Anilao, Batangas Diving Review

Anilao is a Marine Protected Sanctuary. It is the best spot in the Philippines for underwater macro photography. Compared to the rest of the world, it is normally ranked for Muck Diving in the top 3 at Third position after the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia and Mabul Island in Malaysia.

Here you will find vibrant and colourful Nudibranchs and a huge variety of Critters like Crabs, Shrimps and Cuttlefish. It is not rare to observe the rather strange looking Hairy Frogfish, Blue-Ringed Octopus as well as Mimic Octopus and Rhinopias. Mantis Shrimp, several species of Gobies and Bobbit Worms are also common encounters. The best place for muck diving is Secret Bay also known as Mainit Muck. This is also a great spot for an exhilirating night dive ;-).

The reef life is thriving and usually quite shallow allowing longer bottom time for Photographers and a perfect spot for Snorkellers to explore.

You can also observe Pelagic fishes such as Barracudas, Jacks and Trevallies as well as Reef Sharks which can be spotted in dive sites like Mainit Point.

There is a great variety of wonderful hard and soft Coral too and the conservation efforts are proving to be working well!

There about 40 dive sites around Anilao with the most famous being Sombrero Island, Maricaban Island, Cathedral and Mapating. They are all reachable by a short boat ride.

If you like, there are also day trips available from Anilao to Verde Island for great Wall Diving and even to Puerto Galera.

In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Anilao, Batangas.

Best time to Dive in Anilao, Batangas

Diving Season

It is technically possible to dive all year round. However there are certainly better periods than others:

• The main diving season in Anilao runs from early November to May.
• In July, August and September it is the rainy season and there can even be Typhoons! The sea is usually choppy and the visibility quite poor.
• The Water is colder in January and February with temperatures going down to 22°C and 24°C on average.
• The peak season and also the best time to dive is during April and May. Dive sites can get crowded during weekends at this time of the year. November is also a very good time to explore Anilao.

The visibility is about the same from November to May and you can expect about 15m and even 20m in a good day ;-).

Scuba Diving conditions

The conditions on many dive sites are easy and ideal to learn scuba diving. However, there can be strong currents at several places like Mainit Point.

Water Temperature: A chilly 24°C on average from November to February and 27°C from March to May.

Currents: Gentle in most of the local dive sites ideal for training - can be strong in certain places.

Visibility: The visibility ranges from 3m to 20m depending on the season and the tide. During the Rainy season (July to September), the visibility is usually poor.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayvee/5567326508/

Snorkelling in Anilao, Batangas

It is easy to snorkel off the shore right in front of most of the resorts. The resorts can also arrange a Snorkelling Day tour for you on a boat to show you the best spots around Batangas.

Travel Guide

Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Anilao, Batangas Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.