Visayas trip report : Cabilao-Alona-Dauin-Moalboal April 18

[J.A.]

I'm a bit like you with regards to the Phils : for UW I like Balicasag for the schools of fish, the incredible soft corals on Pescador as well as the sardines schools on Panagsama shores. Apo island is lagging behind in my list because of the relative lack of fish.

With regards to wide angle, Anilao can offer some gems : you probably dived Beatrice, if you haven't that is worthwhile even though often current swept, Twin Rocks which used to host a jackfish school is worth too.
Verde island for its anthias blizzard should not be missed when in Puerto Galera, though I am not a fan (undestatement) of PG settings attracting either cheapo or technical divers or the bunch of "lonely" old men looking for distraction, hence not going back either (I like to move around when I'm going somewhere, the general atmosphere of a place is also part of my appreciation). If you're still going to PG try to locate on Big la Laguna, further away a bit quieter.

On my part, I was disappointed with Southern Leyte in 2022, there might be a few sites still good like Napantao wall even though you can see the shallows have been badly hit, deeper on the wall the coral bushes of black coral is the main feature that will stand out, the dive guide I used confirmed to me Sogod Bay wasn't what it used to be and whole parts really suffered, some other sites are crushed or quite uninteresting (turtles again). On the macro part I don't think it's worth the hassle : the most famous site on Padre Burgos jetty was closed (I wonder whether it has now re-opened) and what they call "little Lembeh" is more little than anything, really nothing to call home about. Add on top there is nothing to do around else than diving and only a couple of dive centers, TBH I won't go back, I've seen much better dive sites.

I really enjoyed looking at your portfolio, although even though I think I recognized in your images some places in Raja Ampat, I'm wondering why don't you prioritize the whole of Indonesia rather than the Phils. In terms of coral color, I think Indonesia is far superior to the Phils. On my "wide angle" list I put Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor or Bangka on top of the coral color array.

Thanks again Luko

I love your encyclopedic knowledge about the dive sites, especially from a photographic point of view. Thanks for sharing it.
Yes, I prefer Indo over Phils, but I've been many times in many places there and I hope to return there again as much as possible (I still have some areas that I haven't dived yet, i.e Alor, Lombok, Timor Leste )
I'm returning to Phils mainly because I will go with all my family ( all experienced divers and my 2 daughters are also photographers) and it will be 6-week trip, which is more affordable to do in Phils than Indo.
Your comments about S. Leyte confirmed my thinking, so i will skip it.

As for PG, my main interest is to dive at Verde Island as much as possible. I'm considering La Laguna because their location looks quieter, but not sure about the quality of their dive operation ( boats , guides , etc ), because I don't find much information about them. My other option so far is Scandi Divers but their accommodation seems maybe too basic, so not sure where to stay/dive with yet.

You're right about the w.a dive sites in Anilao. I hope that they are still good !

Glad you liked my photos, a big compliment! thanks

Regards

JA

 

[J.A.]

I was blown away by the coral colours in Belongas Bay Lombok. Did 12 dives there with Wild Scuba Indonesia and it was awesome. I will go back again for sure.

Thanks for the tip about Lombok ! I will put in my list for my next trip to Indo

 

[Blackcrusader]

Thanks for the tip about Lombok ! I will put in my list for my next trip to Indo

Diving in Belongas Bay at Lombok with Wild Scuba Indonesia is really also sports diving. Fast currents, amazing marine life... Diving in Lembongan was already really good and I did the dive to Crystal Bay to get video of the Mola Mola. Water was a wee bit chilly 22c.


A chat with a diver I met in Maldives in May. He went to dive in Belongas Bay with Jay from Wild Scuba Indonesia