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DIVING IN BATANGAS
Batangas
Resorts:
Eagle
Point Resort - Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
Lago
De Oro - Balibao, Calatagan, Batangas
Aquaventure
Reef Club - Balangit, Mabini, Batangas
Diving
Sites:
Ligpo
Island
Location:
Located west of Ligpo Point
Access: 40 min N by banca
Average Depth: 90ft
Maximum
Depth: 200ft
Conditions: Calm but can have
some very strong currents that change quickly. for experienced divers
when currents are running with visibility up to 80ft.
This
island can be circumnavigated on one dive, but you may have to seek
shelter from the current. The eastern (shoreward) side has all the reef
fishes, but when the current is running various pelagic species can be
seen out of the depths. This is a good night dive at neap tides.
The
Cathedral
Location:
Located just off Bagalangit Point
Access: 5 min by
banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan Peninsula.
Average
Depth: 90ft
Maximum
Depth: 200ft
Conditions: Calm but can have some
strong currents that make photography difficult with visibility up to
80ft. The site is best dived at neap tide.
This
is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably the best-known Philippine dive
site. You can swim to this spot in about 6-10 minutes depending on the
current direction. Then you swim down a little more across sand with
small coral heads, soon to be met by hordes of fish. When the current is
running there are colorful feather stars and inflated soft corals
everywhere.
Eagle
Point
Location:
Located west of Eagle Point, south of the Cathedral
Access: 7 min by banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan
Peninsula.
Average
Depth: 33ft
Maximum
Depth: 60ft
Conditions: Generally
calm with a gentle current with visibility can reach 65ft.
This
is an easy dive with a shallow drop-off from 25ft to 60ft. There are
plenty of small reef fish, sponges, nudibranchs and feather stars.
Koala
Location:
Located South of Eagle Point
Access: 10 min by banca
Average
Depth: 60ft
Maximum
Depth: 80ft
Conditions: Generally calm with a medium
current with visibility up to 65ft.
Koala
is a good dive for novices with soft corals, some big boulders, small
reef fish and anemones with clownfish.
Dead
Point
Location:
Located off the small point south of Koala.
Access: 8-10
min south by boat from EAGLE POINT pier
Average
Depth: 33ft
Maximum
Depth: 70ft
Conditions: Calm with little current, which can get up to
medium with a visibility up to 65ft.
Offers
small coral heads on sand, plenty of small reef fish, sponges, feather
stars, soft corals, hydroids and anemones with clownfish.
Twin
Rocks
Location:
Located southeast of Twin Rocks
Access: 25min by banca
Average
Depth: 6m (20ft)
Maximum
Depth: 12m (40ft)
Conditions: Calm with
just a slight current with visibility up to 65ft.
A
gradual slope with sponges, algae, hydroids, feather starts and small
reef fish, sometimes shoals of barracuda and squid are seen.
Mainit
Point
Location:
Located at the southernmost point of the Calumpang
Peninsula, known as Cazador Point on the charts.
Access: 30 min. by boat
from Eagle Point pier south until off Mainit Point
Average
Depth: 50ft
Maximum Depth: 100ft
Conditions: Calm with just a slight current with
visibility up to 65ft.
There
are nice corals and many more. There is a cave at 23ft in which sharks
have been seen resting. The boulders are abound with soft corals and
anemones, together with many crinoids, colourful sea stars and
nudibranchs. Divers may have to shelter behind the rocks to be able to
photograph because of the strong currents.
Red
Rock
Location:
Located at the east side of the Calumpang Peninsula, opposite
Arthur's Rock
Access: 35 min. by boat from EAGLE POINT pier round the
southern end of the Calumpang Peninsula
Average
Depth: 25ft
Maximum
Depth: 40ft plus
Conditions: Calm with slight current and visibility up
to 65ft.
Red
Rock is an underwater coral with lots of feather stars, nudibranchs,
soft corals, hydroids and small fishes.
Beatrice
Rock
Location:
Located at the north of Sombrero Island at the northern end of
Maricaban strait.
Access: 15 min. by boar from Eagle Point pier
Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average
Depth: 45ft
Maximum
Depth: 90ft
Conditions: Calm with strong currents, but is exposed enough
to get very rough at times. Best dived at neap tides. Visibility up to
80ft.
There
are large barrel sponges, good gorgonians, black corals, soft corals,
stony corals, and anemones with clownfish, nudibranchs and sea stars. It
is densely populated with just about all the reef fish you could expect.
Sombrero
Island
Location:
Located north of Sepok Point, the northern end of Maricaban Island
Access: 12-15 min by boat from Eagle Point pier southwest across
the Maricaban Strait until Northwest of Sombrero Island.
Average
Depth:
33ft
Maximum
Depth: 60ft
Conditions: Calm with a strong current, but it
can get rough on the surface with visibility up to 80ft.
The
site contains much the same marine life as Beatrice Rock, but the fish
life is less prolific.
Bahura
Location:
Located at the northern part of Caban Island.
Access: 10 min by boat
from EAGLE POINT pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait until
Northwest of Sombrero Island.
Average
Depth: 50ft
Maximum
Depth: 100ft
Conditions: Calm with a strong current, but it can get rough on the
surface with visibility up to 80ft.
This
dive consists of slopes, small drop-offs, overhangs and swim-throughs.
It is much the same as Beatrice Rock with teeming fish life and fierce
currents.
Layag-Layag
Location:
Located at the northwest corner of Caban Island.
Access: 11 - 14 min. by
boat from Eagle Point pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depthv 33ft
Maximum
Depth: 60ft
Conditions: Calm with medium to
fierce currents; considered to be a good snorkelling site, but it is
essential that would-be snorkellers understand tide tables and choose
slack water.
The
coral is teeming with marine life and often has very good visibility.
All the expected smaller reef fish are to be seen and, when the currents
are running, shoals of pelagic fish are common.
Kirby's
Rock
Location:
Located at the Northeast face of Caban Island.
Access: 10 min by
boat from Eagle Point pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth: 40ft
Maximum
Depth: 108ft
Conditions: Calm with strong
currents. Snorkellers should understand tide tables, choose slack water
and stay on the shallow reef, inshore of the rock with visibility up to
100ft.
Kirby's
Rock sticks out of the water. On its shoreward side it drops to
5m(16ft), from where the reef slopes upwards to the shore. This side of
the rock and the reef to the shore has good coral cover and fish life.
Several
crevices harboring moray eels can be found at the bottom of the wall.
There are many whip corals and anemones with clownfish among the coral
heads on the sand. There are lots of colourful wrasse, most species of
reef fish and the occasional pelagic visitor. An ideal dive for
photographers, if you are able to hit slack water.
Caban
Cove
Location:
Located at the central east face of Caban Island.
Access: 12 min.
by boat from Eagle Point pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth: 33ft
Maximum
Depth: 50ft
Conditions: Calm with little
current with visibility can reach 65ft.
A
sheltered dive so long as you avoid the outer ends of the cove, where
currents can be strong. A good dive for novices, with mixed corals and
lots of small fish.
Daryl
Laut
Location:
Located at the west side of Caban Island.
Access: 13 min. by boat
from EAGLE POINT pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait
Average
Depth: 65ft
Maximum
Depth: 90ft
Conditions: Calm with slight current
with visibility can reach 65 ft.
The
site is not one of the best but is interesting for beginners. It has
plenty of the smaller reef fishes.
Sepok
Wall
Location:
Located west of Sepok Point, the Northwest tip of Maricaban
Island.
Access:
15 min by boat from Eagle Point pier southwest across
the Maricaban Strait.
Average
Depth: 50ft
Maximum
Depth: 90ft
Conditions: Calm with a medium current, but it can get rough with strong
currents with visibility up to 100 ft.
Normally
an easy and very pretty dive, with good coral gardens around 16 ft and a
wall dropping to 90 ft. The shallow water teems with a profusion of
small reef fish, while the wall has bigger reef fish, Barrel Sponges,
gorgonian sea fans, a multitude of different species of nudibranchs, sea
cucumbers and pelagic visitors.
Bethlehem
Location:
Located at the southern end of Caban Island
Access: 15-17 min. by boat
from Eagle Point pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average
Depth: 33ft
Maximum
Depth: 50ft
Conditions: Calm with a little current
with visibility up to 65 ft.
On
this steep coral slope, you find a mixture of soft and stony corals,
hydroids, crinoids and small reef fish.
Mapating
Rock
Location:
Located southwest of Sepok Point
Access: 20 min. by boat from
Eagle Point pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait and around the
Northwest end of Maricaban Island. This is open water and requires a
guide or boatman who knows the site, or it is easily missed.
Average
Depth: 65ft
Maximum
Depth: 130ft
Conditions: Calm with very strong
currents, out can become very rough with visibility up to 100 ft.
This
submerged rock is surrounded by a shallow area, which ends in a series
of drop-offs. The area is large, and the currents really are fierce;
this is a site for experienced divers only. The marine life is profuse,
with all varieties of fish, several pelagic species.
Merriel's
Rock
Location:
Located at the central part of the Northwest face of Maricaban
Island, Northwest face of Maricaban Island, north of Bursar Point.
Access: 20-25 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the
Maricaban Strait and around the Northwest tip of Maricaban Island.
Average Depth: 60ft
Maximum
Depth: 80ft
Conditions: Calm with strong
currents, but it can become very rough with visibility up to 80 ft.
In
the shallow reefs and gullies, strong currents may be encountered. The
site is rich in many different species. It is best dived in the morning,
as it can get rough on the surface in the afternoon winds.
Devil's
Point
Location:
Located at the southwest point of Maricaban Island; known as
Burijar Point on the charts.
Access: 25-30 min. by boat from Eagle Point
pier southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average
Depth: 45ft
Maximum
Depth: 90ft
Conditions: Calm with medium-strong currents, but it can get
rough with strong currents with visibility up to 80 ft.
A
coral slope from 20 ft to 80 ft with good mixed corals and lots of small
fish.
Red
Palm
Location:
Located at Maricaban Island 2.5 km directly south, opposite Mainit
Point (Cazador Point).
Access:
30-35 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier
south around the Calumpan Peninsula, then across the Maricaban Strait
directly south of Mainit Point to Maricaban Island. The PCSSD buoy on
the beach was once a mooring for this dive site.
Average
Depth: 33ft
Maximum Depth: 80ft
Conditions: Calm with medium-strong currents, but it
can get rough with strong currents with visibility up to 80 ft.
A
steep coral slope, Red Palm has good and very large lettuce corals. The
small reef fish life is prolific.
Bonito
(Culebra Island)/Malajibomanoc Island
Location:
Located at the Eastern end of
Maricaban Island
Access: 45-50 min. by boat from EAGLE POINT pier
across the Maricaban Strait.
Average
Depth: 60ft
Maximum
Depth: 80ft
Conditions: Calm with strong currents, but both areas can become very
rough and visibility can reach 80 ft.
These
two marine sanctuaries have patches of coral heads on sandy slopes.
Currents are often fierce, making it necessary to try and find sheltered
patches.
When
Taal volcano increases its activity, this area does also, releasing
curtains of fine bubbles. There are good soft and stony corals, barrel
sponges and crinoids. The fish life is plentiful. Sea stars, sea
urchins, sea cucumbers, sting rays and moray eels can be found in the
sandy areas.
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