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 December 28, 2006
Dive & Trek
Being on the last leg of my holidays, I've already gone beyond my budget. Renting scuba equipment was out of the question. With skin diving, I already had my snorkel, mask and fins. To make it even better, I got an invite to join a group to Anilao, Batangas - haven to some of the country's better dive spots.
A New Scene
I've always defaulted to Anilao for dives, more specifically, to
Vistamar. It has an awesome drop-off right in front of its resort - no need to hire a boat. However, as good as it is, it was getting old for me...time to wander into the unfamiliar but equally spectacular sites. I was told by a UP Mountaineer member that the coral reef of Dive and Trek was not to be missed.
Boat Ride
Upon reaching Anilao, we hired a boat to take us for a dive tour - Dive & Trek and Ligpo Island. The thing about Dive & Trek is it's not accessible by land. From the Mabini pier (check out the
gargantuan squids they sell at the market), you take a boat to the resort. They provide pier parking, so if you travel light, I guess it's not too bad. Anywayz, a boat shuttle is part of the package.
Dive & Trek
Upon approaching the resort by boat, I already saw the welcoming vista of its
cottages. Another note worthy feature is that they cordoned-off a good size of the reef in front of the resort - divers are safer from boats and corals are safe from boat anchors crashing down on their fragile structure. They also have a pier to make it easy for customers to disembark from the boat.
Marine Life
The drop-off, where marine life is most teeming, is beyond the cordoned area, but still equally looked after and nurtured. Seeded
giant clams were abundant.
Fishes of all colors and variety were freely swimming by, unperturbed by my presence. Most importantly, the
coral reef was alive and healthy. I'd returned to dive spots (Puerto Gallera, Boracay, El Nido) where the corals once screamed in vivid colors, only to find a massive coral graveyard. Dive & Trek's approach is very encouraging.
Ligpo Island
Further out from the bay is Ligpo Island. The corals were just as alive and healthy, but unusually, there were no fishes. Hmmm....a healthy coral reef with no fish? The current was strong and could easily sweep an unsuspecting novice diver. For that reason alone, I found the dive a bit spooky. Besides, I was getting cold...time to give it a rest and recover until the next dive. From other dive sources, the general info on the area is that visibility can reach 80 ft. and goes down to a maximum depth of 200 ft.
Ending Thoughts
Having stayed on Sagada's mountains for 4 straight months before my coming to Manila, I wasn't ready to return without at least one skin dive...and this dive really did it for me. Further research into Anilao's dive spots brought other promising areas that need to be experienced - Cathedral, Sombrero Island, etc...there's 23 known dive sites altogether...more reason to visit Anilao more often.
--- TheLoneRider
* a few pictures were lifted from the Dive & Trek's website
Comments? Email webmaster@thelonerider.com
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