Your favorite Anilao Divesite

[shugar]

why dont' you join the dive-o-rama? it's coincided with portulano's cleanup drive on the 24th... you're welcome to come along with us

Jag

 

[chip104]

Hey, any news on the cleanup going on in Anilao this weekend? Isit 2 late 2 join?

Hi Gerrard, call the number and see if you can do it. As of last thursday there was space still available but not at aquaventure (people organizing it). As spoon says, it'll be hella crowded that weekend in anilao.

 

[Spoon]

Hi Gerrard, call the number and see if you can do it. As of last thursday there was space still available but not at aquaventure (people organizing it). As spoon says, it'll be hella crowded that weekend in anilao.

chip, youre really going thru with the cleanup? i was there last week in aquav and it took me a whole hour to settle my bill, i can imagine how this weekend will be.

 

[chip104]

yea, to be honest, our group couldn't even get in to aquaV, we had to settle for maharlika (sp?) resort. After seeing how much of a pain in the @$$ it was to get a booking we decided we weren't going to do it. But then the organizer called Iris back and said that a lot of freebies will be given out (BCDs, regs, beer, etc...), etc. so even though we aren't going to be in aquaventure we decided to go through with it. You're right, I'll probably be waiting long cause of the chaos and overcrowding, but I figured I might as well try my luck for a BCD or reg!

It's the first time I'll be part of a clean up so I'm not sure what to expect.

 

[Spoon]

my current favorite for shooting macro life is kerby's rock and sombrero! man those are good sites, devoid of current and good viz!

 

[clgsamson]

You two blokes write something about your dive , cmon cmon dont leave us hanging here with envy.

 

[Spoon]

You two blokes write something about your dive , cmon cmon dont leave us hanging here with envy.

si chip nalang il let him describe it as it was his first time in those sites. il tel you though sombrero yielded her secrets to the lucky few

 

[chip104]

si chip nalang il let him describe it as it was his first time in those sites. il tel you though sombrero yielded her secrets to the lucky few

Yep, first time I went to those sites & first time I went to Anilao during a weekday! Viz was awesome (give or take about 30+ meters for all sites). We arrived AquaV around quarter to 9 and were the only ones there. Didn't waste any time - back rolled off the bangka and into Bahura at 9:50am...

1st dive: Bahura was pretty decent. Nice macro. While the DM and 2 others stayed at around 80ft, Spoon gave me his personal tour of the place down at around 120ft. Dive time was about 50 mins.

Some highlights: pretty cool looking mantis shrimp, following Spoon into the overhead area - really put my buoyancy control to the test, feeling 'groovy' at 120 ft, seeing a triggerfish pair fight off the ~25 fish that found it's egg nest (they lost and I saw no more eggs left. That's the circle of life...). The part I actually liked the best was performing the deco stops at the end of the dives at 50ft, 40ft, 30ft, 20ft, 10ft in a strong current. We were performing the stops along the ledge in between thousands of schooling fish (no joke) that were dancing in unison to stay static in the current. Then at 20ft Spoon raised the balloon to signal our location to the boat. Pretty cool

2nd Dive: Went around the corner to Kirby's Rock after spending about an hour on top (we ate a huge pizza to satisfy the hunger. Kind courtesy of Rose, Spoon's friend). Great wall dive. I actually started out with a leaking 1st stage so I had to surface back up for 5 mins while the boatmen whipped out the monkey wrench and fixed the problem on the spot (I had to tip them well after this!). Spoon just stayed below taking pics waiting for me (thanks guy!).

Some highlights: smallest clown fish I've ever seen (1/2 inch), accidentally punching a triggerfish (I was scaring away another trigger when the one I punched swam inbetween us. It's always the pacifist that ends up getting hurt...), swimming in between the canyon and spotting a camoflouged puffed up pufferfish. Had to perform deco stops again but this time in zero current. It was a good relaxing dive.

3rd dive: Spent an hour and a half airing off on the badjacent beach (see spoon with spear gun) then went to the back side of sombrero. This was the best dive I've ever been on thus far since the area is extrememely virgin. Sombrero lives up to its reputation. Deepest we went was 80ft but it we spent most of the time around 60ft. The dive was really is surreal and you really feel like you're in an alien planet (4m diameter table corals, and 3m high crater corals, I shiet you not!).

Some highlights (hard to pick out cause the entire dive was amazing!): the beginning of the dive cause we were swimming through the ridges. The cuttlefish we stumbled upon! Then the rapid colour changes when Spoon chased after it! The Napolean wrasse hiding from the current. The 1/4 inch crab in the anemone. Seeing Spoon scare the crap out of Rose (nice one bro!). Rose scaring the crap out of me (couldn't find her at one point but I never bothered to look above me!). My favourtie part was the end. We hit a current point and had to take shelter in between these coral rocks. Spoon managed to spot a moray pair in between the thick coral brush.

I unfortunately missed the shark. It gives me an excuse to go back.

In summary, I recommend going AWOL during the weekday. I'm used to crowds, but being the only group at AquaV was awesome (yes, swapang! heheh)! For DOR II I recommend we do at least one dive at sombrero. No buts.

Spoon, post some uw pics!

 

[shugar]

hmmm... you know my official schedule for this term leaves me "free" tuesdays and thursdays hehehehehe

great report!

Jag

 

[chip104]

Next sem I'll only be taking one class and scheduled lab work will be flexible... let's definitely plan something!