Best dive sites for "variety" in The Philippines?

[skyblue]

Hi there,
We are going backpacking to the Philippines at the end of April for about a month or 2. We would like to do our open water diving courses (maybe advanced open water as well)and then some dives, but we want to try and see as much variety as possible. We also want to do quite a bit of underwater photography.So this is what we've come up with:

Ticao island - manta rays
Malapascua-thresher sharks and mandarin fish
Gato island - nudibranches, sea snakes, pygmy seahorses
Cabilao - hammerheads
Balicasag - forest of black coral and general variety
Coron bay - wrecks
Apo island - general variety
Moalboal -pescador island -general variety
also:
Basuanga/El nido-possibility of dugongs
Donsol-whale sharks (snorkelling)

We will probably be doing our diving courses in Puerto Galera, so we'll get to do some diving there too, but is there anything that really can't be missed in Puerto Galera? This is just a basic list so far, so any advice would be greatly appreciated! Like, will some of these dives be too advanced for us or are there better places to see the things i have mentioned? Also, we have decided to skip Tubattaha due to the cost. We are also undecided as to whether or not to visit Apo reef or Anilao. Any advice would be great! Thank you SO much!

 

[Hammerhead]

Others will chime in soon, no doubt, but if you do go to PG, take the day tour over to Verde Island (maximum marine diversity anywhere - look it up).

Must do dive is also Canyons in a current or Kilima drift if they will let you...


Edit: - good luck with the hammerheads in Cabilao, there's not may of us left. Saw quite a few in Bohol 10 years ago, went back 3 years ago for a longer trip and saw just one

 

[shugar]

hi sky,

if you're just going to take your OW (and maybe AOW) in PG then you will definitely benefit from spending a lot of your time in the PG area with a stint in anilao (across the channel)...

both locations are very good for new divers (anilao more so because of less currents) and would be great for you to get your skills dialed in - it's also excellent diving so you're definitely not getting stuck with a glorified swimming pool

after that the rest of the country is yours for the taking - i'd suggest the visayas - dumaguete/apo island and bohol... based on the trip reports it's amazing wall and drift diving that would round out the reef stuff you'll be getting a lot of in PG/ anilao

hope this helps, feel free to dig for more info, there's a wealth of info here in the PPD - even the best dive ops and resorts

welcome to the PPD!

Jag

 

[Mampsa]

I agree, PG, Agapito and anilao. If you get to go to all those places during your stay here in PI, then that would be the ultimate vacation,...for me anyway. Have a great trip!

 

[Liberty01]

Well, once in the Visayas, many different dive locations are within easy reach.
Remember that dives sites where you are likely to see big stuff involve mostly deep dives in strong currents (for some reason, my dives in the Philippines were about 10m deeper than anywhere else!) and thus some experience you have to get first.
Yours,
Liberty

 

[Traminer]

As per Hammerhead, PG is totally crazy on variety. Batangas channel, Verde, Canyons, all the sites near the coast and even the wrecks in Sabang Bay or on dry land.
Panglao/Alona isn't too bad too but a lot more distance to the various sites.