Over 30 dive sites for all interests and skill levels
Dive Sites List
CASALAY HOUSE REEF
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-14 M/50’
DESCRIPTION:
Our House reef is a shore dive, entering from the beach front negotiating sea grass and soggy bottom. Ideally done during high water slack when water stagnates, this is shallow and calm or sometimes a drift dive depending on the tide. Gentle drift along the shore towards the open ocean at an average depth of around 10 meters.
Good dive for beginners as well as photographers with a variety of wide angle and macro subjects available to capture.
SIGHTINGS:
Seahorses and turtles, different species of nudibranchs, variety of creepers and crawlers.
GIANT CLAMS
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 6-18 M/ 60’
DESCRIPTION:
Located just 5 minutes boat ride from CASALAY is this famous muck diving site. The dive starts shallow at 6 meters where the giant clams can be spotted feeding on nutrient rich waters. As you descend deeper into muck, different species of nudibranch can be spotted. A great night dive location.
SIGHTINGS:
Giant clams, seahorses and turtles. Frogfish, nudibranch, mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish. Highlight – mimic octopus and wonderpus hunting at night.
MONTANI BAY
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-18m/60′
DESCRIPTION:
Located close to CASALAY. A less known dive site offering excellent macro opportunities for photographers.
SIGHTINGS:
Probably the best muck/ night dive! During night dive this shallow dive turns into a treasure hunt for muck dwellers and nocturnals which include seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, different species of nudibranchs, and a variety of creepers and crawlers.
SHIPYARD
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 12-18 M/ 60’
DESCRIPTION:
Just a 5-minute boat ride from CASALAY, another great muck diving site. As the name suggests, the site is an old sunken boat house. Search in muck for some weird creatures!
SIGHTINGS:
Velvet ghost pipefish, frogfish, different species of nudibranch, other creepers and crawlers.
BATANGAS CHANNEL
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-20 M/ 62’
DESCRIPTION:
Another colorful dive site located close to CASALAY around a 02 minute boat ride, Batangas Channel is an excellent, shallow and calm or sometimes a drift dive on the right tide. If you plan to do it as a drift dive it is best done during an ebbing tide, you will roll back from the boat in shallow waters around the channel’s mouth and then drift gently along the shore towards the open ocean at an average depth of around 15 meters. Good dive for beginners as well as photographers with a variety of wide angle and macro subjects available to capture.
SIGHTINGS:
Large colorful sponges and coral formations, peculiar landscape of twisted shapes and undulating plains. Rock formations, adorned with green tree corals and table corals (look underneath for more surprises). Sweet lips, Snappers and some unusual critters, look out for pipefish, nudibranchs and frogfish. Variety of small and colorful reef fishes are abundant.
THE HILL
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-18M/ 60’
DESCRIPTION:
Just around the bay from CASALAY accessible by a 5-minute boat ride, this dive site is well protected between three islands, you will back roll from the boat and as you descend the top of ‘THE HILL’ which around 5 meters is visible, the top is covered with variety of corals and sponges. It then slopes down in all directions to about 15 meters where a sandy bottom takes over scattered with hard coral and a variety of critters. The current can be strong if not timed with the right tide.
SIGHTINGS:
A great dive with some interesting creatures such as sea horses, frogfish, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue ringed as well as mimic octopus and moray eels. Elephant ear corals, nudibranchs and sponges, (large green tree corals and lush fields of soft corals).
Beautiful but shy mandarin fish are also sighted here around dusk. They appear from their fire coral home to play and also to mate. Also sighted during dusk are shrimps, crabs and lots of brittle stars crawling over the reef.
MANILA CHANNEL
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 05-22 Meters / 60’
DESCRIPTION:
Manila Channel reef is just 05 minutes boat ride from CASALAY, Excellent dive for beginners as well as photographers with opportunities for both wide angle and macro. The dive starts shallow at around 5 meters of water and extends out to sandy bottom at around 22 meters where two small walls can be sighted. If diving during flooding currents you can drift into the channel. This dive can be done in reverse on an ebbing tide where you start off from a sandy bottom, move towards the small walls and end the dive at the shallow end of the drop off. The sightings include a fiberglass wreck and famous potato corals as described in the sightings column.
SIGHTINGS:
Stony & soft corals, nudibranch, reef fishes/ Sea cucumber/Sea stars/ feather duster worm/ Christmas worms/ anthias/butterfly fish/ sergeant majors;
Cuttlefish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish/ lionfish/ scorpion fish/ mantis shrimp/ Clown fish, barrel sponge, whip corals and giant frogfish are easily sighted.
Potato coral, green tree corals, Gorgonian sea fans and Groupers around walls. Fiberglass wreck at 21 meters
BIG LALAGUNA
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 20m / 65′
DESCRIPTION:
A white sandy beach slopes gently into the water, providing an ideal starting point for a beginner’s dive. On either side of the beach, reefs of hard and soft corals rise up from the sandy bottom, offering a perfect first encounter with the underwater world.
The reef is dominated by staghorn and fire corals, with some table corals as well. This is also a great spot for snorkeling. If you’re lucky, you may even spot the wreck of a small speedboat lying in 12 meters of water.
SIGHTINGS:
Reef fishes– anthias, parrotfish, surgeonfish, and many species of anemones with different kinds of anemone fish.
Look closely in the sand for flounders, shrimps with their gobies, pufferfish, pipefish, schools of juvenile catfish and many other critters.
DRY DOCK
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 30m / 98′
DESCRIPTION:
Once a structure designed to hoist small boats, the Dry Dock now serves as a flourishing artificial reef, teeming with marine life. Submerged in 1998, this steel and plywood construction is now home to large reef fish and vibrant corals.
A brief swim across the sandy bottom leads to the reef of La Laguna Point, offering further exploration opportunities. Due to occasional strong currents, the Dry Dock is best suited for experienced divers and great on Nitrox.
SIGHTINGS:
Reef fishes– sweetlips, batfish, surgeonfish, groupers, snappers, lionfish. Large pufferfish and porcupinefish, different species of nudibranchs and flatworms.
Octopus, pygmy seahorses and anemone fish in the adjacent small coral reef ridge
LALAGUNA POINT
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5- 18 M /60’
DESCRIPTION:
5 minutes boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to the edge between Big La Laguna beach and Small La Laguna. This dive site is for all experience levels, here extends a small wall with a very healthy reef. The slope of wall starts at 5 meters and gradually drops down to 15 m where a lush coral slope takes over down to 20 m. Amazing variety of marine life can be observed in the cracks and crevices of the wall.
Descending deeper than 15 meters there are two large coral hills with a sandy channel running in between full of usual reef fishes and some novelties like octopus etc. Further heading towards Big La Laguna, a prominent wall is located where divers generally make a sharp turn and spend the last part of the dive in the bay of Big La Laguna.
SIGHTINGS:
Frogfish, octopus, schools of snappers, variety of nudibranchs, moray eels, blue ribboned eels, clownfish families, anemone fish families, scorpion fish, sweet lips, triggerfish and lionfish in hiding. Terrain of colorful coral covered knolls, rocks and bommies and schools of snappers.
SMALL LALAGUNA
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-20m / 65′
DESCRIPTION:
At the edge between Big Lalaguna Beach and Small Lalaguna Beach, a small wall with a healthy reef drops from 5 meters to 15 meters, where a lush coral slope takes over down to 20 meters. The wall has cracks and crevices with a diverse range of marine life.
Between 15 and 20 meters, there are two large coral-covered hills with a sandy channel in between them, where you can find more critters.
SIGHTINGS:
Anemonefish, scorpionfish, schools of longfin bannerfish, sweetlips, cardinalfish, triggerfish, lionfish. Frogfish, octopus, snappers, big sea fans. A big variety of nudibranchs, moray eels, blue ribbon eel
FANTASY REEF
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-15 M/ 50’
DESCRIPTION:
A 5-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to the Fantasy reef located inside the Sabang bay, a must for beginners as well as photographers. Fantasy reef offers variety and most of the exciting marine life found in Sabang bay can be spotted here.
This is an easy but exciting and colorful dive, if you are diving with a camera you will need more than one dive to explore the entire reef.
SIGHTINGS:
Coral heads, soft pink corals in the west side, gorgonian sea fan, pygmy seahorse, skeleton shrimp, demon stingers hiding under the sand.
Juvenile frogfish, pufferfish and surgeonfish are in abundance. Snake eels and stargazers, nudibranch and mantis shrimp are also easily spotted.
MONKEY BEACH
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 5-24M/ 76’
DESCRIPTION:
15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY and just past Sabang Bay is Monkey Beach. This dive site is a coral slope that evens at around 20 meters.
This is generally done as a drift dive as the currents can increase your speed rapidly. If you drop away from the shore, you will descend on a ship wreck tilted to the side, sitting at 18 meters.
SIGHTINGS:
Coral heads with crinoids, nudibranch and frogfish are most common on this dive site.
Jawfish hiding inside small holes in the sand. Mantis shrimp can be spotted running swiftly on the sandy bottom.
Reef fishes – most varieties of reef fishes are sighted here.
DUNGON WALL
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 10-30M/ 100’
DESCRIPTION:
15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY and past Sabang Bay lies Dungon Wall. A beautiful multilevel dive for advanced divers. The slope covered with hard and soft corals descends onto a pretty wall at 12 meters that goes down to 25 meters.
Continuing deeper past the wall, an old sailing catamaran is encountered sitting at a depth of about 28 meters. Loads of fishes hide between the double keels of the catamaran.
SIGHTINGS:
Hard and soft corals at shallower depth. Lionfish, scorpion fish and porcupine fish hiding in the cracks and crevices of the Dungon Wall.
Nudibranch, flatworms, frogfish and moray eels.
Big barracuda can be spotted during colder seasons.
Ringed piped fish, puffer fish and trevallies nestled between the two keels of the catamaran.
Big carpet anemones inhabited by porcelain crabs.
ALMA JANE WRECK
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 25-30M/ 100’
DESCRIPTION:
10 minutes boat ride from CASALAY in the center of Sabang Bay lies the Alma Jane wreck. Intentionally sunk in 2003, it is a steel cargo ship 30 meters in length. The vessel was stripped off engines and other dangerous parts before being sunk and is a perfect artificial reef now.
It is a perfect site for different courses such as Nitrox, deep and wreck specialties. The ship stands upright on a sandy bottom. There is a mooring line attached to the aft of the ship. If you will take a closer look, you can find a fallen off wheel line midship inside the hull. This is also a perfect swim through with wide beams and deep draft. The natural light comes in sun beams which lights up the wreck. A small flashlight can be carried for additional lighting.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of batfish, sweet lips and rabbitfish. Pufferfish hiding under the hull and scorpionfish are calmly camouflaging themselves among the outer hull.
Lionfish, trumpetfish and large snapper are usually hanging out inside the wreck. Frogfish are found sitting on the wooden structure. Shrimps are hiding under the debris.
SABANG POINT
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 5-24 M/ 80’
DESCRIPTION:
A 10-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to Sabang Point which is on the east end of the Sabang Bay. A multilevel dive for beginner, advanced as well as for photographers. The healthy reef starts shallow and slopes down to 22-24 meters. Hard and soft corals are spotted on the sloping bottom. A wall is encountered at 20 meters which levels out into a sandy bottom at 24 meters. This is also a good night dive.
SIGHTINGS:
Hard corals, soft coral, big purple sea fans, whip corals on deep reefs. Reef fishes – parrotfish, snappers, surgeonfish, triggerfish, sport cuttlefish. Turtles, octopus, anemone, clownfish, pygmy seahorse and blue ribbon eels are also spotted.
ERNIE'S POINT
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 27M/ 89’
DESCRIPTION:
Located 15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY and past Sabang Bay in between Monkey Beach and Dungon Wall is this dive site named after Ernie, the grouper who used to reside in a cave.
Ernie moved out but the name remains the same. The cavern is located at 21 meters of depth. The tiny cave is at the bottom of a large rocky outcrop. Another cave lies at 27 meters with bountiful marine life. Boat caves are not broad enough to penetrate. Strong cross currents are encountered here.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers, trevallies, mackerel, snappers, and unicorn fish. Sea and gorgonian fans at depths. Large mantis shrimp inside a tube-like hole of the cave.
WRECK POINT
LEVEL: BEGINNER
DEPTH: 15-20 M/ 66’
DESCRIPTION:
15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY just before Escarceo lies a shipwreck that sank in a typhoon years ago. The highest point of the wreck is just a meter below the surface. Big rocks and table corals lead you down about a depth of 15 meters. This is an easy dive that can be enjoyed by all levels of divers and photographers alike.
SIGHTINGS:
Hard corals, table corals, spectacled hawk fish, neon damselfish, anthias, and blue green chromis. Reef fishes – most common reef fishes are sighted here.
WEST ESCARCEO
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 5-30M/ 100’
DESCRIPTION:
15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY and past Sabang Bay is West Escarceo just short of Hole in the Wall. This is a spectacular drift drive on a strong flood. But, on a slack tide maybe suitable for all levels of divers.
This is a sloping healthy reef starting at 5 meters and even outs in sandy bottoms at 25 meters. The current can push you towards Hole in the Wall or Canyons depending upon the direction of the flow.
SIGHTINGS:
Coral boulders and long whip corals in shallower waters. Blue spotted stingray, and red toothed triggerfish. Scorpion fish and octopus camouflaging themselves.
Large puffer fish, big mouth mackerels, juvenile tuna, trevallies and emperor fish in the deep end.
SHARK CAVE
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 27m/ 90′
DESCRIPTION:
This site was named after the cavern that used to house white tip reef sharks, and is now home to many species of reef fish. It has a gradual slope with ridges and a rocky sandy bottom.
SIGHTINGS:
Reef sharks, blue spotted stingray, octopus, batfish, sweetlips, turtles
KILIMA STEPS
DEPTH: 5-20 M/ 66’
DESCRIPTION:
A 15-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to a multilevel dive site called Kilima steps. There are a series of reefs like steps rising from 20 meters all the way to 5 meters. The dive starts at 20 meters where there are small walls and different contours which will create a multilevel dive profile as you make your way to Safety Stop. Easy but exciting dive for all levels and photographers.
SIGHTINGS:
Table corals, blue tangs scattered among table corals. Red toothed triggerfish, anthias, moray eels, lionfish, scorpion fish, nudibranch, gorgonian fans, big sponges and octopus are the highlights of this dive.
SINANDIGAN WALL
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 5-40M/ 130’
DESCRIPTION:
Located 15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY. This is one of the farthest but one of the best dive sites to spot a variety of nudibranch on a single dive.
A multilevel dive, the wall begins at 5 meters and drops off to 35 meters where it slopes further to a big boulder named Turtle Rock (as it is shaped like a turtle).
At the base of the wall, there are a series of boulders South to North. The largest boulder rises from 63 meters all the way to 51 meters.
SIGHTINGS:
Different colored nudibranchs and other macro subjects, black and tree corals.
Reef fishes – banner fish, soldier fish, squirrel fish, emperor fish, snapper, fusiliers, and sea snakes.
Highlight – thresher sharks during colder months.
CANYONS
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 25-35M/ 120’
DESCRIPTION:
15 minutes boat ride from CASALAY close to Hole in the Wall are three spectacular canyons formed in the reef. A high voltage drift dive for the experienced divers. Divers drop close to Hole in the Wall and drift with current to reach the three-canyon shaped craters in the reef.
The canyons have sandy bottoms where you can duck into to escape strong currents and watch the big fishes fighting the currents above you. On all sides of Canyons, the slope goes down to more than 40 meters. So, be careful!
At the end of the third canyon with a depth of 30 meters, an old embedded anchor on a rock measuring about 1.5 meters sits. The divers often meet here at the end of the dive before making a blue water ascent and safety stop. You may get drifted towards the open sea so be careful and stay close to your dive guide. An excellent Nitrox dive.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of drummers, trevallies, batfish, sweet lips, emperor fish, barracuda, jacks and tuna. Big sea and gorgonian fans. Pink soft corals cover the entire area. Turtles and octopus. Thresher and reef sharks.
ATOLL
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 33m / 110′
DESCRIPTION:
This large rock rises from 33 meters to 20 meters and has several small crevices on the bottom where reef sharks and stingrays have been found. On the other side, the rock overhangs, making it a good place to explore with a flashlight to see critters. A good Nitrox dive.
SIGHTINGS:
Reef sharks, sting rays, pelagic fish. Eels, lionfish, nudibranchs, octopus, beautiful soft corals, large groupers.
KILIMA DRIFT
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 28M/ 90’
DESCRIPTION:
20 minutes boat ride from CASALAY and before Sinandigan Wall is the Kilima Drift dive site. A high voltage drift dive for experienced divers.
Divers descend down Kilima steps and let the current carry them. Down currents may be encountered on this dive. Maintain good buoyancy during the drift as you swim in big currents.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of big tuna, mackerel, jacks and trevallies. Thresher and reef sharks. Turtles.
Reef fishes – batfish, puffer fish, surgeon fish and banded sea snakes.
CORAL COVE
LEVEL: Beginner/Advanced
DEPTH: 24m/ 80′
DESCRIPTION:
A multi-level dive site with something to offer divers of all experience levels. This excellent macro site features a sloping reef that ends in a small wall at about 20 meters. There are also some overhangs that provide hiding places for fish.
SIGHTINGS:
Ribbon eel, blue spotted stingray, frogfish, emperor fish, electric clams, cuttlefish. Macro creatures such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, pipefish, orangutan crabs.
THE BOULDERS
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 30M/ 100’
DESCRIPTION:
A 20-minute boat ride from CASALAY and past the Sinandigan Wall are a series of reefs and small walls called The Boulders.
A wonderful multilevel dive for advanced divers. There are varying contours like small walls and boulders that wind up to create a multilevel drive profile. A good Nitrox dive.
SIGHTINGS
Hard and soft corals and whip corals. Red toothed triggerfish, anthias, surgeonfish, banded sea snakes and octopus.
Reef fishes – batfish, pufferfish and trevallies.
VERDE DROP-OFF
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 5-75M/ 245’
DESCRIPTION:
45 minutes boat ride from CASALAY. This dive is done as a day trip. Verde Island Drop off is a world class dive site and a must-dive for all advanced divers visiting Puerto Galera.
Verde island is billed as the center of the center of marine biodiversity on planet Earth and the Coral Triangle. The reef starts shallow at 5 meters and slopes down to about 75 meters. The colorful marine life is on full display here, wherever you look you will see varieties of reef fishes and pelagic life. The sloping reef also houses an assortment of corals. An excellent dive for observing and documenting marine biodiversity of the Coral Triangle. The currents can be strong on this dive. An excellent Nitrox dive.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of barracuda, jacks, drummers, trevallies, batfish, sweet lips, emperor fish, and tuna.
Big sea and gorgonian fans. Soft and hard corals cover the entire area. Turtles and octopus. Reef sharks.
CORAL GARDEN
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 05-12 Meters /36′
DESCRIPTION:
A 10-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to Coral garden, which is true to its name with a plethora of large coral heads along the white sandy bottom from the beach down to 10 to 12 meters. This dive is recommended for beginners as well as photographers with opportunities for both wide angle and macro. This can be an easy and calm dive and also a drift depending upon the tide. Check with your dive guide for a tide table to plan this either as a calm and easy dive or a drift dive.
SIGHTINGS:
Large coral heads/ giant plate corals/ staghorn corals/ barrel sponges/ soft corals. Reef fishes-anthias/ parrotfish/schools of sergeant major/damselfish/ butterflyfish/ angelfish.
Sandy part or under the corals look out for gobies, lizardfish, scorpionfish, shrimps, lionfish and an occasional grouper.
PINK WALL
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 15 M/ 50’
DESCRIPTION:
A 15-minute boat ride from CASALAY. A shallow and easy dive site next to the famous Canyons. A fallen overhang with a sloping wall comprising of corals and sea fans opportunity for novice divers and photographers. Also, a good night dive spot.
SIGHTINGS:
Hard corals, table corals, sea fans, whip corals.
Reef fishes – most common reef fishes are sighted here.
HOLE IN THE WALL
LEVEL: Beginner
DEPTH: 10-20 M/ 65’
DESCRIPTION:
A 15-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to Escarceo Point. Here, a beautiful swim through named Hole in the Wall is located. At the depth of 12 meters, there is a five-foot wide swim through (tunnel) in a small hill.
The swim through is covered with hydroids growing on the inside walls of the tunnel and occasional lion or scorpion fish also. So keep good buoyancy and do not touch anything while swimming through. The top of the hill is covered with soft corals. On the other side lies another wall worth exploring which drops off into the bottom full of whip corals vibrating with current.
This is an easy dive with timed tides. However, strong flooding can make it a high voltage dive with down currents pushing you up and down.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of fishes – drummer, sweetlips, big jacks, trevallies and snappers.
Reef fishes – snappers, batfish, lionfish, scorpion fish (also inside the swim through).
Octopus, frogfish, turtles and sea snakes. Soft corals, hard corals, sponges, green tea corals and sea fans. Moray eels and puffer fish.
SABANG WRECKS
LEVEL: Advanced
DEPTH: 18-22M/ 70’
DESCRIPTION:
A 10-minute boat ride from CASALAY will bring you to one of the most famous dive sites in Sabang Bay. The three wrecks are scattered over sandy bottom at the depth of about 20-22 meters. All three wrecks are in different stages of decay.
There are two wooden and one steel boat wrecks. The steel wreck is of an old Chinese fishing boat that was sunk in 1993 from Sabang beach.
This dive site is also good for a swim to shallower sandy areas leading up to sea grass where you can find a variety of creatures. These wrecks are home to most marine life found in Puerto Galera. This site is also one of the most popular night dives for photographers.
SIGHTINGS:
Schools of friendly batfish, surgeonfish, butterfly fish and damselfish. Camouflaged stonefish and scorpion fish can be spotted resting on the wrecks silently.
Underneath the wrecks, flashlight can reveal giant moray eels, crabs, lionfish, shrimp and schools of cat and squirrel fish.
Stargazers, snake eels, flounders, and pipefish (ornate, ghost pipefish), moth fish, and flying gurnard.
Top attraction – frogfish (can be found on wrecks as well in sand), goby and shrimp relationship study can be conducted in shallower sandy areas.
Night dive sightings – hermit crab, shrimps, horseshoe crab, sponge crab, squids, all varieties of cuttlefish, flatworms, and moray eels can be seen hunting in the open.