Scuba Diving in Anilao

Just about any reef and juvenile fish imaginable can be found in Anilao; shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, small squid and cuttlefish, are all more plentiful than almost anywhere else I’ve ever dived. Frogfish, pipefish, and seahorses are fairly common at some of the Anilao dive sites, as well as rhinopias ,hairy frogfish, wonderpus, and mimic and blue-ringed octopus, and bobbit worms. Photographers will love Anilao, as most species on the muck and macro critter list can be found here, and make for some amazing photographic opportunies. Not surprisingly, Anilao has a huge number of species of hard and soft corals, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world!

With patience, and a bit of luck, you can also see bigger species in Anilao, such as large schools of jacks and giant seahorses. At Mainit point, which has strong currents we have seen 3-4 great barracudas hunting, and blue trevally. Reef sharks can be seen down deep at the dive sites with stronger currents, andon very rare occasions people have seen small whale sharks.

Getting to Anilao

With an open sail, we set off from Puerto Galera at around 5 o’clock in the morning to reach Anilao 3-4 hours away, and hopefully be in the water by around 8.30am.