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The Pinnacle
This dive is also known as the Drop Off.
A huge underwater reef that comes to the surface on
the eastern side of Verde Island, the pinnacle is
like a column that that starts in about 60m of water
a rises, narrowing as it gets to the surface.
You have to watch the conditions here as the
currents are ferocious with some down current. Your
Speed boat will drop you real close to the pinnacle
in the lee of the current. The idea is to get as
close to the pinnacle as possible and then descend
to your agreed depth (with Dive master). The dive
will then zig zag up the pinnacle exploring the
fantastic corals and marine life that inhabit the
pinnacle. If you look out onto the blue you can be
rewarded with schools of pelagic fish which is
always a bonus. With the current running fast you
cannot circumnavigate the pinnacle as you will just
get wash away with the current.
Take your time exploring the reef, there are some
really healthy gorgonian fans and on occasion you
can site sea snakes sleeping amongst the coral. This
is a world class dive with brilliant visibility, if
you diving in Puerto Galera make sure you request a
day trip to Verde Island diving.
The Washing Machine
This site is named by
diving it during ebb tide, similar to jumping into a
washing machine! The site can be dived in a
controllable current on flood tide too. A series of
canyons have been to formed perhaps by the water
movement in the area over thousands of years. The
large rocky coral formations are very healthy, with
basket sponges, sea fans and a profusion of siphon
sponges. When there is no current you have plenty of
time to explore the canyons, with an abundance of
tubeworms, sea squirts and feather stars in every
color, even many photo opportunities. A variety of
wrasses, parrotfish and eels, along with black and
white frogfish are commonly seen if you have a “good
trained eye”. When the current is “running”, the
adverse conditions actually enhance the site’s
attraction, bringing astounding densities of
schooling fish and pelagics, such as tuna and
trevallies, black and whitetip reef sharks.
Thousands of anthias blow past you in the “wind of
current”, along with clouds of other colorful reef
fish. The current usually starts slowly but
gradually picks up until it starts churning,
something like a washing machine. The unpredictable
current may change direction many times on the way
to the canyons, and down-currents can be a problem.
It is essential to dive with an experienced guide,
and it is not advisable for any other but for an
experienced diver.
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