Diving in the Philippines, April 2009:


Tubbataha, Anilao & Donsol

(a short summary from Hebrew)

Thanks to Kristian Andreasson for some photos of Tubbataha and to Ilan Ben Tov for additional u/w photo gear

Three weeks in the Philippines in which most of the time I was underwater, experiencing the best of what the Philippines can offer. There was no time to explore the country above water, maybe next time...
On the chase boat in Tubbataha
On the chase boat in Tubbataha

Tubbataha Liveaboard
The date was set a long time ago. In a 3 months diving season you should plan ahead so the date and boat were booked few month in advance. It's not always necessary but it always good to be on the safe side. If you are planning on getting there, book the Stella Maris Explorer. The other boats of Expedition Fleet seem to be less comfortable and over priced. Our boat was clean, spacious and comfortable.
The Stella Maris Explorer operating in Tubbataha
The Stella Maris Explorer operating in Tubbataha

The Tubbataha reefs are huge. I really didn't know what to expect to see, but throughout the trip I was amazed by the sheer size of those reefs above water, the large north atol is 13km x 3km. Just thinking of what is hidden under water makes you want to dive there for a few weeks.
Where is Tubbataha?
Where is Tubbataha?

Tubbataha is located about 150km south-east of Puerto Princesa, in the middle of the Sulu sea. Getting there took about 11 hours in high seas which made some of us a sea sick. Luckily the way back to mainland was smooth. It takes time getting used to the fact there is no land anywhere around you but 3 tiny spots: Birds Island, the lighthouse island and the sand bank where the rangers' station is. Other than that you are in the middle of the sea surrounded by water for miles and miles...
Fan Corals in Tubbataha
Fan Corals in Tubbataha

I booked the 'special trip' which is a 6 days diving trip. The boat offers 5 dives a day which is more than enough for a recreational diver like myself. Unfortunately I had some problems with my ears so I had to skip some dives. There is nitrox on board (but not free!) and only 12L tanks. I rented a 15L tank in Puerto Princesa and took it on board.
Reefscape of Tubbataha
Reefscape of Tubbataha

Most of the dives were drift dives, sometimes with very strong currents. In every dive we have seen white tip reef sharks, turtles and rays. Once we spotted a group of Thorny Rays. The reef itself is amazing, no other word to describe it. Tough it's less colorful than other places I've dived in (the Red Sea) it is healthy and rich with hard and soft corals in big formations and huge barrel sponges which were amazing in their size! Absolutely fantastic! Need to say that most of the sites are wall diving sites?
A diver and a huge barrel sponge in Tubbataha
A diver and a huge barrel sponge in Tubbataha

What we didn't see were Mantas and Whale Sharks. They do come here sometimes, but like many other places in the world, they became too rare. Even if you are looking for big animals, Tubbataha has some good macro life. You just need to look for it and you'll find Pigmy sea horses on the fan corals.
Pigmy Sea Horse on a fan coral
Pigmy Sea Horse on a fan coral

If you are planing of getting to the Philippines and you have the money (well, Tubbataha is nothing but cheap) go there! Just remember that seeing big animals is not that common, that is if you are looking for hammer heads, mantas or whale sharks. But white tip reef sharks are everywhere.
White Tip Reef Sharks in Tubbataha White Tip Reef Sharks in Tubbata

At the top of the walls in Tubbataha there is always a stunning pinnacle At the top of the walls in Tubbataha there is always a stunning pinnacle

Big school of Jacks
Big school of Jacks

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Diving in Anilao
Anilao was the middle part of our trip to the Philippines. After a week on a boat with very demanding dives, we headed to Anilao for some relaxed shore diving. Not feeling compelled to 'chase' big animals we had great dives looking slowly for macro stuff. We stayed at Outrigger Resort which for me was a bit too basic, but we were the only guests there so our dives were even better with our own private dive master.
A rainbow appears after a tropical rain that blocked the view of the bay in Anilao
A rainbow appears after a tropical rain that blocked the view of the bay in Anilao

There are several dive sites near Anilao, I only had 4 dives, each one was good. Lots of nudibranches, frog fish, scorpion fish, sea lilies ans the list goes on... I must admit that in Anilao I've become a macro enthusiastic! I wish I had more time to spend in Anilao.
Underwater pictures of Anilao

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Whale Sharks in Donsol
That was the last part of our trip before heading to Hong Kong for a two days visit. Donsol was disappointing. What you read and sea before getting there is not at all what you're about to find out for yourself.
A banca on Donsol's beach
A banca on Donsol's beach

It's not the operators' fault (but they do have some responsibilities for it). I think Donsol is a great and wild place as far as for the whale sharks themselves. But for me it was a poor visit: murky water that has visibility of 2 meters or less and not too many encounters with sharks are given facts of nature BUT this is not what certain people publish about Donsol.
On the banca, waiting for the whale sharks
On the banca, waiting for the whale sharks

Apart from these facts-of-nature, the operators in Donsol are not keeping their word in many aspects: Too many boats at one time, too many snorklers per one shark in one encounter. It seems that this whale sharks industry became a money monster in a bad way. I quite understand that the poor people of Donsol need the tourists' money, but it became too big, too crowded, too money oriented. It might sound stupid if I write that drinking water that were promised and paid for were not on the banca, but just think of being few hours in a hot humid place and making a physical effort of snorkeling very hard and fast without drinking. One other thing that visitors should be aware of is the fact that you have to chase the sharks which became a bit frightened due to too many people. That is quite tiring. I wouldn't recommend going to Donsol, at least this is my point of view.
This is as good as it gets: It's impossible to see a whole shark due to bad visibility, it's either the head, the tail or the mid part of the body
This is as good as it gets: It's impossible to see a whole shark due to bad visibility, it's either the head, the tail or the mid part of the body



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