Diving day in Mactan area in Cebu, Philippines

I had a diving day with the friends in Mactan Island area near Cebu. We did a three dives. Divers: Mikko H., Mikko R., and Petri, who was also our dive guide/instructor.

Dive #: 231

Date: 5.1.2013

Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Hilutungan

Depth: 21,6m Average: 10,9m

Dive time: 43min

Visibility: 20m

Sea Temperature: +29C

Equipment

Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Dive Center: Scuba Haven

Price: Special price for the friends (3 dives)

Diving gears to the boat and to the sea. From the left: Mikko R., Mikko H., Petri and me on the back.

Our first dive spot was Hilutungan Island.

There was a lot of spade fishes. Some of them are very curious and come very close.

Fishes and corals on the wall. 

Petri taking some photos. 

Diaconal banded sweetlips.

That´s me on the wall.

During the first dive we saw also titan triggers, anemones and a lot of different reef fishes.

Dive #: 232
Date: 5.1.2013
Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Nalusuan Island
Depth: 17,6m Average: 9,4m
Dive time: 57min
Visibility: 20-25m
Sea Temperature: +29C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Our second dive spot was Nalusuan Resort Island. We jumped to water near the pier.

There was a lot of black spotted snappers under the pier building. 

 School of black spoted snappers near the pier.

Blue-spotted stingray. If you look closer you can see this one was lost her tail.

 Corals.

Big grouper on the cleaning station mouth open.

 Blue-spotted stingray with the blue-streak cleaner wrasses.

"Nemos" or Clark´s anemones posing. 

Same "Nemos" again. 

More stingrays.

Second dive was quite shallow, but also quite interesting. Especially under the pier we saw so many fishes. Also later on the dive it was create to see  many stingrays. 

Dive #: 233
Date: 5.1.2013
Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Olango Island, Talima
Depth: 21,3m Average: 14,6m
Dive time: 44min
Visibility: 15-20m
Sea Temperature: +29C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Our third and last dive spot was Talima. In practice it means deep walls, wooden wreck and lots of fish.

Here Petri diving on the wall.

Wooden wreck has already seen the best days. 

Wreck closer.

There are always a lot of fishes near the wreck. Here diaconal banded sweetlips. 

One sweetlips closer.

Fan coral and barrel sponge.

White eye moray eel ready to attack.

I was taking photo from some coral and suddenly I saw somebody is stearing me very close. It was this guy.

I have dived ones before in Talima about 6 months ago. There are always so many fishes especially near the wreck. 

It was great to dive in Cebu area again especially with the good friends. There are always lots of manine life. If you want to dive near Mactan just contact to Petri.

Regards,

Mika

Manila

Diving day in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

I was about two weeks on Palawan during Christmas time and my first day in Puerto Princesa was of cource diving day.

Dive #: 229
Date: 16.12.2012
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Broken River
Depth: 35,6m Average: 20,7m
Dive time: 39min
Visibility: 15m
Sea Temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Dive Center: Moana Dive Center

Price: 2800PHP/53€ (2 dives)

Our first dive spot was Broken River. I have dived there many times before and there are always lots of marine life.

 Red clown fish. "Nemo".

Nudibranch.

Huge fan coral.

Very big yellow nudibranch.

Safety stop and back to the boat.

Dive #: 230

Date: 16.12.2012
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Maris Rock
Depth: 24,3m Average: 14m
Dive time: 51min
Visibility: 5-8m
Sea Temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Our second dive spot was Maris Rock. This time the visibility in Maris was quite bad. Maris Rock is anyway interesting dive spot and there are always some creatures, which are not so common.

Octopus trying to hide.

Jav fish on her hole.

Giant puffer from close.

 Moray eel ready to attack.

Pygmi sea horse. There was five tiny sea horses in one coral. Pygmis are only about 1-1,5cm high, so it´s difficult to find them and especially to take photos. They always disappear from the focus.

Nudibranch.

Porcupine fish try to look bigger than it really is. It looks funny when it make itself almost like a ball and then try to swim.

In the end of the dive we saw quite strange looking crab. Instructor Dani has dived many years on these water and he told he has never seen this kind of crab.

Some coral, which looks almost like flower.

Two relax dives in Puerto Princesa again. This time the visibility especially in Maris Rock was quite poor. Anyway there was again some interesting creatures to see. 

Regards,

Mika

Diving day in Puerto Princesa, Philippines

I had a long weekend trip from Manila to Puerto Princesa and I had a one diving day.

Dive #: 227
Date: 25.8.2012
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Crossing
Depth: 22,8m Average: 15,5m
Dive time: 54min
Visibility: 15-20m
Sea Temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Dive Center: Moana Dive Center
Price: 2800PHP/53€ (2 dives)

There was diving two guys from USA, our dive guide Dani and me. Dani is an instructor and have around 3000 dives and he knows the dive spots very well Puerto area. I have dived with him about 30 times before in Puerto.
Our reliable boat man Elinel. He doesn´t use GPS, but he has landmarks for every dive spots and he finds the places as well as GPS. Elinel has also nick name "human GPS".
Then to dive.
There are always lots of different kind reef fishes in Crossing. Especially red tooth trigger fishes.
More fishes.
Hard coral.
Frog fish hiding.

Dive #: 228
Date: 25.8.2012
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Maris Rock
Depth: 23,4m Average: 15,2m
Dive time: 48min
Visibility: 8-12m
Sea Temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, shorts + sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Lots of soft corals.
Jav fish was at home again.
Fan corals
More fan corals.
Two relax dives. On the first dive I saw also turtle. During the both dives I had some problems with my camera and it didn´t work properly. When I switched on the camera the screen was just black and nothing happened. I also didn´t get any photos about the turtle.

Regards,
Mika

Diving day in Mactan Island near Cebu, Philippines

I had a long weekend trip from Manila to Cebu. One of my good friend, Petri, lives in Mactan Island in Cebu and he is also scuba instructor. We did three dives together in Mactan area.

Dive #: 224
Date: 22.6.2012
Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Talima
Depth: 27,7m Average: 14m
Dive time: 40min
Visibility: 15-20m
Sea Temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air) Wetsuit: No wetsuit, only shorts and sleeveless Weight: 5Kg

Dive Center: Diving with the friend
Price: Special price

Talima has deep walls. There is also one wreck, which is already seen the best days.
Near wreck is possible to see lots of different kind of fishes. Diagonal-banded sweetlips.
I showed to Petri, look cuttlefish. No, two cuttlefishes. No, three! Four!

Dive #: 225
Date: 22.6.2012
Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Tambuli (Plane wreck)
Depth: 31,4m Average: 16,7m
Dive time: 36min
Visibility: 15-20m
Sea Temperature: +30C

In the beginning of the dive we saw banded seasnake.
Reason why we came to this divespot was anyway to see plane wreck. Here it is. Depth is something 23-24m.
On the front.
"This is my plane."
Petri and the plane.
Plane inside.
My first plane wreck. Hopefully not the last one.
In the end of the dive we came to shallow area. There was lots of grass. In fact it looked quite nice.

Dive #: 226
Date: 22.6.2012
Place: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan, Dakit Dakit ("Two Rocks")
Depth: 25,3m Average: 15,2m
Dive time: 47min
Visibility: 15-20m
Sea Temperature: +31C

Our third divespot was Dakit Dakit, which means Two Rocks. There are also deep walls. Lionfish on the wall.
Lizardfish.
This divespot has also something special. Huge school of fishes. Here is a small part of the group.
It's very interesting the see how the group moves and change the formation.
Petri with the fishes.
There was thousands and thousands of jacks. Or are these sardines? Anyway many.
Do you want to count?
Petri is somewhere behind the group. You can see only little bit bubbles.
Petri took this video clip which helps to understand how big was the school of fishes.

It was great diving day in Mactan. Must go diving there also some other time. If you are also interested to dive in Mactan just contact Petri.