Scuba Diving in Cebu - Plane Wreck and Sardines

Before my first dive in Cebu for some reason my expectations were not so high. I don't know why, but maybe because Cebu city is so close. After several diving days and I have to admit I was wrong. Scuba diving in Cebu area is great and there are lot of things to see.

Dive centers are near the luxury hotels like Movenpick and Crimson Resort in Mactan. Of course hotels organize also dive trips. First dive spots are very near the hotels. Even plane wreck and sardines are just next to the hotels.

Here are some highlights from my dives in Cebu area. Enjoy!

If you are going to visit in Cebu and like scuba diving it's worth to check also underwater life.

Regards,
Mika

Highlights | Scuba Diving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan | PHILIPPINES

During last few years I have dived 60+ dives in Puerto Princesa in Philippines. Puerto Princesa is a place where is possible to see everything from macro creatures to whale sharks and big rays.

Check my video to see some highlights of diving in Puerto Princesa. Enjoy!

Hopefully you liked it.

Regards,
Mika

Video: Manta Rays in Komodo, Indonesia

I have dived with manta rays in many places like Similan Islands and Racha Noi (Raya Noi) in Thailand and also in Tubbataha Reef in Philippines. Anyway the most memorable dives were in Komodo. There we saw many mantas even on the surface.

This photo I took in Komodo just when snorkeling with mantas between the dives.

Here is a video from the same place. There is possible to see also many mantas together.

Another manta video from Komodo.

Great memories from Komodo!

Regards,
Mika

Best Hotel Deals now via Reef Dive

Are you planning diving holiday? Business trip? Or just weekend trip? Reef Dive offers now Best Hotel Deals globally. See the latest Special Offers.

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In Finnish. Oletko matkustamassa sukelluslomalle, työmatkalle tai kenties viikonloppureissulle? Saat nyt parhaat hotellitarjoukset kaikkialta maailmalta suoraan blokin kautta. Katso uusimmat Hotellitarjoukset.

 Regards / Terveisin,
Mika

Best Dive Sites in Asia

We all have our favorite dives sites in Asia. It´s also easy to find many 'Best dive sites in Asia' in internet. Like always the result of the list depends of course who has done the list.

Here are few Best of lists:

• Sport Diver: Asia Pacific - Top20 Iconic Dives
• CNN Travel: 10 Best Dive Sites in Asia
• PADI: 10 Great Scuba Diving Sites in Asia
• Ambersand's Travel: 12 Best Sites to go Scuba Diving in Asia
• Go Asean: Best Dive Sites in Southeast Asia
• UW Photography Guide: Best Diving and Photography Locations in Southeast Asia

The lists include many great dive sites where I have dived also. Komodo in Indonesia, Similan in Thailand, Tubbataha in Philippines, Mabul and Sipadan in Malaysia and many other awesome places.

What do you think? What are your favorite dive sites in Asia?

Regards,
Mika

Y40 - New Deepest Pool in the World

I wrote earlier a story about the deepest pool in the world. The pool name is Nemo33 and it's in Brussels, Belgium. Things has anyway changed and Nemo33 is not the deepest pool anymore.

Now the deepest one can be found in Italy. The place name is Y40 and it´s in Montegrotto Terme. The place was opened in 5th of June 2014. Surface area is 21 x 18m and depth is 40m / 131ft. Water temperature is 32 - 34C, so it´s possible swim and dive there just using normal swimming costume.

Watch this video to get better idea of the place.

This kind of deep pools are great and safe places for training even nothing can beat the feeling, when diving in the coral reef with the fishes.

Regards,
Mika

Remote beaches and diving places - Rent a motorcycle

Southeast Asia is a paradise for people who loves beaches, snorkeling and of course scuba diving. There are anyway many nice places, where is not so easy to go. Also inside the area moving can be difficult or just have to take always some kind of taxi. For that problem motorcycle or scooter is a perfect solution. Just find the motorcycle rent company and check the bikes. After you have found the good one, check especially that tires and breaks are ok. 

If you have plan to ride longer trip, check and confirm there are also enough oil and other liquids. Check the bike has needed papers and confirm you have the phone number for the owner. After that you are ready to go. 

Palawan in Philippines has lots of beautiful remote beaches and it´s also good place for scuba diving. Beach in Port Barton. 

Puerto Princesa area is good place for scuba diving. Whitetip reef shark in small cave. 

There is possible to go snorkeling with whale sharks in Puerto Princesa. The season is usually from end of April to October.

Bohol area in Philippines is also great for motorcycling. Beautiful white sand Alone Beach.

There is possible to see rare tarsiers in Bohol.

Balicasag Island near Alona Beach is great place for scuba diving. There is possible to see lots of big sea turtles.

Phuket in Thailand is also very good place, where you can combine motorcycling and diving. The island is quite large, so motorcycle/scooter is very usefully way to go from place to another. Phuket has also many beautiful beaches around the island.

There are many diving destinations in Phuket area like Racha Yai, Racha Noi, Koh Phi Phi and Shark Point. Here is Leopard Shark in Shark Point.

Indonesia has also many interesting place to explore. One of those is Labuan Bajo in Komodo, where you can find twisty mountain roads for motorcycling and beautiful views. 

Komodo is also amazing diving destination. Huge schools of fishes, lots of shark and big rays. Also manta rays. 

Komodo dragons are of course also one must see in Komodo. 

Using motorcycle/scooter it´s so much easier to reach many places. As a bonus you will see so much more on the trip even the scuba diving is the main focus. 

Regards,
Mika

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Putul and Crossing in Puerto Princesa, Philippines

Dive #: 263
Date: 29.12.2015
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Putul
Depth: 27,7m Average: 17,6m
Dive time: 52min
Visibility: 18-20m
Sea temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air)  Wetsuit: Only shorts + sleeveles  Weight: 5Kg
Camera: Canon PowerShot G15 + Ikelite´s housing  Computer: Suunto Stinger

Dive Center: Dive Puerto Princesa
Price: 3300PHP/64€/2 Dives

I did two dives in Puerto Princesa area. Dive spots were Putul and Crossing. 

Porcupine fish trying to be invisible.

Nudibranch.

Small crab in the anemone.

Same guy from the different angle.

Nudi couple.

Brain coral.

Time for the safety stop and to the boat.

Dive #: 264
Date: 29.12.2015
Place: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Crossing
Depth: 19,5m Average: 13,7m
Dive time: 51min
Visibility: 20-25m
Sea temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air)  Wetsuit: Only shorts + sleeveles  Weight: 5Kg
Camera: Canon PowerShot G15 + Ikelite´s housing  Computer: Suunto Stinger

Our second dive was in Crossing, which is near Putul.

There was lot of redtooth triggerfishes.

These guys are very common on the bottom.

Blue-striped snappers.

What is this fish?

Turtle swimming on the reef.

Then to another direction.

Cinnamon clown fish.

Giant puffer on the cleaning station.

I have dived many times in the both dive spots before and dives were good basic diving. Lot of different kind of reef fishes.

Here you can check the hotels in Puerto Princesa.

Regards from Manila,
Mika

Diving day on the beautiful Modessa Island in Palawan, Philippines

Dive #: 262
Date: 25.12.2015
Place: Philippines, Palawan, Modessa Island, Tarvis Reef
Depth: 17,3m Average: 9,1m
Dive time: 87min
Visibility: 8-10m
Sea temperature: +30C

Equipment
Bottle: 12L/200bar (air)  Wetsuit: Only shorts + sleeveles  Weight: 5Kg
Camera: Canon PowerShot G15 + Ikelite´s housing  Computer: Suunto Stinger

Dive Center: Tarvis Dive Center
Price: 1000PHP/20€/1 Dive

We spent the Christmas in Roxas in Palawan and on the next day 25th we did the day trip to beautiful paradise island called Modessa Island Resort. It takes 45min from Roxas to the island by boat. The island looks awesome.

I have been on the island ones before, but on that trip I didin´t dive. Only snorkeling. This time I wanted to dive also. 

I didin´t have any booking for the dive, so I just went to visit in the Tarvis Dive Center, which is next building from the restaurant. There was no other customers on that time, so we just checked the gears  with Richard, who runs the dive center. After everything was ready we just walked stairs down to the water and started the dive. Here is something what we saw. 

Visibility was not the best possible. Very soon in the dive we saw a big school of barracudas. Richard told there can be three different kind of barracudas in one school.

Same school.

Nemos. 

Striped cat fishes on the sandy bottom.

Silver sweetlips.

Lionfish and the small fishes.

Small fishes hiding in the corals.

Small reef fishes.

Curious batfish came very close.

Later we saw more barracudas.

And more. 

Under water tree.

Richard told me before the dive, that show him when I have 70 bars left and let´s go then to shallow area to find seahorses. Here he is checking the seacrass, if we could find one.

We checked several seacrass bush, but we didin´t find any. Then we turned back and rechecked the seacrasses again and we found one. Seahorses are quite funny creatures. When you tried to take photo they turn always the back to you. This is Zepra Snouted Seahorse.

Same seahorse closer. Belly is so big, that it can be pregnant. 

From the different angle.

Very small puffer which didin´t scare to come close at all. 

Coby and shrimp together.

Flounder in the sandy bottom. 

Here the flounder closer, where is possible to see eyes on the same side of the body. 

It was great dive on the Modessa Island even the visibility was not the best one. Barracudas and seahorse were the highlights of the dive. I have never seen that kind of seahorse before. The reef is  quite shallow, so the dives can be quite long. In my case the dive was nice 87min. Almost one and half hour on one tank. That´s easily my longest dive ever. 

Would be fun to dive in Modessa again. Special thanks to Richard!

If you want to see more photos from the Modessa Island, check from my Finnish travel blog. I really recommend to visit in Modessa Island Resort. 

Regards,

Mika