Question Where to Dive in the Philippines That's NOT Focused on Muck Diving

[living4experiences]

I'm diving at El Galleon in Puerto Galera in March 2025 and would like to continue from there and dive somewhere else in the Philippines that is not a muck-centric location. I don't mind doing a muck dive on occasion, but I don't want to go somewhere that that's the focus of the diving. Any recommendations for locations and resorts? A/C is a requirement.

Thanks!

 

[clownfishsydney]

“Award-winning dive pioneer — and inventor of the term “muck diving” — Bob Halstead passed away in December 2018. Halstead, 74, was a prolific author and underwater photographer and much-loved character. He led many divers on trips to his beloved Papua New Guinea over the years.’

Per the Wiki, “He has made significant contributions to the sport of scuba diving in a multitude of capacities: photographer, author of eight diving books, early innovator in the development of dive tourism, pioneer in the dive liveaboardindustry, diving instructor and educator, marine-life explorer and influential diving industry commentator. An ardent diver since 1968, Halstead has over 10,000 logged dives.”

I know who he is and met him a few times. Not sure he invented the term. In any case, it is a stupid way to describe the sort of diving.

 

[bluesails]

Thanks for all the input. My personal definition of muck diving is a dive with your head in the sand looking for critters. I have aging eyes and I use a magnifying glass to see the super small stuff. For me, that's not enjoyable for the whole dive. I did my first "muck" dive in Raja Ampat last year. It was at night. The entire dive was looking in the sand, and there was no option to swim over to the reef because there was no reef. I wouldn't have been able to find much if it hadn't been for the guide pointing things out. When you have a torch, a camera, and a magnifying glass, it's a balancing act. I mostly admired and not photographed the things that required the magnifying glass. Or sometimes I'd take the photo without the magnifying glass and hope for the best because my eyes couldn't see the critter but the camera could.

For me, macro diving is finding the smaller critters throughout the reef, in the coral, on the rocks, in the sand. In my mind, macro diving is a part of diving. I enjoy looking at all things, big and small. Wrecks are not my favorite, but the occasional reef and wreck dive is fine.

I've poked around here and find very few trip reports about Tubbataha. However, Undercurrent has several postings from the 2023 and 2024 season, and it's not all glowing reviews, both for the liveaboard experience and the diving.

Reviews of Malapascua reflect the area is overrun with too many boats and divers. And it's a PITA to get there. I don't structure a dive trip around a single species (thresher sharks) because that sets you up for disappointment, and I like the variety of reef diving.

As I get older, I'm looking for epic diving to make the travel, time, and expense worth it. I rarely go to the same location twice because there's so much to explore and so little time left (for the dying reefs and my tolerance for getting across the globe).

I did Tubbataha this year and due to extremely warm water temperatures the week I was there, we didn't see as many of the big-ticket items as others did. Our week had a manta and a hammerhead sighting but no whale sharks. That said, it was some of the most gorgeous, pristine, healthy reef diving I've ever done. Schools of fish exhibiting their natural behaviors, even fish that I didn't realize schooled (like a large school of coronetfish!??!?! which I had never seen); the most sharks on the reef I've ever seen diving (mostly grey / whitetips / silvertips), easily 10+ sharks per dive and some adorable schools of juveniles; barracuda schools and schools of jacks (that unfortunately were a little deeper/farther from us because of the intensely warm water); turtles galore; etc. Some of the sites felt like the Swiss alps of coral reef views, honestly, just some really stunning coral reef landscapes to see on our surface intervals.

It's pretty much all wall diving with plenty to see down the wall and on top of the reef as well. It's also more affordable than other liveaboards around the world imo. DESPITE some people thinking the week was a bust because no whale shark, it was a surreal beautiful experience and if I could afford it I'd go back every year. One of our divers had come back every year for seven years and had some incredible photos.

Oh and based on a quick look at Instagram for the LOB I was on, the other trips saw whale sharks, mantas, etc once the water was less extremely warm. I think we just had bad luck. I don't think it's as frequent as past years, but generally they expect one "big" sighting like that per liveaboard group.

 

[Centrals]

I had done Tubattaha three times yrs ago and it was hit and miss. The reef is huge and pelagic just do not like to hang around one certain spot especially the whaleshark.
Mar and June is either too early or late because of the weather.

The term "muck diving" has been around many yrs and understood by most divers. "Stupid"? I don't think so.

 

[cetacean]

I know who he is and met him a few times. Not sure he invented the term. In any case, it is a stupid way to describe the sort of diving.

Not stupid... actually fairly descriptive as to a type of diving. Odd thing to be annoyed about (unless you wake up each day fairly grumpy...)

 

[Blackcrusader]

Thanks for all the input. My personal definition of muck diving is a dive with your head in the sand looking for critters.

As I get older, I'm looking for epic diving to make the travel, time, and expense worth it. I rarely go to the same location twice because there's so much to explore and so little time left (for the dying reefs and my tolerance for getting across the globe).

I'm about to turn 64. I just returned from a great 10 diving day trip to Panglao Bohol. Lot's of good diving there. I was with Big Blue divers. Bohol Divers Club also good dived with them as well. I was able to just search and find things myself while my guide just tagged along doing his own thing. I had cataracts and Tri Focul ocular lenses done on my eyes. My left lens has a macro setup so I can see the tiny things. So right eye and left eye have slightly different lenses bespoke for each eye. Some of the other divers on the boat were like, dang how is it the old guys doesn't have prescription lens or wear glasses. Eyes like and eagle but can see the tiny tiny critters lol.

When I dive it's normally 10 - 14 diving days. Read from this to last page my photos and video's from Bohol last month.

I stayed at a resort where the dive shop is located. I paid around US$385 for 11 nights. My 30 dives cost US$735 and 7 of these were island trips with BBQ lunch on board. so US$24.5 a dive.

TG photos, Show us what you shot.

Blenny - Wreck of the Rio - Miami, FL TG5- Dual Strobe

scubaboard.com

 

[Centrals]

^
LOL.
Southern Leyte. Period.

 

[Germie]

Here another diver that does not like muckdiving. Or only for 1-2 dives.
We go to Moalboal and Malapascua. I haven't been there, so cannot tell how it really was. We have booked from Moalboal Pescador Island, Oslob (yes, Whalesharks ) and Simulon Island. In Malapascua of course the sites with treshers, tigers and Gato Island for the reef sharks.
In Moalboal and Malapascua I also have booked a dive to see the mandarin fish. I have told the divecenters that I am a wide angle photographer, so I don't want to see sand. Hope they really do what they have promised.

 

[Centrals]

Here another diver that does not like muckdiving. Or only for 1-2 dives.
We go to Moalboal and Malapascua. I haven't been there, so cannot tell how it really was. We have booked from Moalboal Pescador Island, Oslob (yes, Whalesharks ) and Simulon Island. In Malapascua of course the sites with treshers, tigers and Gato Island for the reef sharks.
In Moalboal and Malapascua I also have booked a dive to see the mandarin fish. I have told the divecenters that I am a wide angle photographer, so I don't want to see sand. Hope they really do what they have promised.

Do you really need to book the dive to see Mandarin fish in Malapascua? The dive is available every day.

 

[Germie]

Do you really need to book the dive to see Mandarin fish in Malapascua? The dive is available every day.

I have made a reservation with a divecenter and said: we want to do these and these dives. And they agreed. I expect then that they do what we have asked for and not say yes and do no.

 

[jale]

I don't think you understand what muck diving really is... it's not (only) diving on mucky substrate, it's also searching for small(er) critters, which is absolutely what Anilao is. Anilao is interesting in part because you're searching for critters on white sand, coral, etc .Other than Sombrero, all the sites are much more about the small critrers, not big schools of fish and large reef scenes.

Well, English is not my mother tongue so thanks to teach me about the change of meaning of 'muck" when it is connected to diving.
So then you are right, Anilao is about "muck diving".
For your information, Anilao is also about large reef scenes, deep beautiful walls and pinnacles with huge fans and even two caves. At that moment, two large schools of fish are moving around the cost also.
Anilao is definitively not only critters