Philipines vs Galapagos islands , 3 month stay

Dear all,

i hope someone will be able to help me choose my next dive destination, where I also will be living. I have the opportunity to stay anywhere while self studying, and have narrowed it down to either the Philippines or the Galapagos. I will be there 2-3 months from. March.

On galapagos I would be staying on the main island Santa Cruz which is unique with the iguanas and sea lions. However, the amazing diving which the islands are known for is only via live aboard, which I cannot afford. There are no daily dive sites with schools of hammerheads, only able to spot a few if lucky? The town itself is not much as it mostly caters the tourists. Are these correct assumptions?

If if I choose the Philipines I would stay in Cebu. Big modern city, will not get.
Bored. Easy access to guaranteed whale sharks, thresher sharks and schools of hammerheads if in season (can someone verify this?)

if if it was not for the sea lions and iguanas, I would choose Cebu. I am interested in the big fish.

looking forward to reading your replies.
cheerS

Why would you spend your time someplace where there is no shore diving?

Marine biodiversity in the Philippines is amazing. I would snap up a chance to spend three months there.

The Philippines is amazing , but have never heard of hammerhead schools or indeed any hammer heads at all. Theshers and whale sharks are easy to find if you know where to go. Not sure why anybody would want to stay in Cebu for any length of time though. Malapascua is about five hours away and the threshers are back down at 100mts by 7 am.

I'm thinking about something similar like you. Ok not 3 month but I'm thinking about 6 weeks of Galapagos. Stay 4 weeks on the islands, 1 week liveaboard and 1 week on a boat doing landbased trips.

Ashantiashanti:

There are no daily dive sites with schools of hammerheads, only able to spot a few if lucky? The town itself is not much as it mostly caters the tourists. Are these correct assumptions?

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I'm not sure about that. I saw some videos on youtube where they only did landbased diving and had all hammerheads in there.

Ashantiashanti:

If if I choose the Philipines I would stay in Cebu. Big modern city, will not get.
Bored. Easy access to guaranteed whale sharks, thresher sharks and schools of hammerheads if in season (can someone verify this?)

Click to expand...

I doubt that there are still all these sharks in the Philipines and especially in Cebu. Cebu is a dirty place in my opinion. I've been in Cabilao close to Cebu a few years ago (5? 6?) and even then they told me about the hammerheads that they are gone. I haven't seen anything bigger in Cabilao than a Turtle. And the second week we spent even closer to Cebu. Right on the oposite of Cebu. Maybe 30min with the boat and that was worse. We heard them bombing and the corals where quite dead, so I can't remeber anything nice underwater.

But if you find out something about the Galapagos landbased diving let me know. I'm sure you would find more big fishes in Galapagos then in Phillipines. And yes. Maybe you would be able to get a bargain on a liveaboard when you're there for 3 month. I heard about prices which go down more than 1000$ if you book it down there. Especially in low season which march would be. What about Palau? There should be big fishes too.

Cebu is the perfect place to be based, you have all the "1st world" things you might need, and good internet to study. Then you have access to multiple world class diving destinations all within 3-4hrs travel in Bohol, Dauin(Dumaguete), Moalboal and Malapascua...plus Leyte if you want to go a bit further.

Whale sharks yes(Oslob), thresher sharks yes(Malapascua and maybe in Moalboal), hammerheads can definitely be seen at Kimud shoal, from Malapascua - although I wouldn't call it guaranteed and it tends to be only when the water is cooler. Can be 1 hammerhead or sometimes schools of up to 50+.

I think Cebu is a good choice but then I don't have any experience with Galapagos.

Good luck.

I'd decide on the basis of what are the key factors that are important to me:

If cost is important to you, I think that in terms of lodging, food, and land-based diving, Philippines is by far less expensive than Galapagos.

If quality of diving is important to you, I'd say that both have amazing diving, but Philippines has a lot more diversity. From Cebu, you will have access to some of the best diving the Philippines has to offer, and if you wanted to do Tubbataha (liveaboard), my guess is that it will cost you half of what a Galapagos liveaboard trip cost, whereas in the Galapagos, you will not have seen the best without getting to Darwin and Wolf, which you can only do by liveaboard. Also, March thru May is not what I would consider the optimum dive season in the Galapagos. Conversely, March thru May is my preferred time to dive in the Philippines, and it also falls within the rather narrow window of time to dive Tubbataha. Philippines water temps are balmy and can be done in a 3mm wetsuit or less; Galapagos, at least 5mm.

If having access to modern life amenities is important to you, Cebu City is an obvious choice over Santa Cruz (presumably you would stay in Puerto Ayora).

Lastly, the real question you have to ask yourself you is how important is the self-study you will be doing? With all the good diving and things to do in Cebu, I'd be concerned that I wouldn't get much studying done.

I did a week of dives from Santa Cruz a good while back in 2002. It wasn't Darwin and Wolf but you could still see a lot of sharks and rays. They were long days on open speed boats to get to the sites though. The island itself is nice and certainly good for exploring and looking at Iguanas etc. However it is quite expensive for food, beer and everything else. Three months would be a long time watching tourists come and go on trips you cannot afford!

Cebu itself is fine but as you identified its all the side trips you can make for weekends so I would also vote for Philippines as a more diverse experience.

And the fact that you're a student and San Miguel is only P50 or less!

If you are around Boracay in March or April then u can do a overnight liveaboard to Panagatan cays, where u may find hammers, mantas, whalesharks and more, again pot luck as have been there and struck lucky but also wiped out.

Cheers to all of you for your input, it seems that the other divers at the South American forum agreed with you too. Philippines it will be then And I still think that Cebu would be a good base?

If you do not like Cebu City then you can move to smaller cities eg. Dumaguete and Tagbilaren which is few hrs away by ferry and diving is also available there.
There are couple of islands near to Cebu City where diving is also available eg. Cabilao and Camotes. And if you fancy hiking in then Camiguin is a short flight away.
You won't have time to study!!!!!
Enjoy.