lizard fish, rock cods, Anthias, Damsels and Gobies working with small shrimps only names a few. Many small creatures like Nudibranch and Ribbon Eels make it a fantastic site for underwater photography. Small White tip Reef Sharks can be found sleeping in some of the small caves under large rock formations. You can dive this site almost any time but like most dive sites in Puerto Galera it's a great drift at mid tidal change. back to map LA LAGUNA POINT 
Extending from the beautiful white beach of Big La Laguna is a very healthy coral reef consisting of stag horn and plate corals that are teeming with fish life. The contour gradually gets steeper as you come to a small wall where sweetlips, small schools of surgeonfish, angel fish and trigger fish are seen. Lionfish and scorpion fish are also common in this area. West of the wall is a white sandy slope where different species of anemones are home to families of clown fish and small shrimp. Sole fish and stargazers can be seen here on night dives. back to map SMALL TO BIG LA LAGUNA 
On ebb tide the current can make this a swift drift dive, and it is possible to cover great distances of breathtaking underwater terrain. Descending into shallow water, the seafloor is covered with staghorn and other hard corals, with an impressive populations of an abundance of fish species. At 12m/40ft you find the wreck of a small aluminum speedboat where sergeant majors swarm and a large black frogfish is commonly seen. Following the reef down to 18m/60ft there are two large coral-covered rock formations, dotted with small sea fans, and home to schools of fusiliers and cardinal fish. back to map THE BOULDERS 
At the surface you face a vertical stone wall and a few large boulders breaking the surface. As you descend underwater, down the slope, the site is covered with different shapes and sizes of boulders that look like they have rolled from the surface and have come to rest on the slope, creating swim-through and cave. There are gorgonians of many colors, basket sponges and soft tree corals here. Blue fingered starfish, sea cucumbers, stonefish, scorpion fish, lionfish, spotted snapper and striped sweetlips are all abundant here, and in the caves small lobster and prawns can be found. It is best to dive this site on flood tide when there is no current as the area has a lot of silt sediment. It is a good site for wide-angle macro photography. back to map NORTH POINT 
This site is very similar to Coral Gardens. The ocean floor is covered in a white sandy bottom with large coral bommies and rock formations. The contour slopes of gently. Large areas of Staghorn coral, basket sponges, plate corals and sandy areas covered in long whip corals with many varieties of small tropical fish. Reef sharks and turtles can be seen in the area. The current can pick up during tidal changes. back to map
BATANGAS CHANNEL 
The channel slopes off gently to a sandy bottom where in the shallow water the Staghorn coral is abundant along with large Tree corals, Fans and Basket sponges. There is a great variety of small tropical fish in this area. You see Anemones with families of clown fish, Yellow tail and cleaner wrasse. Parrot fish, Trigger fish and if you have a good eye there are Frog fish found camouflaged in the corals. Best to dive this site on the ebb tide where the current will assist you traveling on what can be a nice drift inside the channel. back to map THE STEPS 
A series of reefs, small walls and varying contours that range in depth from 30m/100ft to 5m/15ft make the Steps a great multilevel dive. The dive starts as you descend down to the deepest reef, then make your way up past a small wall covered with hard and soft corals and teeming with fish life, including shoals of batfish, tuna and surgeonfish. Eagle rays have been observed at this dive too. Ascending to shallower depths you pass over basket sponges and prolific mushroom corals interspersing ferns and small gorgonians. Triggerfish and various species of puffer fish, such as spotted box fish and porcupine fish are common, along with colorful parrot fish of different species. The fish are generally very diverse with lots of bigger species well represented. On the shallowest part of the dive are plate corals and brain corals, and turtles are regularly seen serenely cruising over the reef. back to map TURTLE ROCK 
Follow the slope down at the bottom of Sinandigan Wall to a giant rock at 45m/150ft, healthy with marine life, such as gorgonians and sea whips. Sweet-lips and snapper are common, and whitetip reef sharks and turtle are sometimes seen here. this site is best dived on the flood tide. back to map
MANILA CHANNEL 
You start the dive in shallow water around 5m/15ft on a beautiful reef, which is alive with hard and soft corals and hundreds of small tropical fish. Anthias, Butterfly fish, Damsels, Parrot fish and many more abound. The reef slopes off to a sandy bottom and as you follow the contours of the reef on a flood tide the clear water from the Verde Passage helps you drift into the channel as you drop off to around 18m/60ft moving past a small wall covered with Fans and whip corals. Surgeon fish, Tuna, Snapper and sweet lips are common to this area. After the wall the contour begins to slope back up to shallow water. Large Basket Sponges, Fans and Green Tree Corals cover the reef. Best to dive on Flood or slack high tide. back to map 
A short distance past Batangas Channel lie a dozen or so Giant Clams seeded by the University of Manila some years ago. Now flourishing and multiplying in number these clams are a wondrous site and are interesting to watch as their primitive eyes detect light and basic movement leading them to snap shut their gaping maw and push a strong jet of water out through their orifices! Adjacent to these, some of the most diverse and healthy hard coral species can be found standing perpendicular to the current. Sea horses, moray eels and sting rays abound in this undisturbed treasure trove of rare marine creatures. A good dive for novices as long as it is slack water. Good corals and sponges abound, with small reef fish teeming around them. back to map An overhang which, when dived on the correct tide, is perfect for novices and photographers. Surface conditions can be a little rough. Good night dive. back to map KILIMA DRIFT 
The phase of the moon will determine the strength of the current on ebb tide of this exciting "high-voltage" drift dive with current speeds that can reach up to 6 knots. The dive can be kept shallow or deep depending on the experience of the divers. The dive can start well up current from Sinandigan Wall, but once you pass the wall up- and down-currents can be experienced which result due to the topography of the area. After this, the current then slows down but pushes you up into shallow water. For multilevel dives, or dives that have been planned to finish at the Hole in the Wall, in this is fine, but if the planned depth is 27m/90ft then hard finning is required, and it best to keep your eyes on the dive guide for direction. The current changes again to pick you up and sweep you across the ocean floor, where sea whips seem to cling to the rock for dear life along with siphon sponges and gorgonians. back to map CFI EAST SIDE 
On the north-east end of the island you make your way down the sloping reef to level off at anywhere between 18m/24ft and 24m/80ft. Shoals of jacks and surgeons are seen in mid-water as you drift by spectacular rock and coral formations. Depending on the strength of the current you finish the dive at a small pinnacle that drops off into deeper water. Here you can shelter from the current and observe the abundant lionfish, eels and nudibranchs before making your way up to the top of the pinnacle at 9m/30ft. Beware of the down-currents in this area. It is best to dive here on flood tide. back to map
So named after a luckless freighter whose bare ribs can be seen on the shore at low tide. Excellent corals lead down from the large wreck that is actually positioned on the rocks at the surface. Very nice hard corals and all the expected fish make this a good dive for novices and photographers. Further down at 28 meters are the two hulls of a sailing catamaran, sunk by the dive centers back in 1993. On the hull are myriad colours of feather stars, inside the wreck lie small lionfish and moray eels waiting for their next meal. Further up on the reef there is a nice wall with abundant hard and soft coral. Rooted at one end of the wall is a large clam. back to map CFI HOT SPRING 
This small island is a 30-minute boat ride from Puerto Galera, so most dive centers make whole day trips here, with a picnic lunch on the beach between dives. At the west end of the island is a small caves where whitetip reef sharks are commonly found. From here, make your way down a volcanic soft rock slope that has small streams of hot water flowing from the cracks. This hot water appears as shimmering apparitions in the water. You then enter the crater of what may have been a volcano, the floor of which is covered in small volcanic rocks and streams of small bubbles of sulfuric gas rise up to the surface. It is a truly amazing sight. back to map TALIPANAN REEF 
A 25-minute boat ride west of Puerto Galera is a pinnacle 500m/1650ft offshore. The top is at 15m/50ft and has a huge diversity of small fish, basket sponges, hard and soft corals. On the north-west face it drops off to over 80m/265ft where gorgonian fans are abound. A plateau in the shallow depths drops off vertically at 24m/80ft. In mid water there are shoals of surgeons and unicornfish; often giant tuna come in from the depth to feed. Below, schools of midnight and black snappers appear to swim towards you, breaking away at the last minute. back to map THE WASHING MACHINE 
The washing machine is a series of seven canyons between 12 and 28 metres. Usually dived less than 15m the diver is treated to a rollercoaster ride when the current is running. Drifting into the canyons you are spun from one side to another in the current. Moving from one canyon to another can present problems and it is easy to be swept away. Best to stay close to the bottom and watch the small fish spin. Where they seem to be stationary is probably the best place to cross the current. Requires a good guide and some experience of current diving. Made at slack tide it is an easy dive. 
An old wooden fishing junk sunk off the front of Sabang beach in 1993. A resident school of very friendly batfish and large surgeonfish make this a popular dive. Surrounded by sand, the wreck has attracted many eels, large lionfish, damsels, trumpets, and the occasional stonefish. Flounders and stargazers inhabit the sand and excellent place to study the many gobie & shrimp relationships. Great fish feeding. At night, these wrecks transform into a mesmerizing display of colours and many small crustaceans and other macro subjects can be seen scurrying around in the holes around the wreck. Buried in the sand can be found the rare stargazer. A mouth and two eyes point towards the stars, while a tongue flicks in and out - a lure to attract over curious fish. back to map
A coral slope down to 18m/60' makes an easy dive, good for novices. Small coral heads have crinoids, nudibranchs and plenty of small reef fish. back to map
HOLE IN THE WALL 
Situated on Escarceo Point, this dive is typically performed as an 18m/60' profile. Allowing for currents you drop into 9m/30' of well-lit water, with fields of table corals as good as anywhere in the world. You descend in several stepped drop-offs, each about 3m/9' and reach The Hole at about 13m/45'. The Hole is about 1½m/5' wide covered with multi-coloured sponges and crinoids. Without a doubt a world class dive site. back to map
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