• WHAT-ER World!
Intro: Dancing fairy bassets, cows with fins, fish that walk or play dead, slugs that are always dressed up for funerals...these aren’t fictitious characters plucked out of a sequel to Alice in Wonderland, but just some of the incredible creatures that actually inhabit the pristine waters off the southern tip of Manila. Underwater Photographer and diver, Digant Desai takes you on a tour of the magical world at the apex of the coral triangle.
Surrounded by muck, discarded tyres and toothbrushes somewhere between a busy jetty and a fishing village, I slipped on my SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) gear and prepared to dive into an unknown world. Diving was no new experience for me, and yet, if there was one thing I could be certain of as a seasoned diver, it was that each dive was a whole new experience. The cool aqua seemed as inviting as always, its hidden treasures still a lure like no other. And yet, even as I allowed the waves to swallow me, this time, numerous doubts surfaced. What exotic scenery would I possibly get to absorb in an area like this? Surely, the bustle would have driven marine-life further away from shore. With twenty-four breathtaking dive spots to choose from between Anilao and Maricaban Island, had I chosen wisely?
Gifts from the heart of the ocean
But there’s no room for confusion under water. The ocean simply won’t allow it! Like a gifted masseuse, she instantly picks up on frayed nerves and works quickly to wash away your tensions. And always the doting hostess, once you unwind and open yourself up to her world, she showers you with unique gifts. First, the unmatched feeling of weightlessness – there aren’t enough words to completely encapsulate the sheer bliss this sensation provides. It’s as close as humans will ever get to flying, and if you can actually relax through your dive, then it’s like soaring through the heavens, with this overwhelming sense of freedom – you exist only in that moment and nothing else matters. Then, there’s the spectacular presentation.
A teaser, directed by Nature
Just three hours drive from Metro Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, an area that’s often referred to as the apex of the world’s coral triangle, a teensy little fish, less than a centimetre long, seemingly as charged up about exploring new worlds as we are, slips and slides around an old shoe. It’s a juvenile lionfish, disarmingly delicate in its appearance with seemingly soft, silken extensions in beautiful shades of brown, white and orange, but its beauty and grace is just a teaser for what’s still to come.
We’re just five metres under the surface of the water and the seabed is dotted with many souvenirs from the human world. The jetty, it’s fairly evident, is nearby. My dive-companion signals enthusiastically from the distance. Swaying his arms excitedly, he gestures towards what looks like a brown rock. I’m incredulous. Could it be? I lift my camera and take aim. The focus light on the device sweeps over the still brown lump and lo! Instantaneously, it rises and walks away. This is a brilliant discovery! We had hoped to, yet hardly expected to, spot the elusive hairy frogfish, and now here it was, right before us, skulking off like an embarrassed child. Hitherto completely camouflaged in this sandy and mucky environment, it had given away its position – typically, it had lowered its hairy pectoral fins to literally walk away from us intruders.
More than meets the eye
The frogfish isn’t nearly the only inhabitant of these waters who’s a master of disguise. The cockatoo leaf fish often plants itself in the sand and swaying, mimics an autumn leaf. Little plastic balloons that stream out of dancing sea anemones catch our attention and upon close examination we discover these to be tiny translucent shrimps. Pipe fish swim by and brightly coloured box fish demand our attention, but even as we turn to look, a moray eel grows curious about our camera and gapes right into it with its bright white eyes. Click! That’s one for our wall!
Marine avatars
The excitement has only just begun. A large reddish rock seems too round to be real, and despite its disguise, we, of course, recognise the reef fish. Harmless as it seems, sitting so still, the fish is biding its time. Wait and watch and you’ll get to see it strike sharply out at some poor unsuspecting prey, in an all-too familiar drama that plays out in every sphere of life. The hapless victim won’t stand a chance. Armed with extremely venomous spines, this seemingly passive species can act quickly and cause great pain or even death. Nearby a pair of lizards seem far more threatening though, watching us carefully with their ruby eyes. Resting on a green patch, so closely do the lizardfish resemble their earthly twins that it’s easy to forget where you are, but in sharp contrast to their lookalikes, these slender masters of camouflage have a mouthful of needle-like teeth.
Up on terra firma
Having seen their share of tourists – mainly enthusiastic scuba-divers and those with a fondness for serenity or fishing – the resorts here are brilliantly equipped to handle the traffic. Service is impeccable at most of the resorts and you’ll find, as we did, that almost every place is furnished with ample information on local attractions. Dive masters and local guides are fully aware about local dive sites and even possess a deep knowledge about the marine life of the region. Eyes light up when you enquire about a specific species and you’ll information just pouring at you from all quarters – if there was degree being handed out for knowledge about local marine life, it’d be as common a sight here as a fishing rod.
Make a note of these
• But no matter what you’ve heard or which dive sites you’ve decided to focus on, a journey on the spidery “Bangka” boat, the Philippine equivalent of the “Mexican Panga,” is an absolute must.
• Resorts are usually built next to the bay in the hillside and the terrain is uneven with rooms perched at various levels. So, there’s no way to avoid climbing steps at most resorts.
• Many religions are followed by the local people in the Batangas and all groups co-exist peacefully. Almost everyone speaks English, so communication is not a problem here unlike in many other Asian countries.
• The local cuisine leans towards a blander palate with rice, lots of veggies, seafood and assorted meats like pork, chicken and beef forming the main diet.
• Boat-building is the main occupation, with fishing and tourism taking a back seat. Most resorts do however prefer to use boats owned by local fishermen for diving, in order to help sustain their livelihood. This prevents them from taking up ecologically destructive activities like dynamiting and cyanide fishing, which incidently has almost complete stopped in this area.
• Streets and houses are clean and people are usually very friendly, and happy to offer their assistance.

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Other diving treats around the area:
VERDE ISLAND can be a long day trip and also has some spectacular and amazing wall diving.

PUERTA GALERA a ferry ride from Anilao, also has umpteen dive resorts with a much better night life compared to Anilao where most of the night life is resort based, if at all. http://www.puertogalera.org SUBIC BAY Around 2-4 hours drive to Manila, depending on traffic, this is another great place for diving, but one has to go at the right time, as visibility can be an issue. It’s a wreck divers haven. http://www.subicboard.com/ Below urls have all info on diving and other thigs to do

http://www.batangas-philippines.com/

http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com BOX
Accommodations and getting there:
There are many resorts from high end to medium and budget at Anilao Batangas some urls : http://aquareefclub.com/ http://www.divesolana.com/ http://www.balai-resort.com/ http://clubocellaris.com/
http://www.planetdive.com.ph/