Puerto Galera is known for its incredible beaches, turquoise waters, and luxury resorts, but among divers, it is considered a must-visit destination. Unique and spectacular tiny species, thrilling wrecks, fun currents, dizzying vertical walls full of coral, opportunities for all kinds of diving, and a sanctuary for underwater photographers. It is an essential stop for anyone wanting to dive in the Philippines.
Puerto Galera boasts more than 30 different dive sites: while in some, we can appreciate the smallest and most cherished underwater life for macro, in others, we can dive among sharks, marvel at large vertical walls, or delve into wrecks with dramatic stories behind them.
Puerto Galera was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1973 and has one of the most diverse coral reefs in all of Asia thanks to being located in the heart of the Coral Triangle. All divers who have explored its depths consider this area one of the most exciting on the planet. It is impossible to highlight any one of its points; the biodiversity is overwhelming, the quality of its waters unparalleled, the explosion of underwater life incomparable, and the attention and quality of its dive centers and resorts are considered the best and most attentive in the world.
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Diving spots in Puerto Galera
Manila Channel
The Manila Channel is a good example of the treasures the Philippines holds. Typical coral reef species like boxfish, pufferfish, angelfish, porcupinefish, parrotfish, emperor angelfish, lionfish, or scorpionfish along with brightly colored nudibranchs seeking food among spectacular species of both hard and soft coral, with rare species like potato coral, green corals, mushroom corals, or barrel corals standing out. It's also possible to encounter large groupers and even the spectacular flamboyant cuttlefish.
Sabang Point
Sabang Point is one of the dive sites in Puerto Galera that divers visit to discover the always surprising pygmy seahorse. Sabang Point is a reef with a maximum depth of 25 meters full of corals where many reef species seek refuge: parrotfish, surgeonfish, and triggerfish, along with turtles, different species of moray eels, exotic nudibranchs, octopuses, and cuttlefish. At the bottom of Sabang Point, with some luck, we might find spotted rays.
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Verde Island
Verde Island is located 40 minutes by boat from Sabang, but it is worth the trip for its different and exciting underwater attractions. "The Wall" or "Dropoff" of Verde Island is highly appreciated by experienced divers and a gathering place for technical diving enthusiasts. This vertical wall, which reaches depths of 70 meters, is filled with huge orange, blue, and yellow gorgonians with intense hues, providing enormous brightness to this spot. During the dive, we can appreciate large pinnacles, underwater mountains in the sea offering unique views in the world.
As we descend, frogfish appear trying to blend into the various corals populating the wall, along with schools of juveniles and lionfish, triggerfish, scorpionfish, the occasional sea snake, large brightly colored nudibranchs, and in the deep blue, we can spot large pelagic species like sharks or large mantas and the occasional school of barracudas. A unique opportunity to feel privileged immersed in the great blue.
On Verde Island, there is another curious attraction, "The Washing Machine". True to its name, in this spot, you will be swept along by currents coming from different directions, where you can enjoy the dance of the fish as they are rocked by the strong current. It is undoubtedly a good place to take snapshots capturing movement, a lot of color, and a variety of small reef fish.
To the east of the island, we find a dive of great value that cannot always be done due to strong currents. "The Coral Garden of Verde Island" is a beautiful volcanic landscape where you can appreciate rivers of hot water emerging from various cavities and bubbles of sulfur gas rising to the surface. In this spot, it is easy to find reef sharks or extraordinary nudibranchs.
Coral Garden
The name makes it clear what the main attraction of this spot is. With usually stable currents and a maximum depth of only 12 meters, "The Coral Garden" is a lush garden full of colorful hard and soft corals and various sponges where many tropical fish come in search of food and shelter. Damselfish, parrotfish, large schools of sergeant majors, butterflyfish, and angelfish, lizardfish, lionfish… This is a dive site where from the most novice to the most expert photographers get a lot out of it, and where night diving reaches its peak.
