Exploring Mindoro, Philippines: Top 5 Scuba Destinations
Located southwest of Luzon, between the Sulu Sea and the Mindoro Sea, the island of Mindoro is a hidden gem for divers. Despite its proximity to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, Mindoro remains relatively untouched, offering a unique diving experience.
Puerto Galera: A Diver's Paradise
Puerto Galera, located on the east of Mindoro, attracts divers since the 1980s due to its easily accessible dive sites by boat. With over 40 dive sites, Puerto Galera offers a range of environments from coral reefs to muck diving.
The marine life in Puerto Galera is diverse and vibrant, supporting diverse marine ecosystems. Divers can encounter macro creatures, various reef fish, and potentially larger pelagic species. Popular dive centers like Action Divers, Reef Haven, Asia Divers, and Deluna Dive Resort cater to different diving experiences, from wide-angle (for reef and pelagics) to macro (for critters and small creatures).
Reef Haven, a dive center in Puerto Galera, is renowned for its good mix of coral reefs and macro life, making it perfect for underwater photographers. The marine life diversity includes colorful corals, small critters such as shrimps and nudibranchs, and reef fish.
Specific sightings in Puerto Galera include moray eels, various nudibranchs, frogfish, and possibly sharks depending on the site and season. Three small metal wrecks rest on a sandy bottom, between 15 and 20 meters deep, just a few minutes from the beach in Puerto Galera. These wrecks, colonized by corals and frequented by green turtles, were intentionally sunk to enrich the marine ecosystem.
Exploring Other Dive Sites in Mindoro
Apo Reef, located off the coast of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, is a vast marine paradise with incredible visibility, often over 40 meters. The marine life at Apo Reef includes reef sharks, tuna, eagle rays, and even hammerhead sharks. Apo Reef is a natural heritage site in the Philippines, spanning over 34 kilometers.
Baniaga Reef, located south of Oriental Mindoro, off Bulalacao, is a lesser-known coastal reef with complex underwater formations. Baniaga Reef offers a tranquil diving experience with few people and no engine noise. The sea floor of Baniaga Reef is teeming with sponges and hard corals. The Coral Garden site, located a few minutes by boat from Long Beach, reveals a colorful reef with a diversity of hard and soft corals, colored anemones, and tropical fish. The water at Baniaga Reef is crystal clear, with a moderate depth rarely exceeding 18 meters.
The Canyon, a dive site off the coast of Sabang, north of Puerto Galera, is one of the most renowned dive sites in the Philippines. The Canyon consists of three parallel depressions that shelter an open-sea fauna, especially when the current is strong.
Sablayan, another dive center known in Mindoro, though less detailed in the results, likely features similar marine biodiversity associated with Mindoro’s coral reefs and underwater terrain.
Overall, Mindoro’s diving reputation stems from its rich coral reefs, vibrant macro marine life, and variety of underwater habitats, making it a prime spot for both wide-angle reef diving and muck diving enthusiasts. The presence of large marine animals like moray eels and diverse reef fish enhances its appeal to divers. For more detailed marine species lists per site, local dive shops like Deluna Dive Resort or Reef Haven can provide specific guides or dive logs.
- For those seeking a different lifestyle experience, home-and-garden enthusiasts might find solace in exploring Puerto Galera's dive sites as the vibrant marine life in the area, rich in colorful corals and small critters, creates an enchanting underwater garden.
- After a day of diving in the crystal-clear waters of Mindoro, sports lovers could unwind with a game of golf at one of the in-flights destinations, perhaps enjoying a tour of the greens in differing travel settings.
