The Philippines Is Prime Scuba Diving Destination in Asia
February 12th, 2007 by 
Excel Dyquiangco
By Excel Dyquiangco
It was actually her passion for water sports and her desire to discover wonderful creatures that drove Bambi Alvero, an architect, to take up scuba diving. From the moment she set foot on wet soil and plunged herself into the deep and dark waters, things would never be the same again.
She had always loved the water but her thrust for scuba diving began way back in 1996.
“Unlike most first –timers who are nervous when dealing with the unknown, I was extremely excited,” she said. “This is mainly because I would get to see new and wonderful things – magnificent sceneries you can’t see on land and things that you see only on television.”
During that first dive, her only problem that she encountered was buoyancy control. She had a hard time sinking deep into the water.
The solution?
“It is imperative that you listen well to the instructions of your instructor,” Bambi said. “Give or take, your instructor will save your life.”
From then on, and in the course of listening to her instructor, she had a grand time uncovering new things – under the sea. And just like Ariel from the Little Mermaid, she was able to unearth treasures far beyond her wildest expectations.
In fact, she compares being underwater as being in space.
“It’s totally awesome down there,” she says. “It’s a very different and beautiful world. Just like in space, you can tumble and play in the water. It’s so much fun. I feel free down there.”
Her advice to people who would want to try scuba diving?
“Do it!” she said with conviction. “It’s an awesome experience. “You begin to appreciate nature more and you also become environmentally aware.”
Indeed, the pressures of sinking deep into the water gave life to Bambi more as compared to walking on land. She really is one amazing lady.
The Philippines’s very diverse marine life makes it a prime destination for scuba diving. Local and international divers come to these top scuba diving destinations to enjoy the wildlife under the sea:
Anilao Diving Site in Batangas - About 140 km south of Manila, Anilao is a popular destination for weekend diving trips. Diving is mainly in coral slopes and shallow garden. There are 24 dive sites between the coast of Anilao and Maricaban Island, the most popular of which is the called the Cathedral, a roofless cavern with a blessed cross flanked by two large sea mounts with an average of 60 ft.
Puerto Galera Diving Site in Mindoro – Puerto Galera is popular with tourists because of its fine beaches and diving coves. It has become a diving haven in recent years due to its marine diversity, at least two dozen diving sites have been identified each providing good opportunity for underwater photography.
Busuanga Diving Site in Palawan – Busuanga is the largest in the Calamian group of islands in Northern Palawan province. Busuanga is a special Philippine eco-tourism destination with the game reserve and wildlife sanctuary found in Calauit Island, and the World War II wrecks around Coron Bay. There are at least 12 wrecks site identified in diveable depths, many more undiscovered.
Boracay Diving Site – Boracay is not only loved for its long stretch of powdery white beaches, it also offers a magnificent national marine preserve making it one of the most popular diving areas in Southeast Asia. The island has state-of-the-art dive schools offering the entire range of dive activities from basic demonstrations through to advanced level certifications.
Bohol Diving Site – Balicasag Island in Bohol province is one of the very best dive sites in the Visayas, and one of the most popular. Dozens of dive boats originating from all across the Visayas can be seen daily carrying local and foreign divers.
Cebu Diving Site – Malapascua in Cebu province was labeled by Lonely Planet as the next Boracay. It’s one of the least spoilt tourist spots in the Philippines as the island only has a handful of resorts and a couple of dive operators. The entire island takes about 3 hours to walk.
Tags: scuba diving, Philippines scuba diving, Anilao, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Busuanga Diving Site in Palawan, Boracay scuba diving, Balicasag Bohol
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About Excel Dyquiangco: Excel V. Dyquiangco works as a writer for an advocacy and consultancy firm in Makati City. During his spare time, he writes stories for children, writes for various magazines catering to different topics, writes textbooks for elementary and highschool students and formulates scripts for television and movies. He also teaches English to Korean, Burmese and Indonesian students. He was recently featured in Reader's Digest Asia, with the headline CASH NOW: SECRETS OF SUCCESS, which discusses his work as a writer..
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2 Comments »
February 16th, 2007 at 10:31 am
[...] The waters around Puerto Galera teems with exotic and colorful marine life and coral gardens. The variety of species found here outnumber those of the Great Barrier Reef. It is a year-round diving destination in the Philippines for experienced divers as well as beginners. With over 30 dive sites all known for their marvelous marine environment and superb visibility which is only 10-15 minutes away from the dive centers, Puerto Galera truly is a divers’ paradise. [...]
April 27th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
[...] This year has proven to be yet another triumphant year for the Philippines diving spots, as the country bagged a major award during the 2007 Marine Diving Fair (MDF) in the Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan held last month. The Philipines was voted as one of the top diving areas in the Best Diving Area Overseas category in a survey conducted by the MDF organizers. [...]