Club Paradise
Dimakya Island, Municipality of Coron
 

DIVING IN PARADISE
 
DIMAKYA ISLAND

This island, where Club Paradise is located, is blessed with beautiful coral reefs within it's immediate vicinity. On the west side of the island, right in front of the lounge is a reef which is a beautiful coral garden. The reef features soft and hard corals in an explosion of colors, amazingly tame reef fish, and untold surprises (occasional greetings by two huge Mantas in three meters of water in this very reef ). Right in the middle of this confusion of color is a clearing with white sand at three meters of water. This is the site we call "The Classroom", indeed a very ideal place to teach Scuba-Diving. 

On the steep slope, which runs down to seventeen (17) meters, there are lots of sponges, Tunicates and Sea Squirts, Garupas, Parrot Fish and the occasional family of Bumpheads (the largest measures approximately 1.7 meters). On the far end of the reef exists an extensive garden of Staghorn corals populated by Rainbow Runners, a school of Barracudas and Goat Fish. A special treat awaits the diver at a small nook at thirteen (13) meters near "The Classroom" --- the chance to see a rare Giant Clam (Tridacna Gigas), measuring around one meter.  On the north side of the island is a sloping reef. The corals are not as colorful as in "The Classroom" but the chances of seeing Mantas, Eagle Rays, and Marine Turtles are greater in this area. Lobsters and a great assortment of reef fishes call this place home. 

CROSSING

This reef is a naturally submerged bridge between Dimakya Island and "Islang Walang Lang-aw". The reef is about two to three kilometers long. This reef can account for three to four dive spots and each dive spot can be a different experience for the diver. The main distinguishing characteristic of this spot is it is literally overran with with Acropora (Table top and other branching corals.) A huge Green Sea Turtle is occasionally seen in this area. The top of the reef is at eighteen (18) meters. 

This side of the island faces the open sea and such chances of seeing Pelagic Fish are greater. On one particular dive, schools of Tunas, Jacks, and a Manta were seen at the same time. 

BARRY'S REEF

This elongated submerged reef is located in a cove which is about twenty minutes away from the Club. The top of the reef is at three to four meters and the slope sharply drops to twenty-seven meters (27) meters. There are plenty of macro subjects on this reef: amusing Spanish Dancers, juvenile Spotted Sweetlips, large Anemones with African Common and Pink Shunk Clown Fishes communally live with Blue Banded Anemone Shrimps. In about eighteen (18) meters, there is one large Cabbage Coral approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and at twenty-five (25) meters, there lives an Acropora whose diameter is roughly 2.3 meters. The formations of small to medium-sized Porties is unusual in that they form some sort of a big stairway. 

DIBUYAN
West  

This dive spot is off an island which is roughly about fifteen (15) minutes away from the Club. The top of the reef is at thirteen (13) meters and the sides slope down to twenty-eight (28) meters. Medium-sized coral formations exist on this site. Medium-to-large-sized White Tip, Black Tip, and Grey Tip Sharks are often sighted here. A large school of Surgeonfish and Batfish are consistently sighted here. Mantas show up occasionally. 
 

DIMALANTA SHIPWRECK

The only one in Busuanga, the wreck can be reached by a forty-minute (40) boat ride from Club Paradise. An awesome sight to behold, the ship lies in about forty-five (45) meters of water, but it is divable since it lies upright and the deck is at twenty-seven (27) meters. 

Although this cargo ship was cleverly camouflaged as a small island, it did not escape the assault of the US forces of Admiral Halsey during the World War II. Legend has it that the captain of the Kyokuzan, fearing the onslaught, chose to separate her from the rest of the fleet in a desperate attempt to save the cargo. On that fateful day of September 24, 1944, the Kyokuzan Maru sank in the depths of Northern Palawan waters. 
 
Today, divers may experience the eerie yet interesting cargo hold of the Kyokuzan which houses a wartime Toyota Lexus, the only one of its kind in the world, a giant barracuda which lurks in the deep and a giant grouper the size of a Volkswagen beetle.

ISLANG WALANG LANG-AW
South  

The name literally translated in English means "Island With No Trees". The islet is located on the East side of Club Paradise just ten minutes away by boat. There is an extensive "hump" coral formations on a shallow, gently sloping terrain. The reef starts at three meters and ends at around twenty-five meters. White and Black Tip Sharks are regularly seen, with an occasional sighting of Mantas and Eagle Rays. 

East  

On the back side of the island, the side facing away from the Club, there is a good opportunity for Macro Photography. The place is inhabited by innumerable species of Nudibranchs, small reef fish, Moray Eels, and lots of corals. There have also been occasional sightings of a school of six (6) large Eagle Rays measuring from 1.5 to 2 meters or more. Marine Turtles also inhabit this area since the island is a nesting ground. 

ISLANG WALANG TAO

North  

This short but beautiful reef can can be reached by a fifteen-minute boat ride from the resort. The island's name in English means the "ISLAND WITHOUT PEOPLE". The reef gently slopes down to eighteen meters, and is home to one 1.5 meter long Black Tip Shark, and on occasions, a two-meter Nurse Shark patrolling the area. The Elephant Ear Sponges here are large and so are the Cabbage Corals. Plenty of small reef fish inhabit the area, not to mention one or two medium-sized Napoleon Wrasses and an occasional school of large Bumpheads. It is also in this area that divers sometimes see a school of six large Eagle Rays, probably the same school that hangs around the "Islang Walang Lang-aw" which is only about two kilometers away from this dive spot. 

South  

On the other side of the island is a reef that is mainly flat. On some points, the reef slopes on a ten to twenty degree angle. In one particular point, ledges can be seen, a natural stairway; and it is on these ledges that White Tip Reef Sharks are seen lounging around as if sunbathing. There are large formations of the dangerous but beautiful fire corals here.

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