Repeat visits encouraged me to take my diving to the next level, so with the encouragement of my dive buddy and fellow Canadian Oliver Guse, we both went for our advanced open water. What was exotic for many became my weekly routine. Alas, all good things must end and it was time to head back to Canada. Sitting back home, enduring a cold Canadian winter, Puerto Galera and her ample charms beckons me again and again.

Separated from Luzon by the deep waters of Verde Island Passage, Puerto Galera (Port of Galleons) is one of the most popular dive destinations in the Philippines. Located on the magnificently rugged island of Mindoro, the beautiful natural harbour provided a safe haven for galleons seeking shelter from typhoons. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1572, Malay, Chinese and Indonesian merchants had been plying these waters as early as the 10th century to trade with the island’s original inhabitants. Today the boats are still coming, heavily laden with divers and holidaymakers wishing to experience the area’s bountiful attractions.

Strong currents and upwellings flush nutrient-rich waters through the Verde Island Passage, supporting a wealth of biodiversity. Carpeting the seabed is a dense mantle of vibrant corals and marine invertebrates - a paradise for underwater photographers. These rich coastal waters have been protected as a marine sanctuary for a number of years, resulting in prolific reefs teeming with fish.

High voltage
With over 30 dive sites to choose from, there is something to offer even the most discriminating diver. From wrecks to high-voltage drift-dives, most sites are within a 20-minute banca ride from many of the resorts. A bit further afield lays Verde Island, with its stunning wall and abundant fish life. Although the entire area is referred to as Puerto Galera, the bulk of the accommodation is congregated around Sabang Beach, Small La Laguna and Big La Laguna Beach.

More than 20 different dive shops in the area cater to divers of many different nationalities. The diving is relatively inexpensive by Asian standards, making Puerto Galera an ideal place for beginners to be certified. Europeans, Australians and Americans tend to dominate the dive sites, but in recent years they have been joined by an increasing influx of arrivals from around Asia, especially South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The diving is year round, although bad weather in the rainy season from May-September may hamper bancas from making the crossing to Batangas. Still, there are far worse places one can be stranded!

An hour after departing Batangas Pier, the banca pulled up to the familiar sight of Sabang Beach. Due to my small mountain of equipment (one of the joys of being an underwater photographer), walking to the resort was out of the question. Within moments, I was surrounded by a horde of eager banca drivers. After negotiating a price, my gear was loaded onto a smaller banca to ferry me to the El Galleon Beach Resort, my home for the next three days.

The diving
Canyons
Undoubtedly the most popular dive in Puerto Galera is the Canyons. An advanced site due to the depth and strong currents, this is THE place in Puerto Galera for big fish action. After being dropped in near Hole in the Wall, an exhilarating drift-dive sweeps divers to three large fissures in the seabed at depths ranging from 24-30m (79-98ft). In order to be swept into position, a dive guide with extensive knowledge of the currents is absolutely essential. To escape current, duck into one of Canyons, sit back and enjoy the show. The fish life here is overwhelming. Anthias congregate in large numbers among vividly-coloured soft corals, while magnificent sea fans provide a colourful backdrop for large harlequin, oriental and ribbon sweetlips, emperor angelfish, lionfish and batfish. Large shoals of snapper, trevally, emperors and chevron barracuda are frequently observed cruising the deep waters just off the third canyon. Extremely lucky divers have even spotted mantas, hammerheads and thresher sharks. Entrenched in the seabed at the end of the third canyon, an old coral-encrusted anchor provides a good signpost for divers to regroup before being swept off into the current for the safety stop. When the currents are running, you’ll end up surfacing a LONG way from your entry point. If not, it’s actually possible to swim back to Hole in the Wall. The only downside of the location is its depth, resulting in an all-too-short bottom time. To fully appreciate the site, the Canyons are best made on Nitrox. This is a world-class dive you’ll want to do over and over again!

Boulders
Located at the headland south of Escarceo Point, Boulders is one of the most distant sites from Sabang, taking roughly 30 minutes by banca. Surface conditions tend to be choppy, with some degree of current usually present. A number of huge boulders, one the size of a house, tumble down to around 25m (82ft) creating a series of swim-throughs, tunnels and overhangs. As you descend the slope, the site is strewn with boulders of various shapes and sizes. This is also a terrific site for nudibranchs. During my dive, my guide excitedly gestured to a nembrotha nudibranch lying on a rock. It was only after scrutinising the developed photo that I realised the nudibranch was in the process of laying a delicate spiral of yellow eggs! Prawns and small lobsters can often be found in the profuse cracks and crevices, while dragonets, stonefish, scorpionfish and lionfish are commonly observed. Basket sponges, gorgonias including sea whips housing tiny whip gobies and soft corals decorate the rocky surfaces with a riot of colour. Hanging on a huge boulder at a depth of 25m (82ft), a diminutive sea fan is home to a lone pygmy sea horse. Despite having been to Puerto Galera many times, this was the first time I’d ever dived Boulders, It certainly won’t be my last!

Sinandigan Wall
Nudibranch enthusiasts won’t want to miss Sinandigan Wall. Descending from 5-30m (16-98ft), the wall, cloaked with a combination of stony and soft corals, is home to a diverse selection of nudibranchs. Up to a dozen different species can be observed on one dive, offering limitless possibilities to the macro photographer. Some species are so common one can almost become blasé! Often mistaken for nudibranchs, hordes of miniature yellow sea cucumbers cling to the wall, tentacles outstretched in the current to collect any titbits of food that happen to pass by. With all the nudibranchs on display, it’s very easy to overlook the other creatures found here. Cuttlefish are also common in the vicinity and are easily overlooked as a result of their expert camouflage. They are usually quite curious and with slow movements, can be closely approached. However, if alarmed, undulating waves of colour flash across the skin to show their displeasure before disappearing in a jet of water. Plenty of the larger fish species, including snappers, jacks, trevallies, tuna, and barracuda, can sometimes be seen off the wall. That is if the nudibranchs aren’t diverting all of your attention!

Kilima Drift
I had mentioned to Ali, my guide that my previous dive at the Canyons had the biggest concentration of anthias that I’d ever seen. Ali smiled and said, “Wait until you see Kilima Drift.” She wasn’t kidding!

Located between Sinandigan Wall and West Escaceo, this 1.5km drift is one of the best that the area has to offer. Starting well up current from Sinandigan Wall, a series of up and down currents sweep divers past canyons and walls shrouded with a varied assortment of multi-coloured soft corals, whip corals and sponges. Vast numbers of anthias hover in the current amid green tubastrea corals, while out in the deep water, schools of barracuda, trevally and mackerel can be seen hanging out in the currents.

When the moon is full, current speeds can reach up to 6 knots. At these times, the distance from Sinandigan Wall to Escarceo Point can take as little as ten minutes! With depths ranging from 10-30m (33-98ft), the dive can be kept shallow or deep depending on the experience level of the divers.

Sabang Wreck
Being thoroughly obsessed with macro photography, I could easily spend my entire visit in Sabang Bay. Lying at a depth of 18m (59ft), Sabang Wreck is an old wooden fishing junk purposely sunk for divers in 1993. After descending down the mooring line to the sandy bottom, divers are usually approached by a resident school of friendly batfish looking for a handout. While feeding is generally discouraged, it doesn’t prevent the optimistic batfish from trying! Resting upright on the sandy bottom, the wreck is a magnet for numerous species, especially frogfish. During numerous dives here, I have seen black, white, green, brown and orange specimens in all manner of sizes. At night, large numbers of well-camouflaged scorpionfish are to be found hiding in the countless recesses in the sides of the ship, so be very careful where you put your hands. Durban hinge-beak shrimps are to be found among the vessel’s rotting timbers, as are eels, crabs, lionfish and stonefish. The sandy areas neighbouring the wreck are home to a diverse assortment of oddities, especially at night. Black-pitted snake eels, flounders, flamboyant cuttlefish, sponge crabs, mantis shrimps, sea horses, and anemone hermit crabs are just some of the fascinating creatures to be found here. Careful probing into the sand with a pointer may result in a disturbed stargazer erupting from the bottom. This site is quite popular, with processions of divers congregating here at all times of day. This causes a dilemma at night, as it can be very easy to end up following the wrong group. On one dive, one member of our group ended up on the wrong boat! Take care when surfacing, as the bay can be thronged with boat traffic, even at night.

Sabang Bay, Sea Grass
Not far from the Sabang Wreck lies an extensive bed of sea grass at between 3-7m (10-23ft). This is also a great place for critters, but you have to look! What at first glance may appear to be a leaf resting on the bottom may actually turn out to be a cockatoo waspfish. Undulating gently in the current, this relative of the scorpionfish forms a perfect imitation of a leaf. Snaking across the bottom, metre-long sea cucumbers resembling vacuum cleaner hoses carry colourful emperor shrimps. Nearby, what appeared to be a tiny red pebble on the sand turned out to be a minute juvenile frogfish. Flying gurnards, wings outstretched like elaborately decorated oriental fans, can be observed skimming over the sandy bottom, while Pegasus sea moths, morays, octopus, finger dragonets, dwarf lionfish, and a varied assortment of shells will compete for the macro enthusiast’s eye.

Alma Jane Express
Sunk in March 2003 near the Asia Divers pier, the Alma Jane Express is Sabang Bay’s newest wreck. The MV Alma Jane Express was a 60-ton, 35m (115ft) steel-hulled cargo ship built in Japan in 1966, she sits upright at a depth of 30m (98ft). After being dropped off, divers descend via a mooring line to reach the wreck. Compared to my first visit in 2004, there had been a significant increase in marine life on the vessel’s superstructure. Fish life was more abundant as well. In addition to the ever-present batfish and lionfish, a shoal of bigeye trevally can be observed cruising around the wreck, attracted by the abundant shoals of baitfish on which they feed. The upper decks lie at depth of 22m (72ft).Swimming through the ship’s hold revealed vast numbers of cardinalfish hovering amongst the numerous steel beams.

Verde Island Drop-off
Less than an hour away by boat from Sabang, Verde Island provides one of the most spectacular wall dives in the Philippines. Plummeting down in excess of 100m (328ft) in some places, this site has something to offer divers of all skill levels.  A multitude of plate and staghorn corals can be found in the shallower water, while deeper down the wall, large soft corals, basket sponges and some very impressive gorgonian sea fans drape across the rocky surface. The nutrient-rich waters attract swarms of anthias, surgeonfish, trumpetfish and butterflyfish, while shoals of bigeye trevally, rainbow runners, tuna and Spanish mackerel can be seen out in the blue just off the wall. The sheer grandeur, colour and diversity of life makes it a must see for all divers.

Other activities
If you want a break from diving (heaven forbid), there are a host of other activities to choose from. With flourishing coral gardens and abundant marine life flanking the shoreline, exceptional snorkelling can be done right from the beaches. Water sports such as kayaking, wind surfing and sailing are first-rate, with equipment readily available for hire. Many places of interest are easily accessible. Definitely worth a visit is Tamaraw Falls. Plunging an impressive 129m (423ft), the falls are actually two separate cascades that combine into one big one. The falls can be reached in several different ways. A number of tours from Sabang include the falls in their itineraries. The falls are located in Barangay Villaflor, which is a two-hour jeepney ride from Puerto Galera on the way to Calapan. You can also hire your own jeepney, but prepare to bargain hard!

Also worth visiting is the Ponderosa Golf and Country Club. Even if you’re not a golfer, it’s worth making the journey just for the view. At an elevation of 600m (1970ft) above sea level, spectacular views can be had of the entire area. Jeepneys can be hired for the trip, although a better alternative is to hire a motorbike, which can be easily arranged in Sabang or Puerto Galera. The road up is extremely bumpy; so make sure you have a bathroom break before making the trip!

Excursions to other attractions, such as native villages, jungle trekking or even climbing nearby Mt. Malisimbo, can all be arranged by any of the travel agencies in Sabang. Signs out front post the day’s activities.

Getting there
There are a number of different ways to get to Batangas Pier from Manila. The most expensive option is by taxi, which can end up costing around 2000 pesos or more each way. More economical are the commercial buses of BLTB, Jam and Tritran. Bus terminals can be found in Cubao, and in Buendia in Pasay City. The earliest bus usually leaves at 6am and every hour on the hour. Schedules of these buses are quite erratic however and are quite dependent on the volume of passengers. This can be a problem if you have to connect with a specific ferry. Fares range from Php80 to 100 (US$1.65 to US$2) and depend on whether the bus is regular or air-con.

Most resorts can arrange transfers from Manila if asked in advance and many visitors bypass staying in Manila altogether and get picked up directly at the airport.

At the Batangas City Pier, numerous ferries depart for Puerto Galera or Sabang Beach. The widest selection of departures is in the morning, so it’s best to arrive at the pier early. Weekends necessitate a very early departure (5:30-6:00am) to avoid the horrendous traffic heading out of the city.

If you don’t want to pay the high cost of a taxi, but the thought of taking a local bus (with the endless violent action movies on the video) isn’t appealing, there is another option. Swagman’s Hotel in Ermita run a daily shuttle to Batangas Pier that leaves at 8:00am. The trip takes around two hours on weekdays and arrives at the pier in time to connect with ferries to Puerto Galera and Sabang.

Waypoints

Mindoro
Nearest International Airports
NAIA(Manila)

Dry Season
December to June

Electricity
Constant 220v

Local Currency
Philippine Peso

Country Dialing Code
+63