Pagasa, Spratly Islands

[World Wide Diver]

Have any members been here?

I am making arrangements and hope to go to Pagasa for a few weeks diving (will take compressor, etc).

I have heard conflicting reports - fabulous reefs, overfishing (blast/cyanide), etc (the usual).

However, I think that this area is relatively an unexplored place for divers.

I would very much like to hear from anyone who has been there.

WWD

[acelockco]

I can't even imaging the logistics of something like that. Bringing scuba cylinders, a compressor, weights and all of the other gear needed along with your non scuba things. PLEASE let us know more about how you are going to do this and let us know how it works out.

Good luck

[World Wide Diver]

The logistics are a bit involved.

However, we have very good friends here who have contacts on Pagasa who can help.

As yet, there is no real dive tourism there, but there is a willingness to open up Pagasa to dive tourism. Some think that the diving there might be spectacular. Others say that there is a lot of overfishing.

This is why we want to go and see for ourselves.

We'll let you know more when arrangements have been firmed up.

WWD

[Mampsa]

wow, thats a very interesting project. Yes pls let us know the results.

If you discover a reef there, that could mean good business for you without competitors.......yet.

good luck!

[The Publisher]

WWD, sounds like a really interesting place although we're going to do Davao per you first!

[World Wide Diver]

Pleased that you are planning to dive Davao. Get in touch and let us know when. Happy to help you plan.

Think we're going to Pagasa in November. I'll post a trip report to let any interested divers know how we planned the trip and what we saw.

[bttmdwllr]

Been there, yes it is overfished generally. The easier way to get there is to call up the Shemberg office in Cebu and find out if they have a trip there this year.

Overall there really isnt much fish and coral left bec of blast and cyanide and just plain overfihing. There are several areas though that produced mantas, small school of devil rays, and a thresher shark. Oh and tunas the size of a volkswagen beetle. Tubbataha is soooo much better.

Oh and there was a beautiful wreck we found but the shallowest part was at 125 feet.

[World Wide Diver]

How many sites did you dive there and did you gps them? Do you think that the wreck military or commercial?

I would also be interested to know if you saw shark/did anyone say if there are shark there? I do know that this area is one of the major Chinese shark fishing areas.

Can you also say what time of year you were there?

Thanks for any info.

[AsiaDiveParadise]

Blessed day,
Any news and updates?

[The Publisher]

I no longer have any contacts in Davao that I would use, so no plans at the moment to go to Davao....We just returned from Oriental Negros producing a dive tourism HD video for a Dumaguete based resort.

Between that HD footage and HD footage we shot prior to that for a tourism video we're going to produce to give to the Bohol Tourism Office and a different one for Panglao Island based resort, we have some video editing to do!

I am not sure where we will go next. I know Malapascua and Moalboal are popular dive tourism destinations, Leyte is popular for the butandings, and I need to stick to well established scuba places easy to get to for potential dive travelers.