Do you live in Manila? What are the best dive sites in the Phils?
Asked by Anonymous
In Cebu, but I’m working with the whale sharks in Oslob at the moment! Verde Island off Puerto Galera is meant to be amazing, as is the diving off PG. Anilao, Southern Leyte, Moalboal, Malapascua, Alona/Balicasag in Bohol… Davao is not a big dive destination, but I heard it should/will be.
Then off course you have the off the charts sites in Apo Island, Apo Reef, Tubbataha, Palawan… almost every island! Philippines is blessed with incredible marine life, we just have to learn how to protect it better!
Wonderpus (Wunderpus photogenicus) by Samantha Craven
I’m fairly confident this one is a Wonderpus - I learnt the other day that the third tentacle of the Wonderpus is shorter than the rest. I have no idea which one is the third one, but this Octopus definitely has one shorter than the rest. I’m assuming it’s the third one. So there you go.
And another… Coconut Octopus (A. marginatus) by Samantha Craven
This particular octopus just had it’s head sticking out the sand. It slowly prised the sand away with its tentacles and then POPPED out, and it was huge:
Another Coconut Octopus (A. marginatus), this one hiding out in some rubbish.
Photo by Samantha Craven
Frogfish (Antennarius sp.) by Samantha Craven
This ~15cm Frogfish was well disguised in frilly looking algae. We’d seen it snorkelling, but it was fricking awesome to spend time with it without feeling my lungs were going to burst. Unfortunately I was called away to look at a tiny (as yet unidentified) Seahorse. Life’s so hard sometimes.
Can anyone help ID it?
Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) by Samantha Craven
This is the only cuttlefish known to walk on the seafloor. It’s tiny cuttlebone size means that it can’t float for very long. It’s mesmerizing colours are aposematic - indicating that it is poisonous.
Longhorn Cowfish (Lactoria conuta) by Samantha Craven
These are silly fish. They swim by rapidly flapping their pectoral fins, so it looks like they are hovering. They go about their business looking for food (benthic algae, various microorganisms, foraminiferans) until they spot you and then they act like they’ve just spotted their ex. They awkwardly change direction, first one way, then the other, and then swim the hell away.
Giggle.
Spiny Waspfish (Ablabys macracanthus) by Samantha Craven
Like it’s almost-twin the Cockatoo Waspfish, the Spiny Waspfish sways side to side, as if a leaf in the surge. And it’s very good at it. I have mistaken many a leaf for these fish, and probably many of these fish for a leaf.
Coconut Octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) by Samantha Craven
- Backroll off the dive boat.
- Orientate.
- Let air out BCD.
- Descend.
- Equalize.
- Make sure buoyancy is fine.
- Look down, see dive buddy pointing out three centimeter bivalve shell with a teeny tiny A. marginatus in it.
- Knows it’s going to be a good dive.
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Whether we like it or not, divers are the only group of individuals that could ever act as guardians to the World of Water; there are no other groups in the world with the access, training and opportunity… there is nobody else.
As guardians of the world’s greatest resources we must understand that we really have an important job to do, far more than most could ever imagine.
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