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The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is an island country located in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. The Philippines comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, sharing maritime borders with Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam. The Philippines is the world's twelfth most populous country with a population of 90 million people. It is a multi-ethnic country. Ecologically, the Philippines is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world. Diving in the Philippines is every underwater photographer’s fantasy.
And we are making it a dream come true! Join us July 10, 2009 for a once-in-a-lifetime cruise on the Stella Maris Explorer for a liveaboard cruise to the very best of the dive sites of the Visayan group of islands, internationally known as some of the Philippines’ most successful marine protected areas. Click here for more info on the Stella Maris Explorer.
We will fly to Mactan International Airport in Cebu City, boarding the Stella Maris Explorer on Thursday for six days of four to five no-decompression dives a day. From Mactan, we sail north to Malapascua, known for thresher sharks, mantas, the Gato Island Tunnel, spectacular night dives, and the Dona Marilyn Wreck. We then sail down the western side of Cebu Island to Pescador/Moal Boal. Beautiful overhangs, large gorgonians and sea fans decorate the walls surrounding Pescador Island.
From Pescador we head for Apo Island, one of the oldest and most successful marine sanctuaries in the country. Healthy reef formations, several large schools of jacks or big-eyed trevally are common here. A night dive is done just off the beach at the Bahura Resort and Spa. We will have a chance to hang out there and enjoy the pool and other facilities. Final stop is Balicasag Island, another well-known sanctuary where we will encounter barracudas, schools of jacks and massive black coral trees. For more on the dive sites, click here.
We arrive back in Mactan Island on the 8th day and are tansported to our hotel for two days of relaxing, exploring, and shopping.
The
M/Y Stella Maris Explorer is a spacious 118-foot, full-service dive cruiser.
All cabins are fully air conditioned with ensuite toilet and bath. It has
a spacious open-air top deck, jacuzzi, entertainment center, and all the
amenities you’d expect on a pleasure yacht.
Accomodations/Services
Fully air-conditioned and carpeted interiors, 10 twin sharing cabins with private toilet and bath, entertainment center with TV, DVD/VCD, VHS, Stereo, well stocked bar, library of books, magazines, saloon, lounge, four open rinse showers on deck, large sundeck bar area, satellite telephone and 14 experienced service crew.
Safety Equipment, Navigation & Communication
First Aid DAN Kit, Solas Compliant, GMDSS,EPIRB, SSB Radio,SART Marine VHF, Weather Fax, Radar,Standard VHF portable radio and Icon base radio,Eco Sounder, Portable GPS, Immarsat Worldwide Telephone Communication Systemand 2 x 20 Inflatable Life Raft.
Scuba Diving Equipment
We will visit Malapascua Island, off the northeastern coast of Cebu. Its claim to fame are the thresher sharks and manta rays that regularly visit the cleaning stations on Monad Shoal in the early morning. Further out, there are several wrecks, including a Japanese warship that lies upright and the Dona Marilyn, a passenger liner that went down in a typhoon over 20 years ago and is the most beautiful wreck in the Visayas due to the profusion of soft and black coral that cover most of the ship.
We will visit Gato Island, a marine sanctuary. There is a 240-foot long tunnel that cuts through the Northern tip and divers will find the walls covered with yellow sponges and all kinds of shells. The immediate surroundings contain huge boulders and ledges where nurse, white tip and bamboo sharks congregate.
From the Malapascua area, we will sail down the western coast of Cebu Island to Moalboal/Pescador Island, a sloping reef filled with both hard and soft corals and a myriad of reef fishes. But it is the drop off and the sponge covered walls that pique the diver’s interest with lots of cracks and crevices to explore, and overhangs to swim through. Larger pelagic fishes like tunas, Napoleon wrasses, white tip and even hammerhead sharks are seen here. The walls are vertical gardens of sea fans as well as tube and barrel sponges.
Next stop is Dauin/Apo Island. The coastline on the southeastern side of the province of Negros Oriental is host to many dive centers and resorts. The beach of Dauin itself is fast gaining popularity as a muck diving site where photographers can find blue-finned lionfish, dragonets, several species of octopus (including the famous mimic), bobtail squid, snake eels, ghost pipefish, cockatoo waspfish, and sea horses. Several areas have been declared marine reserves and, for a small fee, allow divers to explore their protected reefs.
Apo Island, the area’s most popular dive site, is where the bigger pelagics, immense schools of jacks, and huge colonies of clownfish can be found. Unbroken fields of both soft and hard coral still cover the reefs that surround this small island.
Balicasag Island is surrounded by a shallow reef, perfect for snorkeling, However it is the 5-star rated dive spots that draw divers. Black Forest and Rudy’s Wall thrive with jackfish, sea fans with colorful reef fishes.
Closer to Alona Beach, the dive sites are coral rich slopes that drop off to a wall that extend past 40 meters. Arco Point or Hole in the Wall, where one can pass through a small hole on top and exit mid reef, is also the fish feeding area where friendly damselfishes and sergeant majors swim up to meet the divers. Gorgonians, fan and tree corals as well as the beautiful soft corals are common sights along the slopes and walls. Surgeon fish and small tunas cruise along at mid-depth.
Cabilao Island is blessed with a variety of dive sites. South Point is considered one of the most beautiful sites in the Visayas with its flat areas covered in massive colonies of table corals and a healthy fish population. Coconut Wall, just north of South Point, features gorgonians and black corals. Large schools of barracudas inhabit the area. Just below the Lighthouse is a plateau covered in seagrass hiding a host of macro critters. Sea moths, sea horses, nudibranchs all make an appearance.
Reprinted From
Centrally located and with thousand of islands to choose from, it is no wonder that this part of the Philippines contains the most number of diving destinations, with new finds being added every so often.
Half an hour from Mactan International Airport in Cebu City is Marigondon Cave , Nalusuan and Hilutungan Fish Sanctuary. Coral covered slopes give way to an impressive wall covered in areas with yellow dendronephtya soft coral. The top opening of a huge cave that extends 100 meters deep starts at 28 meters and drops to the depths.
Hilutungan Fish Sanctuary is popular with photographers who want to add pictures of schooling fishes to their portfolios.
Fast gaining worldwide attention is Malapascua Island, off the Northeastern Coast of Cebu. Its claim to fame are the Thresher Sharks and Manta Rays that regularly visit the cleaning stations on Monad Shoal in the early morning. Further out, there are several wrecks, including a Japanese warship that lies upright with the shallowest portion at about 40 meters and the Dona Marilyn, a passenger liner that went down in a typhoon over 20 years ago and is conceivably the most beautiful wreck in the Visayas due to the profusion of dendronephtya and black coral bushes that cover most of the ship.
Gato Island meanwhile, is a marine Sanctuary. There is an 80 meter long tunnel that cuts through the Northern tip and divers will find the walls covered with yellow sponges and all kinds of shells. The immediate surroundings contain huge boulders and ledges where nurse, white tip and bamboo sharks congregate for a midday nap.
From the Malapascua area, we will sail down the western coast of Cebu Island to Moalboal/Pescador Island .
Pescador Island, Between 4 to 10 meters, expect to see a sloping reef filled with both hard and soft corals and the requisite reef fishes. But it is the drop off and the sponge covered walls that extend down to about 55 meters that pique the diver’s interest with lots of cracks and crevices to explore, and overhangs to swim through . It is the larger pelagic fishes like Tunas, Napoleon wrasses, white tip and even hammerhead sharks that are seen here. The walls are vertical gardens of sea fans as well as Tube and barrel sponges.
This diving profile can likewise be applied to the whole area, from Copton and Tongo Points.
Next stop is Dauin/Apo Island. The coastline on the southeastern side of the province of Negros Oriental is host to many dive centers and resorts. The beach of Dauin itself is fast gaining popularity as a muck diving site where photographers can find Blue-finned Lionfish, dragonets, several species of octopus (including the famous mimic), bobtail squid, snake eels, ghost pipefishes , cockatoo waspfish and sea horses. Several areas have been declared marine reserves and, for a small fee, allow divers to explore their protected reefs. Masaplod Sanctuary has a sloping reef of intact hard corals.
It was delightful to see so many varieties of juvenile fishes in residence while Apo Island , the area’s most popular divesite , is where the bigger pelagics such as immense schools of jacks, several colonies of clownfishes can be found. The local officials had implemented an strict No-Gloves-while –Diving policy a few years back and despite the heavy number of divers that visit the island, unbroken fields of both soft and hard coral still cover the reefs that surround this small island.
A must -see is Ducomi Pier, a privately owned working port whose supporting beams have turned into a veritable forest of corals. Seafans, sponges, black coral trees and tunicates have covered every inch of the concrete pillars. These in turn host species of fishes too numerous to list down. Schools of pompano, long nosed emperors and jacks run wild among the posts.
Painted Frogfishes in pastel shades, nudibranchs, seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish , ghost and ornate pipefishes are also pier residents. Beautiful Bohol, famous for the Tarsier Monkeys and Chocolate Hills also boasts several premier dive sites.
Balicasag Island is the centerpiece. It is surrounded by a shallow reef, perfect for snorkeling, However it is the 4 and 5- star rated dive spots that draw in the web-footed visitors. Black Forest, Rudy’s wall thrive with jackfish, sea fans with colorful reef fishes.
The chance to see Turtles, Bumphead Parrotfish and Napoleon wrasses are what divers go to Pamilacan for. It’s healthy reefs are a photographers delight with both soft and hard corals providing shelter to a profusion of reef fishes.
Closer to Alona Beach, the dive sites are coral rich slopes that drop off to a wall that extend past 40 meters. Arco Pt or Hole in the Wall , where one can pass through a small hole on top and exit mid reef is also the fish feeding area where friendly damselfishes and Sergeant majors swim up to meet the divers. Gorgonians, fan and tree corals as well as the beautiful dendronephtya soft corals are common sights along the slopes and walls. Surgeon fish and small Tunas cruise along at mid-depth.