Category Archives: Beach Resort

Beach Resort, Environment, Travel

A day at Verde Island with Asia Divers

Posted on by Asia Divers


Very happy divers after two dives at Verde Island! Great shot Robin Chew.

Experts have called The Verde Island Passage the “centre of the centre” of the world’s marine biodiversity. Life enhancing nutrients from the Pacific mix with waters of the South China Sea. You would never guess that beneath the surface are spectacular reef formations with more than 300 species of corals and underwater rock canyons that host nearly 60 percent of the world’s known shorefish species.

The Verde Island passage is situated between the islands of Luzon and Mindoro. A trip to Puerto Galera is not complete with at least one visit to Verde Island. You can get there in 40 minutes by bangka, which is a local outrigger boat, or 20 minutes by speedboat.

 

Gorgeous colours of Verde Island. Photos by Beth Watson

The best and most well known dive site is the “Verde Island Drop off” or “San Agapito” about 300 meters off shore. Approaching the dive site you are greeted by the rough tips of pinnacles breaking the surface. From the surface it doesn’t look like much, but as soon as you drop in, you’ll see that these pinnacles are like the icing on top of large colourful birthday cake.

The Drop Off can be described best as steep slopes with stunning vertical walls that drop down to 70 meters or more. Beautiful gorgonian fans, basket sponges and anemones nestle in and make their home here. Numerous nooks and crannies are home to all sorts of reef life including shrimps, sea snakes, scorpion fish and moray eels. Volcanic bubbles rise up through the corals and create a magical effect. Anthias and red-tooth triggerfish are so abundant that I tell people that there are so many fish on the pinnacle that they’ll have to push them aside to see the reef.

 

Surface interval on Verde.

This is one of those dives sites that you can happily use a wide-angle lens or a macro lens and come away with great shots. Since Puerto Galera is known so widely for its macro I sometimes encourage the photographers to pull out their wide-angle lens for a day on Verde to take advantage of the spectacular pinnacles and beautiful gorgonian sea fans. These teamed up with the colourful anemones and reef fishes make an excellent backdrop and are a great area to shoot wide angle. Nudibranches are plentiful and you’re bound to see a gnarly scorpion fish or two, so a macro lens will come in good use as well.

The currents on Verde can be tricky, but going with an experienced guide you can safely manage them. The key is to stay tight to the pinnacle and not get pushed over deep water into the strong currents. As you approach “the corner” you can feel the current pushing in your face, so you can make a decision of what to do next. With an experienced group I like to get on to the corner and “watch the show”. This where you have the best chance to see many of the larger fishes including schooling jacks, sweetlips, tuna and snapper all dancing in the current. I love to be in the mix of this, but if my group is less experienced I can turn around and miss this corner and keep everyone out of the current.

Treasure hunting….

A Spanish galleon, the Nuestra Senora dela Vida, which sank in 1620, was discovered in the late seventies just off Verde Island. Unfortunately it was heavily salvaged in the 70’s and 80’s and nothing remains of the wreck except for a few pieces of porcelain. The larger plates and terracotta jars are now long gone. I like to take my divers “treasure hunting” for these little pieces of porcelain during their surface interval. If you walk along the beachfront and look in the sand you can be sure to find a few pieces wash ashore. It’s a nice little souvenir to go home with.

A day trip to Verde Island is a great experience for our guests. They get to dive on a spectacular dive site with prolific fish life, learn a bit of local history and combine this with a beach barbeque you’ll have a lot of happy people.

Beach Resort, Diving

March into Paradise

Posted on by Asia Divers
30
Mar

Spectacular sunsets, turquoise waters, and lots of fun for the kids right here in our beachfront! The resort sits on the largest beachfront property in Small Lalaguna beach, and the waters in front of the resort are excellent for swimming and snorkeling.

We are only 3 hours away from Manila, and we offer private transfers that can drop you off directly here in the resort. Only a booking confirmation and tourist QR code are required to enter Puerto Galera. So…what are you waiting for?! email:admin@asiadivers.com

What’s been happening

Tina has got back into mermaid mode since she arrived here last week. A refresher course got her going so that she could spend the rest of the week happily submerged.  Her last dive for this trip was with Arthur and Rene.

Want to give it a go?! After a short briefing you’ll get comfortable with the gear and the basics of diving in the comfort and safety of our training pool under the watchful eye of an experienced Instructor. You’ll then enjoy a great dive at one of Puerto Galera’s unrivaled sites, your Instructor will never be far away as you’re introduced to a wonderful new world. Check out the PADI Discover Scuba program: https://asiadivers.com/padi-diving-courses-philippines/padi-recreational-scuba-diving-courses/ and contact us for a dip in the ocean.

It’s been great to have Pedro Magsino back on the Asia Divers dive platform these past few days. He’s been busy with an IDC here. Looking to become a PADI instructor? checkout all the details on how to do it with our awesome team: https://asiadivers.com/gopro/

Happy 65th to Tommy! Hope the next year is full of many great adventures for you…

 

A very long time friend of Allan’s, Steve Smith was here for a visit along with Rey Villarama. Allan has known Steve from his previous life back in Hong Kong, but have remained friends ever since. It’s always such a wonderful thing to have our long time  friends visit us here. Enjoy the rest of your time together in the Philippines.

 

Thanks to Sarah McLeod for this gorgeous photo from the Point Bar. Best place in the world to enjoy happy hour!

Delicious  times!

What a delicious afternoon spent with friends. Allan hosted an a special lunch at El Galleon with chef Mark Biddle who created and supervised  this 6 course long lunch along with our El Galleon team. Mark is an accomplished chef with forty years of extensive culinary, kitchen management and menu planning experience gained all over the world. You can only imagine what a culinary experience this was!

 

What’s new at Ocean Dive Supply

 

New arrival of wetsuit, hood and boots from Waterproof Diving International. With all the delivery problems and delays we are happy to see our stock of below being topped up again.
https://divesupply.com.ph/en/blog/viewpost/105/waterproof-new-arrival

Beach Resort, Social & Community

Riding around Mindoro

Posted on by Asia Divers
11
Nov

By Tommy Soderstrom

Allan and Tommy together with Tommy’s son Leary decide to check out how the rest of the province looks like after all the bad weather in the past month.
Of course most have been cleaned up but it sounds like good excuse to get out a day on the bikes.

Allan started in Puerto Galera and after an hour ride to Calapan he picked up Tommy and Leary to head down south to the first highlight on the trip, the curvy road between Victoria and Socorro passing the Naujjan Lake, a real treat for bikers. Next highlight on the trip was the Francis Coronel road that by-pass Roxas up in a hilly area with wonderful view in towards the center of Mindoro island. Equally good and winding road with good surface so the boys had a lot of fun.

As none of them really had explored Roxas town center before they decide to check it out and found a nice little restaurant, Red Tomato that served nice meals, not the last time they will visit there.

As they had so much fun on the by-pass road they decide to go back the same way as they came even though it is an extra 20km.  They split in Calapan as Allan was heading back to Puerto Galera with Tommy and Leary to follow following day. The return trip is around 400km from Puerto Galera to Roxas that gives it a good day out on the bikes.

Riding around Mindoro is a fun way to spend the day so if you’re looking for something “off the beach” to do you can consider this.

El Galleon Resort has a swimming pool, spa, beachfront restaurant, in house PADI Dive Center and two bars.

As well as Scuba Diving, El Galleon offers sunset cruises, beach hopping, golfing, snorkeling, Zip line, Extreme Sports and day trip activities. Whether it’s a lazy day in the sun, some adventure or a game of golf, we have what you’re looking for.

We can help you to arrange all while you’re here.

Beach Resort, Diving, News and Events

What Can Dive Resorts in Puerto Galera Do to Become Sustainable?

Posted on by Asia Divers
dive resort puerto galera
22
May

Dive Resorts in Puerto Galera are blessed with direct access to the world’s most diverse marine ecosystem, the Verde Island Passage, which is home to hundreds of species not found anywhere else on Earth.

It is our greatest responsibility to operate sustainably, not only because of our special location but because we want to move towards this kind of business model – to go at the same pace with the rest of the world.

What is sustainability?

Many people have different definitions of what being sustainable means, and even mention a list of specific features a dive center should have. PADI has an excellent article outlining what an “eco-dive resort” should look like.

By definition provided by PADI, we are not an eco-dive resort. We still provide, for example, television, air conditioning, and hair dryers, to make our guests as comfortable as possible with the facilities that they expect to have.

However, this does not mean that we do not try to reduce our environmental impact. For years, we have followed a more general definition of sustainability and continually strive to improve upon our existing system.

For us, to be sustainable is simply to meet the needs of our guests today, without compromising the needs of our guests tomorrow.

Our sustainability protocols

1. Solar energy

Lucky for us, it’s almost always sunny in the Philippines, and the best way to make use of the tropical climate is to use solar panels. Sure, installing a solar panel is not cheap, but the long-term reward is that we reduce our national grid power consumption, and we can calmly sleep knowing that a portion of our energy is clean energy!

2. Zero liquid discharge

Using gas and oil to fuel and maintain our boats is inevitable, and we look forward to investing in boats that demand less of them. However, we spend a considerable amount of time in the boat repair shed to look out for any cracks and leaks that would be dangerous to the delicate coral ecosystem.

3. No plastic straws and small plastic parts

A few years ago we committed to stop using plastic straws and small plastic parts completely. These are hazardous to marine life, and are challenging to remove from the environment when they are misplaced. Nowadays we prefer to use convenient reusable containers and cool-looking metal straws.

4. Pro-environmental diving education

One of the most important principles that we drill into our students is neutral buoyancy

This allows them to transverse across coral reefs without accidentally bumping into them. Another special dive course that we offer is Dive Against Debris, where students collect and report man-made sea debris to Project AWARE.

We welcome guests of tomorrow

The amazing dive sites that dotted the seascape in the coral-rich Verde Island Passage is something that we want everybody to see. We are proud to follow the above protocols, and we work to do more and more for the environment. Learn more about the simple things we do everyday to be sustainable.

Beach Resort, Diving, News and Events

Scuba Diving Puerto Galera: the Coral Triangle

Posted on by Asia Divers
scuba diving puerto galera
15
May

Scuba diving in Puerto Galera is one of many scuba divers’ biggest dreams. To understand why Puerto Galera is such a wonderful place for many scuba divers, we need to look at the big picture of the scuba diving world – starting with the world-famous Coral Triangle.

What is the Coral Triangle?

The Coral Triangle is a 1.4 billion-acre coral-rich aquatic region that encompasses the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It’s considered to be a crucial region for conservation and research, as it contains the world’s most diverse ecosystems of tropical reef and pelagic species – often found nowhere else in the world.

Often referred to as the “Amazon of the seas”, The Coral Triangle is far more diverse than The Great Barrier Reef and the Fiji Islands combined. About 6000 species of reef fish thrive in these waters – 250 of them are endemic to this region. There are an estimated 798 species of corals, making up an incredible 76% of all known coral species on Earth.

The Center of the Coral Triangle – the Verde Island Passage

scuba diving puerto galera - coral triangle

foto by Beth Watson

 

The Verde Island Passage is a narrow strait between Mindoro Island and Luzon island of the Philippines. The humble strait may not look much from above sea level – a busy strait that connects several islands together, with a shield volcano that guards the passage.

But the underwater world is beyond belief. The Verde Island Passage is called the center of the Coral Triangle because among all the sections of the triangle, this region is the richest of all. A UNESCO World Heritage Site nominee, this stretch of water – no more than 1.14 million hectares – contains some of the rarest sea turtles and wrasses.

Why stay at Puerto Galera?

If Puerto Galera is a house, then Verde Island Passage is its backyard. Of course, dozens of must-see dive sites sprawl around the holiday city like patches of flower beds in the proverbial diving garden – see them for yourself by looking at this map of dive sites in Puerto Galera.

Apart from incredible dive sites, Puerto Galera is also home to some of the Philippines’ untouched reserve of natural beauty. Waterfalls, river rapids, and curious traditional villages welcome travelers from around the globe – you just have to pick the right accommodations with the right kind of services for you.

El Galleon Dive Resort

At El Galleon Diver Resort, dive sites are just minutes away from our private dock. You won’t need to wait in a long line to get to your next bangka boat to take you wherever you want to go – we have them stationed at the docks along with a couple of speedboats.

Our thorough PADI-certified courses at Asia Divers (a subdivision of our resort) has helped hundreds of divers over the years to learn to scuba dive. Many have even gone on to become instructors themselves.

Learn to dive, dive independently, and explore the Coral Triangle – it all starts at Asia Divers.

Beach Resort

Why Beachfront Dive Centers in Puerto Galera Are the Best

Posted on by Asia Divers
Beach resort Philippines
24
Apr

There are thousands of dive centers around the world, but not all of them are located in the most strategic places, like a beachfront in Puerto Galera. You can find some in city centers, which will then take you on a long trip just to reach the dive site.

The waiting doesn’t stop there – quite a few dive centers are not even prepared to provide their own boats, so they have to rely on local services to take the group to the exact spot you’ll be diving.

In such a case, you spend more time on the road and waiting for boats, and spend less time in the water – two hours during two dives in a day, to be exact.

 

Find a Dive Center Near the Beachfront, and You Won’t Need to Wait Any Longer!

A beachfront dive center in Puerto Galera is the absolute best because it provides at least one of three things:

  1. The best services for diving, far more than what a regular diving agency can offer,
  2. Unimaginable conveniences, such as equipment storage and in-house technicians,
  3. A resort, which is comfortable to stay at!

 Luckily, Asia Divers has all three waiting for you in the Philipines.

 

Find the Best Service For Your Scuba Diving Needs Here

One major plus point for service in a beachfront dive center is quick access to the water. Whether you are a beginner or an expert at scuba diving, you are only a stone’s throw away from the water.

But wait, there’s more!

Did you know that Puerto Galera stands on one of the most diverse coral-rich regions on the planet? The area between Puerto Galera and the Verde Islands is home to vibrant and giant Gorgonian sea fans, sea snakes, crustaceans, manta rays, and tens of thousands of reef species waiting to be discovered by you.

All dive courses in Asia Divers are standardized to follow PADI guidelines. Scuba diving can be a challenge to learn, so we make sure that you receive the best instructions and plenty of time to practice – hence another advantage of staying in a dive resort close to the sea!

Earn your PADI Open Water certificate with us and learn more with our PADI Advanced Open Water and the PADI Specialty courses.

 

Conveniences of a Top Diving Center That You’ll Take for Granted

Scuba diving used to be reserved for the ocean lovers who wouldn’t mind going through a few inconveniences. However, scuba diving is becoming cheaper and more available to everyone. That means we’ll do our best to make sure that everyone is comfortable with scuba diving and other aquatic activities.

We consider the little things. For instance, we have a dedicated camera room for underwater photographers. We understand that underwater photography is a skill that takes tons of practice. It would help to get faster feedback on your photography quality by processing the films once you reach land.

We also have our own boats and even a private dock, ensuring that the only time you touch the water is when going underwater. The private dock also mitigates the unnecessary risk of injury during low tide when boats can’t get close enough to the shore, and guests have to tread carefully over rocky surfaces.

 

Comfortable Rooms to Replenish Your Energy For the Next Dives!

beach resort room puerto galera

El Galleon is a dive resort part of Asia Divers. We figured that since you’re already in Puerto Galera, The Philippines, it would be great service to offer you a comfortable resort-style accommodation so you won’t have to travel elsewhere to sleep and relax!

We have five types of rooms. The Seaview Room is one of our most popular rooms with a pleasant view of, you guessed it correctly, the idyllic seascape. For those who are not early morning risers, we still recommend that you try waking up early one day and admire the glorious sunrise from beyond the horizon right in front of your balcony.

The Family Rooms are built for families with various interests. Of course, for the land-lovers, there are plenty of activities and natural places to appreciate in Oriental Mindoro. Our family-friendly services, like organized tours and even a beach BBQ, ensure that everyone can share a wonderful time in The Philipines.

 

Visit Puerto Galera for a Holiday of a Lifetime

What makes a beachfront dive center such a great place are the extensive dive services, conveniences, and the comforts of a resort. Be sure to check out our room offers, activities, and scuba diving courses here!

Beach Resort

The Amazing Beachfront Diving Resort in Puerto Galera

Posted on by Asia Divers
Dive Resort Puerto Galera
03
Apr

Are you looking for a beachfront diving resort in Puerto Galera? Have you looked into El Galeon yet? This short blog will guide you through the ins and outs of the beachfront dive resort that will fit your needs!

PADI Dive Courses and Curated Dive Tours

Enjoy dozens of spectacular dive spots around Puerto Galera. shipwrecks, sea walls, drop-offs, and coral gardens will be a few of the many amazing sights you will come across on our guided tours.

Our Recreational PADI Dive Courses are designed to help absolute beginners and experts to hone their skills and to increase the safety and joy of diving practices. If you’ve never tried diving before, the PADI Discover Scuba Diving will get you to explore the beautiful underwater world in just one day under the guidance of our certified instructors.

Junior divers, as young as 8 years old, can join for a PADI Bubble Maker course where they learn to breathe underwater for the first time using standard scuba diving gear in our training pool. Skin Diver (freediving) is perfect for athletic young divers who love the challenge of diving without gear.

If you’ve had some experiences with supervised diving and you want to dive independently, anywhere in the world, get yourself certified with our PADI Open Water course. The PADI Advanced Open Water course is also available for you to continue your dive training!

Advanced PADI Dive Courses

Once you’ve earned your PADI Advanced Open Water certificate, you are ready to explore the depths with a variety of skills. Upgrade your dive experience with Nitrox or learn how to plan your dives for a longer time.

The PADI Drift Diving course allows you to work with the currents, rather than against them. Once you’ve mastered neutral buoyancy, be sure to check out the Deep Diver specialty course for a daring dive of up to 40 meters below sea level.

Asia Divers and El Galleon pay particular attention to the marine and atmospheric environment. The PADI Underwater Naturalist and Dive Against Debris are our special programs that encourage responsible diving. The resort itself follows sustainable guidelines.

Environmental Responsibility of Asia Divers in Puerto Galera

beach resort seaview asia divers

Asia Divers and El Galeon dive resort are committed to conducting business in a sustainable way. Solar energy is used extensively in almost all the buildings; refillable water bottles and containers are used around the resort and dive center; the no-plastic-straw rule is strongly embedded in our pro-marine life culture and manifests itself in our restaurants and cafe. The Asia Divers dive center strictly prohibits any liquid discharge into the sea.

Comfort and Convenience of Asia Divers at El Galeon Dive Resort

Diving does not have to be met with inconveniences. Here at Asia Divers, we incorporate convenience and comfort in one place.

For underwater photographers, we have a dedicated photography room to process images with speedy feedback on your photography performance. You no longer need to look for film labs anywhere else, because Asia Divers has one just for you.

Divers can also enjoy various other conveniences, like not having to wait for boat taxis to take you to your desired dive sites (we own several boats).

We also own a private dock that adapts to the tides, allowing you to step off the boat onto a dry dock without having to tread over rocky low-tide beaches.

The location of Asia Divers’ beachfront resort is itself the ultimate convenience. Directly in front is the world-famous Sabang Beach, where shipwrecks and rich coral flora can be found.

Stay with us at El Galeon

Book a room at El Galeon and enjoy all the facilities whenever you are not diving! For reservations, click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Beach Resort, News and Events

Family Activities at Puerto Galera Beach Resorts

Posted on by Asia Divers
Beach Party BBQ Asia Divers
27
Mar

Puerto Galera was once an exclusive playground for adventure divers and advanced deep-water adventurers. Today, it is much more. The whole family can be included in fun activities, that is if you pick the right beach resort in Puerto Galera!

At El Galleon Dive Resort and Hotel, our tour organizers can’t wait to show you around the northeast of the Oriental Mindoro. It has so much to offer, and it’s a pleasant feeling knowing that our guests are having fun while exploring our home island.

From a river trekking and jungle ziplining to visiting a protected indigenous village, you would need more than a day to experience it all. Let’s check it out!

Tukuran River Trekking

Your destination is a quaint spot with plenty of trees for shade, a cool friendly pool to dip in, and a relaxing view over the Tukuran River. The river is calm and wide, with several mini-waterfalls that cut through a small gorge surrounded by white rocks which you will pass on your way to the spot.

As it’s located an hour from the coastal town of Puerto Galera, you’ll be taking a jeepney ride to your starting point of the trek. You’ll also stop at a few interesting spots along the way – Tamaraw Falls at San Teodoro and the Hanging Bridge giving you a better view of the river.

You can choose to continue the trek on foot for half an hour, or to ride in a cart pulled by a carabao!

Mangyan Village Tour

The Mangyan people are the indigenous people of Mindoro Island, and the particular village that you’ll visit is a preserved village. You can tell by the sign at the thatched wooden gate – “Vehicles are not allowed inside” – that the village is serious about conserving the way of life and its inherited natural appearances.

This village was founded by philanthropist Jaime Zobel de Ayala and his wife Donya Bea in the 90s, and today it provides shelter and sustenance to many Iraya-Mangyan families who have been resettled here.

Although they strictly follow their traditional way of life in many aspects, from constructing houses to finding food, the Mangyan people also generate additional income from selling authentic handwoven and wooden crafts to tourists. You will also find a small museum in the village that displays traditional clothing and kitchenware.

Are you a family of divers? Check out our recreational diving offers for the whole family!

Jungle Zipline

As you swoop down the 610-meter zipline above the jungle canopy, you’re not only exposed to the wind and the sun, but also the wide panorama of the Puerto Galera peninsula.

You’ll instantly feel small as you look at the tall hills and mountains to your left and right, and a rush of adrenaline as you look forward to the tiny marker at the end of the speeding zipline.

A truly breathtaking experience you should definitely try before going back to El Galleon.

Private Beach BBQ

The ideal family picnic takes place on a secluded beach where you receive full privacy to spend the absolute best quality time with your family. Luckily, we know a few places, and everything will be waiting for you there.

Your food will be brought with a barbeque hamper, so choose what you want to grill – beef, chicken, pork, prawns or fish, all available in various forms. And if that’s simply too much to think about, ask our kitchen to put a selection together for you, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out today’s rate for our recreational diving offers.

Of course, it’s impossible to mention all the fun family activities hosted by El Galleon. Why don’t you check them out for yourself? Click here for all recreational activities at Puerto Galera.

Beach Resort, News and Events

Asia Divers & El Galleon: Your One Stop Dive Resort in Puerto Galera

Posted on by Asia Divers
Asia Divers Puerto Galera El Galleon Philippines
06
Mar

Are you planning your summer vacation in The Philippines? If you ask us, we recommend Mindoro Island, specifically the seaside town of Puerto Galera. Have a quick Google Image search and look at the first images – the beauty of the region is not exaggerated!

Of course, the next question would be, “Where should I stay?”

If you believe that luxury and diving adventure can be fused into a one of a kind summer vacation for you and your family, then you should check out El Galleon Dive Resort, the resort for Asia Divers.

 

What Exactly Can I Do at Asia Divers & El Galleon Dive Resort?

Convenient diving, getting a good rest and meeting all your holiday needs at once…

Diving can be miserable sometimes. We’ve had our fair share of bad weather, waiting in long queues for annual equipment maintenance, and getting hungry between dives.

Before El Galleon Dive Resort, our team of PADI Instructors and dive guides had to endure these bad days. But when the dive resort was completed, there was no reason to go on a sea adventure without a little bit of luxury and convenience.

 

How El Galleon Dive Resort Makes Diving More Enjoyable

PADI courses Asia Divers Philippines

What was missing back in the day was a modern dive facility close to the dive sites. Everything used to be delivered from Batangas, the closest big city, an hour away by boat.

Now that the dive facility is located near all the beautiful natural underwater features, it takes no time at all to set up, travels to the site, dive, comes back to rest, and repeat this cycle.

 

Unthinkable Inconveniences Now Eliminated

The world’s best divers don’t care about inconveniences. But most of us are not like them, and it helps to increase the enjoyment of diving when some pain points are eliminated.

  • Camera room for underwater photographers

A dedicated camera room is available at our facility. We understand that underwater photography requires practice and prompt feedback. Once your photos have been processed, you can quickly learn what to do differently on your next dive the following day.

  • Private dock

Getting on and off the boat is easy with a dock. No more carrying your equipment high above your waist as you tread the rocky shallows.

  • Brand new equipment

We have experienced the anxiety of using second-hand equipment at local dive shops. Fortunately, all the equipment at Asia Divers is new. How is that possible? Asia Divers is also a distributor, so you can dive in peace knowing that the equipment is still high quality.

  • And much more!

Learn more about what you will find in El Galleon by going to the dedicated webpage.

We can’t wait to show you around Puerto Galera, both on land and in the sea. It’s a wonderful holiday destination worthy of consideration. Check out all the cool sights to see and things to do by going to our recreations page.

Beach Resort, Diving, News and Events

Top Reasons to Try Diving in Puerto Galera, Philippines

Posted on by Asia Divers

Recognized for some of the best reef diving in the world, Puerto Galera in the Philippines is known as a spectacular scuba diving haven by divers worldwide.

The fish variety exceeds the fish found in the Red Sea and boasts to consist both of more hard and soft coral variety than the Great Barrier Reef.

The water in Puerto Galera offers excellent visibility all year round with an average water temperature of around 29’C. Colorful and vibrant reef dominates the waters along with an abundance of sea life making the reefs their home. Most of the dive sites of Puerto Galera are suitable for divers with Open Water qualification, but there are still plenty of sites technical divers will enjoy.

Here are the top dive sites in Puerto Galera that should be on your list:

Sabang Wrecks

Sabang Wreck DivePhoto by Beth Watson

Two wooden wrecks and one steel hull yacht are part of the Sabang Wrecks. It’s an excellent dive experience, especially for beginning divers with a max depth of 21m. Be prepared to meet a school of batfish once you reach the first wreck at about 11m. The three wrecks are surrounded by all kinds of marine life.

Monkey Beach, West Escarceo and Dugong Wall

Puerto Galera Underwater
Photo by Beth Watson

A great diversity of marine species and colorful corals are found within these three dive sites as part of the continuous coral garden within easy reach from 5 to 25 meters. This spot is a favorite among marine photographers with the wreck of a small sailboat found in the area.

The Canyons

Puerto GaleraPhoto by Beth Watson

For a more thrilling and adrenaline-pumping time in the depths, the Canyon consists of 3 canyons with a maximum depth of 32m. Diving in these strong currents is only for advanced divers. You’ll get to watch schools of trevally tuna and even barracudas effortlessly drifting in the currents.

Here are some of the popular dive sites that made Puerto Galera a worldwide diving phenomenon. Other locations include caves, muck dives, other shallow coral fields, and drift dives. Planned to visit Puerto Galera on your next diving trip? Contact Asia Divers for unforgettable diving tours in Asia including the Philippines.