Where is Best for Groups and Regional Varieties of the Philippines
by David Prichard and Lily Mak, Enchanted Sea Images, Inc., Dallas, TX
WHEN A CUSTOMER TELLS YOU, “We want it all,” while talking about a future dive trip destination, what do you say? Or “we want somewhere that has warm, clear water, plus the largest number of fish and coral species to see, with the ‘bucket list’ of marine critters that we won’t find in the usual tropical destinations that we normally dive.”
“Well, I guess you want us to take you to the Coral Triangle region in the South Pacific,” you respond. “I was just thinking about planning a trip to the Philippines, where they have over 3,000 species of fish and about 500 species of coral in the third largest coral reef system in the world.” You add that the country is located just north of the equator, so water temperatures usually range from 79–84º F (26-29 C), which meets the first criteria the customer wanted.
The Coral Triangle region of Southeast Asia in the South Pacific has the highest level of marine biodiversity in the world and includes the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and nearby islands. This great degree of biodiversity was caused by this region not being encased in ice during the “Ice Age,” so life below and above the waves continued to flourish and develop.
The Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch) lasted from approximately 2.58 million years ago to about 11,700 years ago, but archaeological findings reveal human activity in the Mindoro area of the Philippines as far back as 20,000-25,000 years ago, with use of various types of boats on unfrozen water. During this period, sea levels dropped drastically, so that of the 7,641 current islands of the Philippines, there were only six to eight land masses in total, with some land bridges to mainland Asia.
Getting to the Philippines: With just a few exceptions, most international travel involves arriving at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. There you can catch ground transportation to gateways on Luzon Island for boat transportation to nearby islands, or transfer over to the domestic terminal for flights to other Philippine island destinations. A word of warning: unlike many transportation hub airports, the international terminals and the domestic terminal are not currently physically connected, so transportation by bus, a hired van, or taxi is needed to get you from one terminal to the next. Please allow plenty of time between flights for this transition.
Like many international destinations now, the Philippines allows you a quicker immigration experience by having you fill out both your immigration forms and health declaration online before arrival through their “eTravel” application site where you fill out your personal information and upload photos of your passport and yourself. Once submitted and approved, you will receive a QR code to present (either printed from your computer or on your travel electronic device via their eTravel app) at the immigration station at the airport along with your passport (and possibly a visa, depending upon your nationality).
Heading to the Verde Island Passage: One of the most common destinations for Philippine dive trips is centered around the Verde Island Passage, which is a strait of water between the main island of Luzon and the island of Mindoro. Many of the popular dive resorts are on both sides of the strait, with key “muck diving” macro-photography sites along the southern portion of Luzon in the Batangas/Anilao region, while the other side requires boat or ferry transport from Batangas City docks across the strait to Mindoro and the Puerto Galera region for reef diving. Both areas allow you to check off most of your bucket list creatures.
At rush hour, travel from Manila’s airport to the Batangas City area can be slow, as Manila is a major city with a population of around 15 million area residents, with traffic to match. Expect a 2–3-hour journey of approximately 100+ kilometers (60+ miles), with most of it just trying to get out of the city. On a personal note, Philippine drivers can be aggressive in their driving tactics, and often in our van transport we hear someone mutter, “Thank God I’m not driving.”
Philippine transportation is also innovative, as a common sight on the roads are public transport “buses” called Jeepneys that were originally individually crafted from Jeep truck chassis. These are formally U.S. Army transport vehicles left in the Philippines when the United States military exited the country in phases from the end of WWII through 1992, when the last base closed. No two Jeepneys are alike, and decorations are at the discretion of the owner. Another common mode of transportation, often used as taxis, is the Philippine “trike,” which is a motorcycle with a sidecar attached and usually has a roof and windshield over everything and, again, is usually modified by the owner for an individual look and usage. Entire families can be seen on one motorcycle or trike. There is a saying here: “there is always room for one more!”
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To the east of the Batangas/Anilao and Puerto Galera areas, in the mid-channel of the passage, is the popular Verde Island, which is a full-day boat adventure from both areas. The submerged seamount claims to have the most fish, corals, and sea creatures per square foot anywhere on Earth. It is often hard to see an open patch of blue water because of all the schools of fish.
Flying to other islands: There are a few other areas of Luzon where you can go diving (such as the Subic Bay and Bicol areas), but the rest require a domestic flight to one of the other islands. If you like shipwreck diving, then a flight to the island of Palawan would be worth your while to see many WWII wrecks from heavy action in the retaking of the island by Allied forces, plus war relics on land to explore. You can also dive on a battleship in Subic Bay on Luzon, where the decommissioned USS New York was scuttled at the outbreak of the war. Many other shipwreck sites can be found on most of the islands, as well as mixed in on the reefs of Tubbataha Natural Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site) that can be reached by liveaboard dive boats.
Another popular island destination is the Dumaguete/Dauin area of Negros Oriental for macro shots of rare marine life. From here, you can also take a day trip to another designated nature park, Apo Island, for its abundance of fish and coral species. The Philippines has designated nearly 1,800 areas as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to ensure its marine life remains protected.
A short ferry ride from Dauin takes you to the southern tip of the island of Cebu, and in Oslob you can snorkel with whale sharks that are fed daily by fishermen as a tourist attraction. Near the north end of Cebu is Malapascua Island, where divers can view rare pelagic thresher sharks, while near mid-center of Cebu is the island of Bohol and its protected sanctuary areas of Balicasag Island and Panglao Island, where you can find dense areas of marine life. Across Cebu on its western side is Moalboal and its island of Pescador, where divers can experience the action of a “sardine run” and other pelagic fish in this protected sanctuary.
When to plan a trip: Being in a tropical zone, water temperatures remain warm throughout the year (as mentioned before, from 79-84º (26-29 C), but the rainy season is generally from June to November, which increases the chance of typhoons. However, the main dive sites described in this article are centrally located in the island group, with buffering islands located to the east that take the brunt of any storm. From March to May is a warm dry season, while December to February is also dry but with cooler air temperatures.
English is one of two official languages in the Philippines (the other being versions of Tagalog, depending upon island regions), so communication and signage are usually not a problem. There is a good chance that you have already had a conversation with someone from the Dumaguete area, as many corporate call centers are located there and around the Philippines. From the early days of being a colony of Spain, Spanish is also spoken in areas, and most of the population is Catholic, although all other religions are accepted as well.
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