asia dive news top dive site in the philippines anilao subic bay busuanga cabilao island balicasag island moalboal Apo Island Malapascua Tubbataha Reefs nasugbu cathedral rock beatricerock anlilao dive sitet Site guide in Anilao Finally, the most awaited event of the year is just around the corner. The Sinulog buzz is in the air as bazaars have finally lined up the streets and selling everybody’s favorite goods. We can all see (and feel) it now. The sea of people, the addicting beats, the humid air, the sticky feel of sweat […]

 

BAHURA

Location: North of Caban Island
Access: 30 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with very strong currents, but can also get very rough on the surface. Best dived during neap tides. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft

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: The northwest corner of Caban Island
Access: 30 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with medium to fierce currents. Visibility can reach 100ft
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 60 ft

Extensive coral formations cover a steep though shallow slope from 16 to 60 ft. Currents can be fierce, so the choice of slack water and preferably neap tide is essential.

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, schools of pelagic fish are common. This dive is known for its very large Spanish Dancer nudibranchs.

KIRBY'S ROCK

Location: The northeast face of Caban Island
Access: 30 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with strong currents. Visibility can reach 100 ft.
Average depth: 40 ft
Maximum depth: 108 ft

Kirby's Rock sticks out of the water. On its shoreward side it drops 16 ft from where the reef slopes upwards to the shore. This side of the rock and the reef to the shore have good coral cover and fish life, including soft and leathery corals, crinoids, hydroids, feather duster worms, Christmas tree worms, blue sea squirts, linckia sea stars, cushion stars and Bohadschia sea cucumbers and is teeming with reef fish.

On the seaward side the rock drops as a wall to 65 ft and then shelves slowly off on sand with coral patches to 108ft. This wall is rich with soft corals, colorful crinoids, good size barrel sponges, white finger sponges, hydroids, sea stars, alabaster sea cucumbers, medium-size gorgonian sea fans, segmented worms, feather duster worms, Christmas-tree worms and many different species of nudibranchs and flat worms. The wall is covered in small bright yellow Cucumaria sea cucumbers.

The bottom of the wall has several crevices harbouring moray eels, and there are many whip corals and anemones with downfish among the coral heads on the sand. There are lots of colorful wrasse, most species of reef fish and occasional pelagic visitor. Also an ideal dive for photographers, if you are able to hit slack water.

CABAN COVE

Location: The central east face of Caban Island.
Access: 30 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with little current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 50 ft
This is a sheltered dive so long as you avoid the outer ends of the cove, where currents can be strong. The gradual coral slope 23-50 ft steepens as you get deeper. A good dive for novices with mixed corals and lots of small DARYL LAUT

Location: The west side of Caban Island.
Access: 35 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with a slight current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 90 ft

A minor wreck dive from 40ft to the bottom at 90 ft, the site is not one of the best but is interesting for novices. It has plentry of the smaller reef fish.

SEPOK WALL

Location: West of Sepok Point, the northwest tip of Maricaban Island.
Access: 45 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with a medium current, but it can get rough with strong current. Visibility can reach 100ft.
Average depth:50 ft
Maximum depth: 90 ft

Normally an easy and 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: The southern end of Caban Island
Access: 40 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with a little current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 50 ft

On this steep coral slope-from 16 ft to 50 ft - you will find a mixture of soft and stony corals, hydroids, crinoids and small reef fish.

MAPATING ROCK

Location: Southwest of Sepok Point
Access: 60 min by banca 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 because it is easy to miss.
Conditions: Generally calm with very strong currents, but can become very rough.
Visibility can reach 100ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 13 ft

This submerged rock is surrounded by a shallow area at 40 ft which ends in a series of frop offs down to 130 ft. 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 and sometimes Whitetip Reef Sharks and Grey Reef Sharks.

MERRIEL'S ROCK

Location: The central part of the northwest face of Maricaban Island, north of Burijar Point.
Access: 60 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait and around the northwest tip of Maricaban Island.
Conditions: Generally calm with strong currents, but it can become very rough. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 60 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft

Strong to fierce currents may be encountered in this cluster of shallow reefs and fullies. The site is rich in many different species of coral, anemones with clownfish, lots of the smaller reef fish, surgeonfish, sting rays, pufferfish and boxfish. It is best dived in the morning as it can get rough on the surface in afternoon winds.

DEVIL'S POINT

Location: The southwest point of Maricaban Island known as Burijar Point on the charts. Access: 65 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait and across the northwest end of Maricaban Island.
Conditions: Generally calm with medium-strong currents, but it can get rough with strong currents, Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft

A coral slope from 20 ft to 80 ft with good mix of corals and lots of small fish.

RED PALM

Location: On Maricaban Island 2.5 km directly south, opposite Mainit Point.
Access: 40 min by banca 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 fixed mooring for this dive site.Conditions: Generally calm with a medium-strong current.

Visibility can reach 82 ft.
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft. A steep coral slope from 10 to 80 ft. Red Palm has a good boulder corals and very large lettuce corals. There are colorful crinoids everywhere. Feather Duster worms, Christmas-tree worms, some very large anemones and several different types of clownfish. The small reef fish life is prolific, including all the angelfish, butterflyfish, orange striped triggerfish, scorpionfish, lionfish, many different wrasse and pufferfish.

BONITO(CULEBRA) ISLAND AND MALAJIBOMANOC ISLAND

Location: The eastern end of Maricaban Island.
Access: 75 min by banca across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm with strong currents, but both areas can become very rough. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 60 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft

These two marine sanctuaries have patches of coral heads on sandy slopes from 20 to 80 ft. Currents are often very fierce, making it necessary to try and find sheltered patches.

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