I live and work in Manila (the capital of the Philippines). Most of us carpool from here to Anilao in Batangas when Saturday rolls around. Our usual style is two-dives out, you know: launch off in a
banca (outrigger boat) to one dive site (easy does it at first), gas off on some island over snacks while the
bangkeros change our tanks (I know, I know, we’re a bit spoiled), then head off on the second plunge (most likely a drift dive this time) before motoring back to the resort for laaate lunch.
At this point, it’s usually the non-diving companions’ turn to make a shore entry, escorted by the resident dive master for an intro-dive in the house reef (circling jacks there, a lone turtle, flutter of cuttlefish).
If we’re staying overnight, we squeeze in a night dive, otherwise we hit the road back to Manila (making sure we talk the diver-driver’s ear off to keep her energized).
These are our confidence-building dives.
Later, we venture out farther—say, in Verde and Puerto Galera’s waters (still in Luzon) where we get a taste of bigger-and-brighter (critters and viz-wise)—and farther still in the Visayas (a favorite is Malapascua’s manta rays and thresher sharks). We fly out to Palawan for the Coron wrecks one summer, to Puerto Princesa the next (for a pre-booked live-aboard to Tubbataha Reefs).
The funny thing is, the biggest creature I ever saw, a whaleshark, was because of snorkeling (the Donsol tourism office doesn’t allow scuba).
Originally Posted by PinayDiver
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