Home to an active volcano within a lake on an island within another lake (essentially volcano-ception), sunken Japanese shipwrecks from WWII, and the second highest amount of coconuts in the world, the Philippines boasts more attractions than we’re able to list. This collection of over 7 000 islands is a popular destination among divers and it’s not hard to see why. From abundant fauna and flora to a variety of unique marine life species, here are the top 7 reasons why your next trip should be scuba diving in the Philippines: 1. Dive in the Coral Triangle Home to nearly 600 different species of reef-building corals, six of the seven marine turtle species worldwide, as well as over 2 000 species of reef fish, the Coral Triangle is a biodiversity haven. As the Philippines is located at the very tip of the triangle, divers visiting this region get to dive right in the famous Coral Triangle where they can expect to see an abundance of healthy reef systems and marine life. 2. See Unique Species From the giant whale shark to world's smallest fish (Pandaka pygmea), the thriving marine ecosystem of the Philippines offers an extensive variety of marine life sightings. Spot rare thresher sharks in Malapascua, whale sharks in Oslob, sea turtles in Apo Island, or towering walls of jackfish in Balicasag Island. And don’t forget the rich coral reefs of Tubbataha Reef. 3. Explore A Wide Variety of Dive Environments The dive possibilities are endless when you’re surrounded by thousands of islands - and thousands of dive sites. Whether you’re an Open Water diver looking for shallow reef dives or you’re a Cave Diver in search of caverns and cave systems, there is a site for everyone in the Philippines. Here, scuba divers can find everything from natural
Home to an active volcano within a lake on an island within another lake (essentially volcano-ception), sunken Japanese shipwrecks from WWII, and the second highest amount of coconuts in the world, the Philippines boasts more attractions than we’re able to list. This collection of over 7 000 islands is a popular destination among divers and
The hardest skill to master as a SCUBA diver is buoyancy control. That mid-water, floating-in-space, horizontal body position may look effortless, but learning to do it can be tricky and confusing. Buoyancy control is also the most important diving skill; in fact, it is the essence of diving, and a diver without buoyancy control is not really a diver at all. Buoyancy control means that you can place yourself exactly where you want when you’re underwater. You can achieve your intended depth and maintain it. You can ascend and descend calmly and efficiently. You can get close to the reef without touching it- no part of your fins, hands, face, or body ever make contact. Most importantly, you can “hover” in one place. This means that you don’t move significantly forward, backward, up or down. Hovering is the hardest of the buoyancy skills. It’s also critical for an underwater photographer. A photographer needs to hover to check the camera settings, frame a scene, get focus, and wait for the perfect shot. As an underwater photographer, your buoyancy will be tested to the extreme. A diver’s brain and body already have two tasks to manage (exploring the reef and controlling buoyancy); underwater photography adds a third, and the excitement and challenge of taking pictures often steals the spotlight. It’s not uncommon for an underwater photographer to crash into the reef, break coral, get stung by urchins, or float away from the group while focusing on the camera. These mistakes can injure both diver and reef. It’s easy to brush up against a venomous organism like a scorpionfish or hydroid (or worse) when you’re not paying attention. And from the reef’s perspective, a broken branch of coral is a big loss- coral only grows 5 centimeters per year, on average. Plus,
The hardest skill to master as a SCUBA diver is buoyancy control. That mid-water, floating-in-space, horizontal body position may look effortless, but learning to do it can be tricky and confusing. Buoyancy control is also the most important diving skill; in fact, it is the essence of diving, and a diver without buoyancy control is
Imagine waking up in a tropical paradise, grabbing your dive gear, loading a couple of tanks on the back of your pick-up truck and heading out to explore the wonderful treasures hidden underwater around the island! This is what your average day looks like in Bonaire! No time limit, no tank limit, just you and the ocean. Last month we went on an adventure, to explore the shore diving capital of the world, while learning UW photography from a skilled professional and having a blast! Buddy Dive Resort and Dive Center The week surpassed all of our expectations. We arrived to Buddy Dive Resort, a lovely complex which feels more like a small and pleasant village. We were greeted by a charming lady at the reception named Carmelita, who took us to our room. We took the Studio, which was very large and included a great little kitchenette, small desk with a couple of chairs and a very comfy bed. You can also choose to get the 1-br unit, which includes a large living room in addition to the above. Shortly after checking in, we received our pick-up truck, as part of your Dive n’ Drive package. To get a sense of the true freedom of diving in Bonaire, you want to get a truck. With your truck you can roam the island freely, diving wherever and whenever you please! Once we’ve settled in the room, we headed out to the dive shop for a mandatory introduction and filling out forms. Bonaire has been a nature reserve since the 70s, so they take conservation very seriously and make sure each diver knows what they’re doing and adheres to all the instructions. At this point you will also get your marine park tag ($25), which you will need to wear on your BCD at
Imagine waking up in a tropical paradise, grabbing your dive gear, loading a couple of tanks on the back of your pick-up truck and heading out to explore the wonderful treasures hidden underwater around the island! This is what your average day looks like in Bonaire! No time limit, no tank limit, just you and the
