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No matter what level of diver you are and no matter how many exotic locations you have dived, the diving in Puerto Galera will not disappoint even the most seasoned of divers.
Puerto Galera offers beautiful protected coves with stunning coral gardens and scores of exotic underwater species. Schooling reef fish, including jacks, snappers, fairy basslets, triggerfish, groupers, trevally, drummers and barracuda, set the scene against vibrant coral reefs and passing reef sharks. Turtles, moray eels, cephalopods and macro crustaceans are all found in abundance. And then there’s the thresher sharks – one of the most impressive sharks to see in the ocean.
Puerto Galera offers everything underwater that you would expect from the world-class scuba diving in the Philippines. From macro critters to cruising pelagics, Puerto Galera truly has it all – and in abundance! Here are 5 of our favourite dive sites that should not be missed when you are diving Puerto Galera…
The Canyons:
Three canyons make up this action-packed dive site which is a hot spot for schooling trevally, groupers, drummers, snappers and barracuda. Huge gorgonian sea fans and an abundance of soft corals make this a colourful site. Look out for resting turtles, hiding octopus and passing reef sharks.
West Escarceo:
This long stretch of sloping reef is home to vibrant corals, a plethora of reef fish and huge schools of red tooth triggerfish which occupy the blue. On the reef you’ll find moray eels at all depths and if you venture deeper than 20 metres / 65 feet, look out for blue-spotted stingrays on the sandy bottom.
San Agapito Point:
Located off Verde Island, this is a stunning pinnacle site that will entice pelagic lovers and macro fans alike. Schooling jacks and fairy basslets are a highlight along with frequent sea snake sightings, vibrant corals, huge gorgonian sea fans and a myriad of macro crustaceans.
Kilima Steps:
As the name suggests, this dive site offers a range of ‘steps’ starting from 5 metres/ 16 feet down to 22 metres/ 73 feet. Start at the deepest point and work your way up for a range of marine life including soap fish, nudibranch, barracuda, moray eels, lionfish and stunning corals. If you like intriguing topography this site is an absolute must.
Sinandigan Wall:
If you are a macro photographer or nudibranch aficionado this dive site should be on your list. This beautiful coral wall extends down to 30 meters / 100 feet from where it becomes a sloping reef. Look out for macro critters among the colourful soft corals and resting turtles.
Diving with Thresher Sharks:
If you are hoping to dive with thresher sharks then diving in Puerto Galera must be added to your bucket list. Thresher sharks are generally a deeper dwelling species of shark that spend most of their time below 40 meters. So why then, do they come to the shallower water and dive sites around Puerto Galera? Because of the fish!! Thresher sharks need regular ‘cleaning’ to remove parasites from their body. The small cleaner fish found at our shallower depths are perfect for the job. It’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship – the thresher receives some TLC and the cleaner fish receive a free meal!
Blackwater Diving:
Blackwater diving is a relatively new type of diving in Puerto Galera and it’s when we see some of the strangest and most unusual marine life – which is rarely seen by other divers. Blackwater diving takes place at night and we use powerful lights to attract plankton and larvae stage marine species. The plankton, in turn, attracts some of the weirdest critters from the deep. This is an exciting dive and a must for underwater photographers.
Diverse Marine Life in the Coral Triangle
Puerto Galera is located in the heart of the coral triangle, did you know…
- 76% (605) of the world’s coral species (798) are found in the Coral Triangle, the highest coral diversity in the world.
- The Coral Triangle has more coral reef fish diversity than anywhere else in the world: 37% (2,228) of the world’s coral reef fish species (6,000), and 56% of the coral reef fishes in the Indo-Pacific region (4,050).
- 8% (235 species) of the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle are endemic or locally restricted species. Within the Coral Triangle, four areas have particularly high levels of endemism (Lesser Sunda Islands, Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands, Bird’s Head Peninsula, and the Central Philippines).
- The Coral Triangle has 15 regionally endemic coral species (species found nowhere else in the world), and shares 41 regional endemic species with Asia.
PADI Open Water Course in Puerto Galera
If you are new to diving you can also explore and enjoy the amazing underwater world of diving in Puerto Galera! The conditions at our dive sites are ideal for beginners and our team of professional PADI Instructors are experts at guiding student divers through the PADI Open Water course in Puerto Galera. If you want to learn to dive in Puerto Galera then our team would love to teach you!
So are you ready to scuba dive in Puerto Galera with us? If you’d like more information or to make a reservation, fill in our online contact form, or send us an email to: admin@asiadivers.com
We are looking forward to scuba diving the Philippines with you soon!
