Anilao, a small baranggay in Mabini, located at the west of Batangas, is a close diving site to Manila. This made it a famous spot for day and weekend trips for diving and for other sea sports. It offers the best-known diving in the Philippines.

Most of the early diving camps nowadays are holiday-camp-style water sports resorts. Some really specialize in diving, others offer the same with other different water sport activities. Many of the dive camps are situated along the coast of Balayan Point. Some do not have access by road, so, to complete the last part of the journey by banca from Anilao.

The diving sites in Anilao are mostly gentle slopes with coral patches that go with some huge rock formations and small walls. All the reefs are excellent for sea stars, sea cucumbers, and other colorful fishes. Pelagic creatures can be found around the offshore reefs.

In some of the open-water areas, most of the dives can have some fierce currents. Divers, experts or beginners should check the tide tables.

Diving is good all year round, the best season being November till May.

Diving Sites: Ligpo Island, The Cathedral, Eagle Point, Koala, Arthur's Rock, Dead Point, Twin Rocks, Mainit Point, Red Rock, Beatrice Rock, Sombrero Island, Bahura, Layag-Layag, Kirby's Rock, Caban Cove, Daryl Laut, Sepok Wall, Bethlehem, Mapating Rock, Merriel's Rock, Devil's Point, Red Palm, Bonito (Culebra Island), Malajibomanoc Island
 
Ligpo Island
Location. Located west of Ligpo Point
Access. 40 min N by banca
Average Depth. 90ft
Maximum Depth. 200ft
Conditions. Calm but can have some very strong currents that change quickly. for experienced divers when currents are running with visibility up to 80ft.

This island can be circumnavigated on one dive, but you may have to seek shelter from the current. The eastern (shoreward) side has all the reef fishes, but when the current is running various pelagic species can be seen out of the depths. This is a good night dive at neap tides.

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The Cathedral
Location. Located just off Bagalangit Point
Access. 5 min by banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan Peninsula.
Average Depth. 90ft
Maximum Depth. 200ft
Conditions. Calm but can have some strong currents that make photography difficult with visibility up to 80ft. The site is best dived at neap tide.

This is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably the best known Philippine dive site. You can swim to this spot in about 6-10 minutes depending on the current direction. Then you swim down a little more across sand with small coral heads, soon to be met by hordes of fish. When the current is running there are colorful feather stars and inflated soft corals everywhere.

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Eagle Point
Location. Located west of Eagle Point, south of the Cathedral
Access. 7 min by banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan Peninsula.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 60ft
Conditions. Generally calm with a gentle current with visibility can reach 65ft.

This is an easy dive with a shallow drop-off from 25ft to 60ft. There are plenty of small reef fish, sponges, nudibranchs and feather stars.

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Koala
Location. Located South of Eagle Point.
Access. 10 min by banca
Average Depth. 60ft
Maximum Depth. 80ft
Conditions. Generally calm with a medium current with visibility up to 65ft.

Koala is a good dive for novices with soft corals, some big boulders, small reef fish and anemones with clownfish.

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Arthur's Rock

Dead Point
Location. Located off the small point south of Koala.
Access. 8-10 min south by boat from EAGLE POINT pier
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 70ft
Conditions. Calm with little current which can get up to medium with a visibility up to 65ft.

Offers small coral heads on sand, plenty of small reef fish, sponges, feather stars, soft corals, hydroids and anemones with clownfish.

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Twin Rocks
Location. Located southeast of Twin Rocks
Access. 25min by banca
Average Depth. 6m (20ft)
Maximum Depth. 12m (40ft)
Conditions. Calm with just a slight current with visibility up to 65ft.

A gradual slope with sponges, algae, hydroids, feather starts and small reef fish, sometimes shoals of barracuda and squid are seen.

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Mainit Point
Location. Located at the southernmost point of the Calumpang Peninsula, known as Cazador Point on the charts.
Access. 30 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier south until off Mainit Point.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 100ft
Conditions. Calm with just a slight current with visibility up to 65ft.

There are nice corals and many more. There is a cave at 23ft in which sharks have been seen resting. The boulders are abound with soft corals and anemones, together with many crinoids, colourful sea stars and nudibranchs. Divers may have to shelter behind the rocks to be able to photograph because of the strong currents.

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Red Rock
Location. Located at the east side of the Calumpang Peninsula, opposite Arthur's Rock.
Access. 35 min. by boat from EAGLE POINT pier round the southern end of the Calumpang Peninsula.
Average Depth. 25ft
Maximum Depth. 40ft plus
Conditions. Calm with slight current and visibility up to 65ft.

Red Rock is an underwater coral with lots of feather stars, nudibranchs, soft corals, hydroids and small fishes.

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Beatrice Rock
Location. Located at the north of Sombrero Island at the northern end of Maricaban strait.
Access. 15 min. by boar from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 45ft
Maximum Depth. 90ft
Conditions. Calm with strong currents, but is exposed enough to get very rough at times. Best dived at neap tides. Visibility up to 80ft.

There are large barrel sponges, good gorgonians, black corals, soft corals, stony corals, anemones with clownfish, nudibranchs and sea stars. It is densely populated with just about all the reef fish you could expect.

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Sombrero Island
Location. Located north of Sepok Point, the northern end of Maricaban Island.
Access. 12-15 min by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait until Northwest of Sombrero Island.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 60ft
Conditions. Calm with a strong current, but it can get rough on the surface with visibility up to 80ft.

The site contains much the same marine life as Beatrice Rock, but the fish life is less prolific.

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Bahura
Location. Located at the northern part of Caban Island.
Access. 10 min by boat from EAGLE POINT pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait until Northwest of Sombrero Island.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 100ft
Conditions. Calm with a strong current, but it can get rough on the surface with visibility up to 80ft.

This dive consists of slopes, small drop-offs, overhangs and swim-throughs. It is much the same as Beatrice Rock with teeming fish life and fierce currents.

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Layag-Layag
Location. Located at the northwest corner of Caban Island.
Access. 11 - 14 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 60ft
Conditions. Calm with medium to fierce currents; considered to be a good snorkelling site, but it is essential that would-be snorkellers understand tide tables and choose slack water.

The coral is teeming with marine life and often has very good visibility. All the expected smaller reef fish are to be seen and, when the currents are running, shoals of pelagic fish are common.

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Kirby's Rock
Location. Located at the Northeast face of Caban Island.
Access. 10 min by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 40ft
Maximum Depth. 108ft
Conditions. Calm with strong currents. Snorkellers should understand tide tables, choose slack water and stay on the shallow reef, inshore of the rock with visibility up to 100ft.

Kirby's Rock sticks out of the water. On its shoreward side it drops to 5m(16ft), from where the reef slopes upwards to the shore. This side of the rock and the reef to the shore have good coral cover and fish life.

Several crevices harbouring moray eels can be found at the bottom of the wall. There are many whip corals and anemones with clownfish among the coral heads on the sand. There are lots of colourful wrasse, most species of reef fish and the occasional pelagic visitor. An ideal dive for photographers, if you are able to hit slack water.

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Caban Cove
Location. Located at the central east face of Caban Island.
Access. 12 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 50ft
Conditions. Calm with little current with visibility can reach 65ft.

A sheltered dive so long as you avoid the outer ends of the cove, where currents can be strong. A good dive for novices, with mixed corals and lots of small fish.

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Daryl Laut
Location. Located at the west side of Caban Island.
Access. 13 min. by boat from EAGLE POINT pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 90ft
Conditions. Calm with slight current with visibility can reach 65 ft.

The site is not one of the best but is interesting for beginners. It has plenty of the smaller reef fishes.

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Sepok Wall
Location. Located west of Sepok Point, the Northwest tip of Maricaban Island.
Access. 15 min by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 90ft
Conditions. Calm with a medium current, but it can get rough with strong currents with visibility up to 100 ft.

Normally an easy and very pretty dive, with good coral gardens around 16 ft and a wall dropping to 90 ft. The shallow water teems with a profusion of small reef fish, while the wall has bigger reef fish, Barrel Sponges, gorgonian sea fans, a multitude of different species of nudibranchs, sea cucumbers and pelagic visitors.

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Bethlehem
Location. Located at the southern end of Caban Island
Access. 15-17 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 50ft
Conditions. Calm with a little current with visibility up to 65 ft.

On this steep coral slope, you find a mixture of soft and stony corals, hydroids, crinoids and small reef fish.

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Mapating Rock
Location. Located southwest of Sepok Point.
Access. 20 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait and around the Northwest end of Maricaban Island. This is open water and requires a guide or boatman who knows the site, or it is easily missed.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 130ft
Conditions. Calm with very strong currents, out can become very rough with visibility up to 100 ft.

This submerged rock is surrounded by a shallow area, which ends in a series of drop-offs. The area is large, and the currents really are fierce; this is a site for experienced divers only. The marine life is profuse, with all varieties of fish, several pelagic species.

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Merriel's Rock
Location. Located at the central part of the Northwest face of Maricaban Island, Northwest face of Maricaban Island, north of Bursar Point.
Access. 20-25 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait and around the Northwest tip of Maricaban Island.
Average Depth. 60ft
Maximum Depth. 80ft
Conditions. Calm with strong currents, but it can become very rough with visibility up to 80 ft.

In the shallow reefs and gullies, strong currents may be encountered. The site is rich in many different species. It is best dived in the morning, as it can get rough on the surface in the afternoon winds.

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Devil's Point
Location. Located at the southwest point of Maricaban Island; known as Burijar Point on the charts.
Access. 25-30 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier Southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 45ft
Maximum Depth. 90ft
Conditions. Calm with medium-strong currents, but it can get rough with strong currents with visibility up to 80 ft.

A coral slope from 20 ft to 80 ft with good mixed corals and lots of small fish.

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Red Palm
Location. Located at Maricaban Island 2.5 km directly south, opposite Mainit Point (Cazador Point).
Access. 30-35 min. by boat from Eagle Point pier south around the Calumpan Peninsula, then across the Maricaban Strait directly south of Mainit Point to Maricaban Island. The PCSSD buoy on the beach was once a mooring for this dive site.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 80ft
Conditions. Calm with medium-strong currents, but it can get rough with strong currents with visibility up to 80 ft.

A steep coral slope, Red Palm has good and very large lettuce corals. The small reef fish life is prolific.

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Bonito (Culebra Island)/Malajibomanoc Island
Location. Located at the Eastern end of Maricaban Island.
Access. 45-50 min. by boat from EAGLE POINT pier across the Maricaban Strait.
Average Depth. 60ft
Maximum Depth. 80ft
Conditions. Calm with strong currents, but both areas can become very rough and visibility can reach 80 ft.

These two marine sanctuaries have patches of coral heads on sandy slopes. Currents are often fierce, making it necessary to try and find sheltered patches.

When Taal volcano increases its activity, this area does also, releasing curtains of fine bubbles. There are good soft and stony corals, barrel sponges and crinoids. The fish life is plentiful. Sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sting rays and moray eels can be found in the sandy areas.