Philippines trip report & photos

**chinacat46** · 10-07-2008, 07:37

Here are 20 nudis and flatworms to start with. I'll do a report soon on the two resorts I visited as well as more pics. Here are the first 10 pics.

**chinacat46** · 10-07-2008, 07:40

next 10 pics

**gthomas** · 10-07-2008, 07:45

Thanks for the pics. sometimes we forget to look for the small things.

**Travelnsj** · 10-07-2008, 09:36

Where's the Sharks, Manta's, Eagle rays, schools of Snappers, Hairy frogfish etc etc???....nice pics....wanna see more!

**nikefreekz** · 10-07-2008, 10:44

any topside pics?

**chinacat46** · 10-07-2008, 12:05

Originally Posted by nikefreekz

any topside pics?

I haven't figured out how to get my camera to work above water.

**chinacat46** · 10-07-2008, 12:24

Originally Posted by Travelnsj

Where's the Sharks, Manta's, Eagle rays, schools of Snappers, Hairy frogfish etc etc???....nice pics....wanna see more!

I saw as many sharks, mantas and eagle rays as you will in Lembeh. As I stated in the first post more pics and report to come. I'm in no hurry so you will have to wait.

**chinacat46** · 10-07-2008, 12:28

I recently spent two weeks in the Philippines. A week at Atlantis Resort Puerto Galera and another week at Atlantis Resort Dumaguette. I did a package deal through Trip-n-Tour which included all airfare from Denver as well as all ground/boat transfers, food and upto 4 dives a day. I also threw in nitrox to the package as well as one dive trip to Verde Island while staying in Puerto Galera and two dive trips to Apo Island while at Dumaguette. The package with airfare was very reasonable and would compare to trips to the Caribbean but the diving IMHO was much better. The food at both resorts was good to excellent and the drinks which aren't included are pretty cheap. I definitely put on a few pounds at both resorts. Night dives were not included and although I usually love doing night dives I thought they were charging to much($47/dive) so I didn't do any. At PG they were limiting dives to 50 mins so $47 to me seemed steep. I did 43 dives over the two weeks.

My first stop was Puerto Galera. After arriving in Manila and clearing customs I was met by my van driver. From the airport it is over 3 hours by van and boat to get to the resort which is on another island. The resort is very nice and everyone there goes out of their way to make your stay enjoyable(except the touts). The resort and it's dive shop are split by a walkway. The walk way is only a few feet wide but every vendor in PG hangs out there trying to sell you something. I told them hundreds of time I didn't want or need anything but do you think they heard me? Other then that though I really enjoyed my stay in Puerto Galera. The diving was a mixture of reef and muck with mostly reef diving. I saw quite a combination of reef fish and some critters. Pygmy and thorny seahorses, colorful nudibranchs, ribbon and moray eels, cuttlefish, frog fish, rays, scorpion fish, many butterfly & angel fish, anthias, turtles, etc... My favorite dive site at PG was Giant Clam which among other things featured many giant clams. Also saw 5-6 different Thorny Seahorses, nudis, flatworms, mantis shrimp, cockatoo waspfish, flamboyant cuttlefish to name a few things spotted there. I'd say over half the dives are drift dives but it's usually slow drifting. We did one though in "The Canyons" which is definitely not for the beginner. This dive we went to over 90 feet and you basically drift from one canyon to another. Each one is a little deeper and there is a lot of fish of various sizes to watch. After leaving the 3rd canyon you drift off into the blue but we hit a series of up/down/up currents which made the dive a bit more interesting. The 3 tank day trip to Verde Island(45 min boat ride) was very nice and included a big lunch. We dove a great wall with drop dead gorgeous reefs twice and a nice coral garden for the third dive. Saw a couple of kewl nudibranchs on that dive. I enjoyed the diving in Puerto Galera and I'd recommend it to most people and I'd return there.

After leaving PG you retrace your route back to Manila and then fly domestically to Dumaguette. Upon arrival you get picked up by the resorts air conditioned jeepney for the half hour trip to the resort. Atlantis Dumaguette is out of town and right on the beach. A nicer atmosphere then being in Puerto Galera but far from town so no night life. Luckily I got my fill in PG. The diving at Dumaguette is more muck diving then reef diving although Apo Island which I went to twice has some of the best reefs I've seen anywhere except Raja Ampat and that includes Palau, PNG and Wakatobi. For those of you in Chicago familar with the Shed Aquarium it was based on Apo Island. All the people in PG kept telling me that Dumaguette was like Lembeh. I'd ask them if they had been to Lembeh but none had. While the diving in Dumaguette is good other then one site you can't even mention Dumaguette in the same sentence as Lembeh. That being said the diving is still very good and there is lots to see and enjoy. My favorite dive site in Dumaguette was the Pier and this would be a good muck dive in Lembeh. Some of the highlights at Dumaguette were the variety of ghost pipefish(ornate, robust, halimeda), various different frog fishes, spiny devilfish, finger dragonets, more nudis and longer dives. In PG the dives were 50 mins(although many strecthed to 55 mins). In Dumaguette dive times were 60 mins(with many over 65).

Overall I had a very good time diving and traveling in the Philippines. Both places are worth going to and I would return to either. The two areas I visited are not known for big stuff and indeed I saw none. If you are a shark lover visit some other area. The dive guides though were only so so. I like guides that can find the really kewl stuff which I know was there but which they only found on occasions. I was finding more stuff then them and showing other divers. I will return to the Philippines but with over 7,000 islands I'll most likely check out some different areas.

When you leave the Philippines get to the Airport early. You go thru at least 3 searches and have your docs checked many times as well. Once you are in the terminal and think you are done that is when you have the most intenvise search and final doc check. Seems like over kill to me but just be warned. I'm sure I've forgot stuff so if there is something you want to know just ask and if I know I'll tell and if not I'll make something up.

**CODMAN** · 10-07-2008, 13:23

Great report Cat! I was in Sabang last march and reading your post brought back so many great memories (I never got around to writing a report...

)! Too bad you didn't do any night diving. I did some great ones and as you surely know, the wildlife changes so much at night! My favorite by far was doing the Alma Jane wreck at night... That was quite an experience!

Cheers!

CODMAN