Puerto Galera - maganda

[Nameless Bear]

Here I am.. barely days before my next trip to the Philippines, to the place I have been to twice in 2014, and the very place I took my first proper shot (*cough*) at underwater photography just about a year ago.

During my previous trip to PG in November 2014, everything topside was exactly as I remembered it, save, perhaps, for the brownouts which I had the luck to avoid my first time there.

Underwater, however, it was a very different story; all manners of nudis presented themselves to me, nudis which I had not encountered before in my previous trip, practically begging me to take a picture or two:

Smile by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

Juvenile catfish clambered over each other, shoving their brethren aside, fighting for prime real estate in front of the camera lens:

Untitled by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

Pygmy seahorses preparing for my arrival by dropping a few pounds;

Size Zero by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

Some subjects were aggressive:

Matador by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

Magma by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

Some electrifying:

Gatsby by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

And some with a certain.. je ne sais quoi.. those who look good without filters, from any angle, and manage to somehow always catch light just the right way:

Mantle by Nameless Bear, on Flickr

I'll be back soon.

 

[Peter Guy]

Very nice shots. We'll be back in Puerto Galera in October -- want to join us -- www.belowandbeyond.biz/PG.htm

 

[TSandM]

Lovely pictures! Hope we are as lucky with the nudibranchs this fall.

 

[h2odragon1]

There are over 600 species of Nudibranch's in the Verde Island Passage off Puerto Galera!

 

[Peter Guy]

h2o -- That's why we are going back and leading a group to Puerto Galera in October. Come along and join the fun.

 

[drrich2]

Beautiful shots! Pretty amazing. I've never been to the Philippines, and logistics with my life situation & family put that destination in the 'maybe in a few years, if ever' category, but I hear such good things I'm trying to learn more about it. The strange names & my lack of familiarity with the region make it a slow process.

While there are a few locations that get mentioned often (e.g.: Puerto Galera, Dumeguete, Anilao, Boracay), it seems to me Puerto Galera is the one mentioned most as a scuba destination. I've been told to think of the Philippines like the Caribbean, so asking what the best place is to dive there may be a bit futile.

But this is your 3rd trip in under 2 years, and you keep picking the same place (your dive count is under 100). That intrigues me. What keeps you going to Puerto Galera instead of trying the others?

Richard.

P.S.: I'm not criticizing your choice. I've been to Bonaire 8 times so I'm prone to get 'stuck in a rut.' The past couple of years I've been making an effort to branch out.

 

[Nameless Bear]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words!

Very nice shots. We'll be back in Puerto Galera in October -- want to join us -- www.belowandbeyond.biz/PG.htm

Thank you for the invite, Peter. I just might join you guys!

Lovely pictures! Hope we are as lucky with the nudibranchs this fall.

Quite confident PG won't disappoint you in that regard. Sabang Bay area is rich in macro. Do also check out Sinandigan Wall.

Beautiful shots! Pretty amazing. I've never been to the Philippines, and logistics with my life situation & family put that destination in the 'maybe in a few years, if ever' category, but I hear such good things I'm trying to learn more about it. The strange names & my lack of familiarity with the region make it a slow process.

While there are a few locations that get mentioned often (e.g.: Puerto Galera, Dumeguete, Anilao, Boracay), it seems to me Puerto Galera is the one mentioned most as a scuba destination. I've been told to think of the Philippines like the Caribbean, so asking what the best place is to dive there may be a bit futile.

But this is your 3rd trip in under 2 years, and you keep picking the same place (your dive count is under 100). That intrigues me. What keeps you going to Puerto Galera instead of trying the others?

Richard.

P.S.: I'm not criticizing your choice. I've been to Bonaire 8 times so I'm prone to get 'stuck in a rut.' The past couple of years I've been making an effort to branch out.

Good question.. In my first trip report (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...-report-puerto-galera-28feb2014-7mar2014.html), I listed the following factors:

1) Pricing (both in terms of structure and affordability)
2) Land-based activities (such as bars, restaurants, beaches, and scenic bike rides)
3) Macro diving (PG is just opposite Anilao, which is consistently ranked one of the best macro destinations in the world)

In addition to these, PG is also relatively easy to get to, and flight timings are also very favourable for me.

Overall, I still go back because it's a quick getaway which is inexpensive even for solo travellers (I prefer to travel solo), and there is still much more for me to see underwater. Having said that.. I do agree that there are other many other places within the Philippines I should check out.

I hope your situation improves and you get the chance to dive the Philippines!

Andrew

 

[Searcaigh]

Excellent shots Andrew, why not split a future trip between PG and Anilao.

One thing I enjoy about Anilao are long shallow (10M) shore dives, certainly worth a couple of days, although topside not much to do except download pics etc.

 

[Nameless Bear]

Excellent shots Andrew, why not split a future trip between PG and Anilao.

One thing I enjoy about Anilao are long shallow (10M) shore dives, certainly worth a couple of days, although topside not much to do except download pics etc.

Thank you!

The main thing stopping me from heading to Anilao is the pricing structure; If I were to go solo, I would incur the full boat and DM fees. This coming trip, though, I'll be going to Anilao with my friends for the first leg, then on to PG for a few days.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Thank you!

The main thing stopping me from heading to Anilao is the pricing structure; If I were to go solo, I would incur the full boat and DM fees. This coming trip, though, I'll be going to Anilao with my friends for the first leg, then on to PG for a few days.

That is what kept me away from Anilao for years. There is a resort that has an all inclusive dive pricing structure. Buceo Anilao I was there in January and it met all my expectations.