| The island of Mindoro is located in the southwest of Luzon and is
subdivided into two provinces, East- and West- Mindoro. The coastal regions
are inhabited. Only a few tribes live in the wooded and mountainous inland
region. Fishing, rice cultivation and coconut plantations are the most
important agricultural activities of the island.
For almost 50 years Puerto Galera has attracted scientists who study
the ecological structure of micro-organisms, animals and plants. The marine
biological institute of the university was founded in 1934, UNSECO declared
the area a research center, and the reefs were declared a protected area
in 1974. While in other protected areas prohibited divers and fisherman
continued to do and act as they pleased, the nature reserves of Puerto
Galera are supervised.
The diving is varied. There is everything from simple dives for beginners
up to extreme dives in strong currents.
The opportunities for macro photography of invertebrates and for fish
portraits are highly regarded. But there are also larger photo subjects
such as different kinds of corals, Gorgonians, Giant Sponges and Whip
Corals. The reefs continually change with the tides.
Diving is possible all year round, but March till October is the best
time. There is good snorkelling over the rocks from the east end of Sabang
Beach up to Escarceo Point. Dives are generally drift dives.
1. MANILA CHANNEL
Location: The channel between Medio Island and Paniquian
Island.
Distance: approx. 20 min. by boat to the west around
the north top of Medio Island.
Conditions: Calm, usually slow current. Visibility may
be up to 20 m.
Average depth: 12 m. maximum depth:
13 m.
There are 2 m high rocks and a small motorboat sunk on the shore near
the reef. You follow the coral rubble and sand on the edge of a 2 -3 m
high wall. Opulent hard and soft corals, predominantly beige-colored,
grow over the drop. You find big leather, many mushroom-, and bubble corals
everywhere. Different sea anemones with anemone fish, leopard sea cucumbers,
gloriously colorful starfish, tubeworms and many small fish are all around.
There is good snorkeling at the reef edges.
2. CORAL GARDENS
Location: The west side of Medio Island.
Distance: approx. 20 min. by boat.
Conditions: Mostly calm, but it can get rough. The best
Diving is at high tide because of the visibility (to approx. 20 m).
Average depth: 6 m. maximum depth: 9
m.
This is regarded as one of the best snorkel sites of the area and is good
for novice divers. The area slopes gently down to 9 m. You find many hard
and soft corals a depth of approximately 2m, sand and coral blocks prevail
in the deeper water. Deeper you can sometimes find young Whitetip Reef
sharks and some crevices with Moray Eels.
3. BATANGAS
CHANNEL
Location: North end of the channel between Medio Island
and Coco Beach.
Distance: approx. 25 min. by boat.
Conditions: Sometimes strong current but usually mild.
Visibility may be up to 20 m.
Average depth: 14 m. maximum depth:
27 m.
Experienced divers practice drift diving here at high tide. Down to approx.
14 m there are innumerable barrel sponges, up to 2 m tall. If there is
a current, you can find shoals of jackfish, sweetlips, snappers and fusiliers.
You can see many reef fish, some stingrays and Whitetip reefsharks, and
occasionally grey reefsharks.
4. LAGUNA
POINT
Location: In front of Sabang Beach.
Distance: A couple of minutes by boat west to Laguna
Point.
Conditions: Usually slow current. Visibility may be up
to 20 m.
Average depth: 12 m. maximum depth:
15 m.
A small drop-off from 12 to 15 m with a lot of small reef fish, slugs
and featherstars. Very nice site for night dives. Good chance of seeing
Spanish dancers.
5. LAGUNA WRECK
Location: Directly in front of Laguna Point.
Conditions: Direct descent to 24 m. Slow to medium current.
Average depth: 15 m
Maximum depth: 26 m.
There are fragments of a 25 m long wooden ship covered by a great variety
of coral species. This is therefore an ideal playground for all kinds
of scorpionfish, blue striped snappers, prawns and nudibranchs.
7. SABANG WRECKS
Location: At the Sabang Beach.
Distance: approx. 2 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Usually slow current. Visibility may be up
to 20 m.
Average depth: 10 m. maximum depth:
20 m.
Three small wrecks between 14 -20 meters long, in different stages of
decay. Home of innumerable soft corals and shrimps surrounded by shoals
of stationary batfish, this is a photographer's paradise, and good for
night diving too.
8. GRASSLAND
Location: Directly in front of the dive centre.
Distance: A minute by boat.
Conditions: Mostly calm with a little current.
Average depth: 10 m. maximum depth:
20 m.
The perfect dive spot for macro fans. Here one can find many sought after
uncommon species. Frogfish, harlequin ghost pipefish, seahorses and Pegasus
to name but a few.
9. SABANG POINT
Location: In front of Sabang Beach.
Distance: A few minutes by boat.
Conditions: Mostly calm with slow current.
Average depth: 10 m. maximum depth:
20 m.
A beautiful small drop-off covered by hard and soft corals, fish and other
invertebrates, which falls to 22 m. Ascending from the wall up to 5 m
you will find still more corals and colored featherstars.
10. SABANG WALL
Location: At Sabang Beach.
Distance: approx. 2 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Usually slow current. Visibility may be up
to 20 m.
Average depth: 15 m. maximum depth:
24 m.
Small, beautifully overgrown wall with soft and hard corals, some Gorgonians,
a lot of small fish and a good chance of turtles.
11. MONKEY WRECK
Location: East of Sabang Point
Distance: approx. 5 Min by boat to the east
Conditions: Generally calm but medium current possible.
Visibility may be up to 20 m
Average depth: 35 m. maximum depth:
40 m
20 m long freighter sunk in 1993.It can be a little dangerous because
it lurches from side to side in the swell in a depth of 40 m. Sometimes
we find a barramundi here.
12. NEW MONKEY WRECK
Location: In front of Monkey Beach
Distance: approx. 5 min. by boat
Conditions: Generally calm, often less current compared
to the more easterly sites.
Average depth: 15 m. maximum depth:
20 m
Steel boat which was sunk in 2001, at approx. 20 m. Even in such a short
time it has already become home to multicoloured featherstars and big
lionfish.
13. MONKEY BEACH
Location: In front of Monkey Beach
Distance: approx. 5 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Generally calm, often less current compared
to the more easterly sites. Visibility may be up to 20 m.
Average depth: 12 m. maximum depth:
18 m.
A beautiful coral slope to 18 m offers easy dives, also very suitable
for beginners. You can find small coral blocks with featherstars, nudibranchs
and a lot of small reef fish, and on the sandy bottom there are starfish,
sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Also suitable for night dives.
14. ERNIE ' S CAVE
Location: East of Monkey Beach
Distance: approx. 8 min. by boat.
Conditions: Generally calm, medium current, but there
can be a strong current. Visibility up to 20 m.
Average depth: 22 m. maximum depth:
30 m.
There are two small caves at 22 and 27 m. There is plentiful fish life
with shoals of surgeonfish, whitemargin unicornfish, jackfish, snappers
and fusiliers, also occasionally whitetip reef sharks. Beautiful hard
and soft corals, sponges, small Gorgonians and Featherstars round off
the picture.
15. DUNGON WALL
Location: approx. 10 min. by boat east of Sabang Beach.
Conditions: The current can get strong and it is sometimes
very rough. Visibility may be up to 20 m
Average depth: 18 m. maximum depth:
24 m.
Easy, varied diving area with dropoffs from 12 to 24 m, many beautiful
soft corals, colourful featherstars, big tuna, and a great variety of
species of reef fish.
16. DUNGON WRECK
Location: The first dive site west of Escarceo Point.
Distance: approx. 15 min. by boat to the east of Wreck
Point.
Conditions: Usually a little choppy on the surface, sometimes
with a strong current. Visibility may be up to 25 m.
Average depth: 25 m. maximum depth:
30 m.
The wreck which is an old Catamaran is located at 27 m. The reef has a
gentle sand slope with big stone coral blocks and some rocks. Many small
emperors, butterfly fish and reef perch live here, as well as parrotfish,
groupers, surgeonfish, triggerfish, flutemouths, scorpionfish and anthias.
In addition there are pufferfish, jackfish, sweetlips, juvenile long-
finned batfish and moray eels, and on the sandy area lizard fish, goatfish,
gobies, leopard sea cucumbers and starfish. There are also gloriously
colorful featherstars everywhere.
17. WRECK POINT
Location: approx. 12 Min east of Sabang Beach.
Conditions: Slow to medium current possible.
Average depth: 13 m. maximum depth:
20 m.
Reef slope descending at an angle, with violet Gorgonians and a lot of
small fish. In the 5 -10 meter area there are beautiful coral blocks with
various kinds of nudibranchs.
18. WEST ESCARCEO
Location: Between Dungon wall and Hole in the Wall
Distance: approx. 20 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Usually a slow current but sometimes there
may be a strong current. Visibility can be up to 25 m.
Average depth: 18 m. maximum depth:
27 m.
There are big table corals, colorful fan corals, and a lot of hard corals
with tube worms inside, on a gentle coral slope from 9 to 27m. Plenty
of nudibranchs, flat worms and blue and yellow stalked ascidians live
in the shallow areas of this reef.
19. HOLE IN THE WALL
Location: Directly west of Escarceo Point.
Distance: approx. 20 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Mostly calm with a medium current but also
possibly a very rough sea with a strong current. Visibility is possible
up to 25 m.
Average depth: 19m. maximum depth: 19
m
The dive starts by descending to a single field of table corals at a depth
of 9m. The corals are arranged like steps until you face a " Hole
in the Wall" at a depth of 12m. The hole's size is approx. 1.5 x
0.8 m. It's covered over with coloured sponges and featherstars and leads
directly to the Canyons. Marine live is plentiful everywhere. It teems
with small reef fish, emperor angelfish and butterfly fish. Large triggerfish
males guard their clutches of eggs. There are shoals of butterfly and
bannerfish, sweetlips, trumpets and pufferfish, broomtail wrasse, lionfish
and jackfish, with shoals of parrotfish and occasional big tuna and filefish.
Different species of sea slug live on the walls. On the sand there are
starfish and sea cucumbers and in the many holes Moray eels can be found.
20. The CANYONS
Location: Northeast of Escarceo Point.
Distance: approx. 23 min. by boat.
Conditions: This place is only for experienced divers
who like very strong currents. Visibility may be up to 30 m.
Average depth: 25 m. maximum depth:
30 m.
An experienced divemaster or instructor is necessary to guide you easily
through a fluctuating strong current. This is a drift along the "Hole
in the Wall" reef and down to the Canyons. It is one of the nicest
places in this area. There are several smaller ravines in which photographers
can look for protection against the current. The richness of the fish
life is obvious, however everything is represented. Large groups of jackfish,
rainbow runners and snappers are all around. There are some tall barrel
sponges and Gorgonians in the deeper water. The soft corals are more colourful
than anywhere else.
21. SHARK CAVE
Location: East of Escarceo Point
Distance: approx. 25 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Surface can be rough, and a strong current is possible. Visibility
up to 20 m.
Average depth: 25 m. maximum depth:
27 m.
Shark Cave is a 30 m long overhang in 29 m depth. It is 1 m high at the
entrance. White tip reef sharks lie here during the daytime. There is
a large boulder with soft corals, brown leather corals, small gorgonians
and barrel sponges nearby.
22. THE ATOLL
Location: Southeast of Escarceo Point.
Conditions: approx. 25 min. by boat to the east, offshore
from Shark Cave.
Conditions: Slow to strong current, it may get rough
on the surface. Visibility up to 25m.
Average depth: 24 m. maximum depth:
33 m.
A 15 m wide coral rock climbs from 33 to 21 m. All around this block are
a lot of different fish. Under the overhangs there are scorpionfish and
lionfish, in the crevices and on the sand there is a good chance of finding
blue spotted stingrays.
23. PINK WALL
Location: around the corner of the island at the east.
Distance: approx. 25 min. by boat.
Conditions: Calm, and usually a slow current. Visibility
up to 20 m is possible.
Average depth: 10 m. maximum depth:
15 m.
This is an overhanging wall in 10 m, with pink soft corals and a lot of
scorpionfish. To reach it from "Hole in the Wall" you first
swim through a unique field of white whip corals.
24. KILIMA STEPS
Location: around the corner of the island at the east.
Distance: approx. 27 min. by boat.
Conditions: Usually a medium to strong current, it can
get very rough at the surface. Visibility can be up to 20 m.
Average depth: 20 m. maximum depth:
27 m.
The best dives are at low tide on these small stepped drops. There are
many beautiful hard and soft corals, together with other invertebrates
and plenty of fish.
25. KILIMA WALL
Location: around the corner of the island at the east.
Distance: Approx. 27 min. by boat to the east around
the Escarceo Point.
Conditions: Mostly a light to medium current, but a strong
current is also possible.
Average depth: 18 m. maximum depth:
25 m.
The main reef falls down in small steps, to a small wall. Especially if
there is a strong current all the different-coloured hard corals display
their beautiful polyps. All kinds of moray eels and scorpionfish can be
found here. Shoals of surgeonfish will catch your eye.
26. SINANDIGAN WALL
Location: around the corner of the island at the east.
Entrance: approx. 28 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Sometimes a little choppy, but normally only
a slow current. Visibility is possibly up to 25 m.
Average depth: 20 m. maximum depth:
30 m.
A real wall which falls to 40 m, with different corals and numerous nudibranchs,
as well as bigger species of fish such as snappers, jackfish, large tuna,
barracuda and the occasional white tip reef shark.
27.TURTLE ROCK
Location: In front of Sinandigan wall area.
Distance: approx. 28 min. by boat.
Conditions: Sometimes a little choppy, stronger currents
may be possible. Visibility up to 25 m.
Average depth: 18 m. maximum depth:
40 m.
A beautifully overgrown big coral block. The highest point is at 27 m,
the block is covered with little white sea fans, a vast amount of yellow
sea cucumbers, scorpionfish, and if you're lucky a thresher shark may
come along. The dive ends in the coral garden of Sinandigan.
28. CORAL COVE
Location: around the corner of the island at the east.
Distance: approx. 29 min. by boat.
Conditions: Mostly only a slow to medium current.
Average depth: 13 m. maximum depth:
26 m.
This is one of the best places for blue spotted stingray sightings. Cuttlefish
are often seen, and you can also sometimes see the rare cuttlefish (Sepia
pfefferi).
29. THE BOULDERS
Location: The furthest spot in the east.
Distance: approx. 30 min. by boat to the east.
Conditions: Sometimes a rough sea, slow to strong current.
Visibility up to 15 m.
Average depth: 20 m. maximum depth:
27 m.
Several great rocks form overhangs, tunnels and windows, to a depth of
24 m. This is a perfect place to see seahorses in different colours.
FULL DAY TRIP VERDE ISLAND
Location: Northeast of the island.
Distance: By Banka approx. 45 min.
Conditions: Slow to strong current is possible. It can
be very rough.
Average depth: 15m. Maximum depth: 40
m.
Here you find a vertical wall, which falls down from the surface to 60
m. Large soft corals, plenty of huge fan corals, and also enormous shoals
of fish make their home on this reef. Sometimes pelagic visitors surprise
visiting divers.
But macro photogaphers may also find many potential subjects.
FULL DAY TRIP PARADISE GARDEN
Location: Lighthouse Island, eastern side of the island
Distance: By " Cocktail Queen " approx. 30
min.
Conditions: Often a strong current. For experienced divers
only.
Average depth: 15 m. maximum depth:
35 m
In this 30 m area you may see gorgonians and 5m whip corals. In addition,
the whole area is covered with pink coloured soft corals. There are a
lot of coral blocks (10 m to 20 m), under which are yellow and orange-coloured
cave corals (suppository coral!!). Various reef fish in large quantities
are also present. This can be difficult diving when the current is strong.
FULL DAY TRIP HOT SPRINGS
Location: Lighthouse Island, western side of the island
Distance: By " Cocktail Queen " approx. 30
min.
Conditions: Frequently strong current for experienced
divers only
Average depth: 18 m. maximum depth:
22 m
This dive is a drift over coral rubble down to hot springs which bubble
at a depth of 16 to 20 m inside the rim of an area which is relatively
sheltered from the current. This can be followed by very beautifully overgrown
blocks and a soft coral field where there are 8 different colored soft
corals unique in the whole region. If you're lucky eagle rays can occasionally
be seen. Difficult diving when the current is strong.
FULL DAY TRIP ANILAO
Location: Northwest of Marikaban
Distance: By " Cocktail Queen " approx. 50-60
min.
Conditions: Frequently a strong current. For experienced
divers only
Average depth: 20 m. maximum depth:
40 m.
In the deeper areas of the reef there are plenty of big gorgonians and
soft corals. You will find multicoloured hard coral formations in the
shallower part. Additionally there are jackfish, surgeonfish and schools
of fusiliers in the blue water. There are very good chances of seeing
turtles and white tip reef sharks.
To enjoy outstandingly beautiful dive spots like Verde Island, Paradise
Garden, Hot Springs and Anilao, Cocktail Divers organize day trips. On
these tours by our speedboat "Cocktail Queen" or by a large
Banka a beach barbecue for the divers is provided, making an unforgettable
diving experience.
For further information contact the dive shop management (Chris &
Petra).
- up -
Cocktail Reisen Tour Operator
Habsburgerplatz 1, 80801 Munich Germany
Phone: 0049 (0)89 64299226,
Mobil Phone: 0049 (0)171 6878724
www.cocktaildivers.com | info@cocktaildivers.com
Our Contact in the Philippines:
Cocktail Divers Inc.
0063/917/8126625 | jr@cocktaildivers.com
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