Puerto Galera, which literally means “ Port of Galleons” gained its popularity way back 16th century, when merchant vessels & seafarers used its natural harbors as safe haven for ships during storms and typhoons. This rich tropical island is found in Oriental Mindoro, -the seventh largest island in the Philippines- it is approximately 100 miles south of Manila, you may reach the island with 2 ½ travel by land and 1 hour travel by boat.

Puerto Galera has been attracting divers since the 1980s and everybody agrees that diversity and diving are the best words that can describe this beautiful tropical island. With more than 40 prime dive sites and hundreds of species of fish life, beginner and advanced divers will definitely enjoy a world class diving experience. Divers can try a wide array of diving such as deep diving, wreck, night, drift, shore, wall, reef, big pelagic action, you name it and you will enjoy it here in Puerto Galera.  

The visibility in the island varies from 10m/33ft to 30m/99ft, sometimes even better depending on current strength, wind direction and water temperature. Depth is between 5m to 40m with water temperature ranging from 26-29 centigrade. The island is considered warm water diving and 3mm thick wetsuits are the norm.

For those with non diving partners or families, diving Puerto Galera would also be perfect for you. Since there are many water activities and local tours offered by Marco Vincent, your non-diver partner or families will have fun in the island while you are on your own diving adventure. You can also be literally be out diving in the morning and back by the time your non diving partner or family have finished breakfast  or for the die hards, you can dive all day and night.

All dives are led by professional Divemasters or Instructors, they will tell you the best dive sites to dive and help you prepare your diving schedules.  If you have a dive preference they will always be willing to accommodate it!

Puerto Galera Dive Sites

The are two extremely different dive sites you can find in Verde Island ; the Pinnacle  and the Washing Machine. Verde Island Diving is excellent, with warm water, 30m plus on average visibility and good fish and coral life all add up to a world class destination. I would recommend only a day trip here, which is more than enough time to enjoy the Verde Island Diving pleasures.

Verde Island Dive Sites 

Most of the dive destinations included in Anilao Diving is found surrounding the Maricaban and Sombrero Islands. These Islands can be reached by speed boat approximately 45 minutes from White Beach Puerto Galera. It has a mild to strong water current with depth ranges from 6 to 37 meters. The dive site has a variety of diving challenges,  there are drop-offs, sandy slopes, overhangs, and caves. The dive site is excellent for macro-photographers and several species of rays and white tip sharks have recorded fleeting around this area. The current here is strong so be guided accordingly.

Maricaban & Sombrero Island Dive Sites

Donsol is known as “one of the world’s foremost locations to view whale sharks” and having a chance to swim with Whale sharks (the largest fish in the world) and meet them up close can be one of the most exciting wild life encounters you can have in the Philippines.   Locally known as Butanding (scientific name: Rhincodon typus), these gentle giants measuring from 15 ft. to as long as 40 ft. in length, have been observed to converge in the waters of Donsol starting sometime during the months of October and November, and peaks in the months of February to May. How to reach this town is very simple, from Manila one can take direct flights to Legaspi City in Albay province. Flying takes only about 50 minutes and from Legaspi Airport , it is only a 45-minutes travel to reach the Sorsogon Province, particularly whale shark encounters are seen in the towns of Donsol, Pilar, Castilla and Magallanes.

The Butandings, featuring silvery polka dots all over its huge body, feeding only on plankton and krill, are harmless, gentle, friendly and playful, allowing humans to swim, play and interact with them, as they ponderously glide alongside sea craft. To begin your wild adventure with Whale sharks, you have to go to the “Visitor Center” and hire a boat from them, this center is the one regulating boat trips and they will assign Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) to assist your group.  After a shark is spotted, a the BIO leads swimmers into the water and directs them toward the shark. Visibility is relatively poor, so you begin by swimming blindly in whatever direction the BIO dictates. Blindness is quickly replaced by temporary paralysis, as from the darkness emerges the wide open mouth of the world’s largest fish, for which you are directly headed.

These gentle giants allow you to float directly over top of them and then to turn and swim side by side with them before they get bored or hungry or both and dive for deeper waters. The smaller sharks tend to be a bit shyer and, as a result, dive quicker than the larger sharks, which often will allow you to swim with them for lengthy periods of time. Even though the sharks are cruising along effortlessly, it does take some effort to keep up with them, so a reasonable level of fitness and fair swimming skills are required.

If you get lucky you can have 12 to 14 Whale Shark encounters in 3 hours, surely you don’t want to miss this once in a lifetime “date” with Whale Sharks!