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COR(R)ALLING
THEREEFS
Check out the five most
popular dive sites off Anilao
The Cathedral (60–100ft;
south-west of the
peninsula)
Possibly the best-known (and
most amateur-photographed) of
Anilao’s dive sites, this marine
reserve takes its name from the
cross planted there by former
president Fidel V. Ramos.
MapatingRock (65–130ft;
offMaricaban Island)
The currents and depth can
make this a challenging dive,
but those with an advanced
certification will be rewarded with
the chance to see sharks, rays,
turtles and other pelagic fish.
Kirby’s Rock (40–108ft;
north-east of Caban
Island)
This picturesque wall dive has
soft corals, sponges and plenty
of colorful marine life. Perfect
dive for photographers.
SepokWall (50–90ft;
north-west ofMaricaban
Island andwest of Sepok
Point)
A very easy and very rewarding
dive, especially if you’re looking
for rich coral gardens with plenty
of reef fish.
Mainit Point (50–100ft;
offCazador Point,
south of the Calumpan
Peninsula)
You can find a cave underwater
with the occasional shark or
ray, but the seascape outside is
engrossing too.
that could rival the miraculous meteor
shower I had caught nearby many
years before.
Hundreds of jacks, swimming in a
tight school, catching the sunlight on
their bright silver bodies. Watching
the school move closer and
closer was mesmerizing,
but when the fish
arrived, they
enveloped us in
the middle of a
silver tornado,
until no one could
see anything but
their bright bodies
reflecting the sun. We
settled on the sandy
bottom for close to half
an hour, trying to be as still as
possible, just to take in the experience.
Later, pulling ourselves onto the pier,
my dive buddy pulled off her mask
and gasped, “That. Was. The. Most.
Amazing. Thing. I’ve. Seen.
Ever.
”
The area is properly called Mabini,
which encompasses a clutch of
barangays
(
villages) other than Anilao
and Anilao East — some of which, like
the beautifully named Bagalangit (“like
heaven”), are thought of as part of
Anilao. The western side
and face of Calumpang
Peninsula, looking
out to Maricaban
Island, are where
most of the
dive resorts are
located, taking
advantage of
their position as
a jump-off point to
some of the country’s
richest waters.
Underwaterworld
Scuba diving was the skill I needed to
be able to explore the world further, and
Anilao was the perfect place to begin.
As is common with many Manila-
trained divers, my training check-out
dives took place here. So, early one
morning, at the reef just off of one of
the resorts, I caught sight of something
T A K E T H E P L U N G E
Inset: Close
encounters of the
reef kind will bring
you face to face
with awesome sea
creatures; (below)
need dive lessons?
Lots of resorts
offer introductory
courses
