Trip Report Trip Report-Philippines-Puerto Galera-El Galleon/Asia Divers-April 1-14, 2019
- Thread starter Trailboss123
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OP
D_Fresh
Contributor
Whoa, way cool website! Thanks for sharing
. Yeah, you're right, temps are actually about right. I just looked at my logs from last year and the website is consistent with my DC's reported temps. My supposition was based on the conversations with our extended group of regular divers there. Then I have no explanation as to why the plankton bloom is still up then LOL. Maybe currents or some other factor. But either way, hopefully it will clear up soon. I'm diving again mid May...
D_Fresh
Contributor
@Trailboss123 , How is Pete treating you so far? He's one of the Staff Trainers. Pretty cool guy, fun to hang out with at Point Bar or Barrel Bar.
pfirejack
Contributor
Thank you for posting am enjoying trip report & photos. What camera do you use. Thanks again.
OP
Sea Life DC2000 with a Sea Life Sea Dragon 2500 video light.
OP
OP
Day 3 is in the books and boy have the conditions changed for the better. Seas have gone calm and flat, visibility has doubled and water is clearing up. First dive of the day was on the Alma Jane Wreck which sits just in front of the El Galleon Resort and Asia Divers. The wreck sits in 95 feet of water and the deck in about 70-75 feet. It is a shorter dive due to depth and the inability to multi-level up. Our group of 6 had the wreck to ourselves for the first 20 minutes and it was blissful. Then about 20 Chinese divers off of one boat descended upon us like a torrential downpour. We hung around for about 10 more minutes and then made a slow ascent up the anchor line to our safety stop. Highlight for me was capturing a good image of what I thought at the time was a Frog Fish. It was in the sand at 94 feet and I was convinced it was a Frog Fish until I downloaded the images and saw the dorsal fin and realized that it was a Leafy Scorpionfish. All good either way, as I had never seen a Leafy Scorpionfish before.
After a surface interval back at the dock, we were off to dive the Canyons, one of the signature Puerto Galera dives. Typically a high charged drift dive that drops into 3 different canyons or bowls where you can escape the current for a bit and look around before being shot out into the blue at the end to ascend and do your safety stop, we had a very mellow and gentle drift that allowed us plenty of easy roaming where we saw Giant Trevally, Sweetlips and other schooling fish. It was a gorgeous dive with terrific visibility.
Back at the resort we had lunch before heading out for a couple more afternoon dives that were also outstanding. Dive 3 was at Hole in the Wall, which gets its name due to a hole in a mini wall that you can narrowly swim through. Was interesting to pop up after the dive out at the point and see the stream of current that we narrowly avoided getting sucked into at the end of the dive. It looked like a burbling and gurgling rushing river. Quite the sight.
Dive 4 was out in front of the resort in 20-50 feet of shallow reef and rubble where we did a bit of mucking around looking for small stuff- a great last dive. Overall, weather and dive conditions look to be improving as we move further away from the recent New Moon cycle. We are looking forward to Day 4.
Also, for all of the lamenting I have read about the poor quality of food in the Philippines, and to be just, the context of the laments has probably revolved mostly around Filipino food specifically in comparison to other SE Asian ethnic cuisine, -- the food at El Galleon has set the bar extremely high in terms of quality, quantity and variety. I have been nowhere (liveaboard or land based) that comes close. That being said: Lunch yesterday between us consisted of shared salad, a Thai red curry with vegetables and potatoes and rice for me and a pumpkin ginger soup for my wife. Dinner was Seafood Laksa and garden salad for me and Yellow Curry with veggies and fried tofu for my wife. The menu is full of Italian, Filipino, other Asian and international options. Incredible burgers for those so inclined. I could go on.
Let's see if the internet connection will let me load some photos:
After a surface interval back at the dock, we were off to dive the Canyons, one of the signature Puerto Galera dives. Typically a high charged drift dive that drops into 3 different canyons or bowls where you can escape the current for a bit and look around before being shot out into the blue at the end to ascend and do your safety stop, we had a very mellow and gentle drift that allowed us plenty of easy roaming where we saw Giant Trevally, Sweetlips and other schooling fish. It was a gorgeous dive with terrific visibility.
Back at the resort we had lunch before heading out for a couple more afternoon dives that were also outstanding. Dive 3 was at Hole in the Wall, which gets its name due to a hole in a mini wall that you can narrowly swim through. Was interesting to pop up after the dive out at the point and see the stream of current that we narrowly avoided getting sucked into at the end of the dive. It looked like a burbling and gurgling rushing river. Quite the sight.
Dive 4 was out in front of the resort in 20-50 feet of shallow reef and rubble where we did a bit of mucking around looking for small stuff- a great last dive. Overall, weather and dive conditions look to be improving as we move further away from the recent New Moon cycle. We are looking forward to Day 4.
Also, for all of the lamenting I have read about the poor quality of food in the Philippines, and to be just, the context of the laments has probably revolved mostly around Filipino food specifically in comparison to other SE Asian ethnic cuisine, -- the food at El Galleon has set the bar extremely high in terms of quality, quantity and variety. I have been nowhere (liveaboard or land based) that comes close. That being said: Lunch yesterday between us consisted of shared salad, a Thai red curry with vegetables and potatoes and rice for me and a pumpkin ginger soup for my wife. Dinner was Seafood Laksa and garden salad for me and Yellow Curry with veggies and fried tofu for my wife. The menu is full of Italian, Filipino, other Asian and international options. Incredible burgers for those so inclined. I could go on.
Let's see if the internet connection will let me load some photos:
OP
Leafy Scorpionfish
OP
Nudibranch pic of the day
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