2014年，獲得網友投票世界最受歡迎的微距潛點
Voted the world's second-best macro dive site by divers in 2014,
Anilao is famous for its muck diving.
The more bins you find, the more surprises await —
try your luck whenever you spot one you like.
* Rank: Lembeh, Indonesia; Anilao, the Philippines; Tulamben, Indonesia; Dauin, the Philippines
Located in Batangas — about a 3-hour drive from Manila's airport — sits a small fishing village called Anilao, world-renowned for its macro diving. Thanks to its ideal location close to central Manila, Anilao made the transition from a humble fishing village to a major diving resort destination long ago.
Beyond its celebrated muck diving and black-water photography, Anilao also hosts an annual underwater photography competition every November. The competition is fiercely contested, which means the dive guides here are sharp-eyed experts — every single one of them. They don't just point you toward the critters; they're also knowledgeable photographers in their own right. Diving with them is a chance not only to encounter unusual marine life, but also to pick up lighting techniques and photography know-how along the way.
Anilao was the very first dive site I visited outside Taiwan. As someone who had done most of my diving along the Northeast Coast — where visibility is often poor — I truly had no idea what it felt like to see more than 3 meters ahead. When I experienced visibility of 20 meters or more in Anilao for the first time, it honestly felt like diving inside an aquarium.
The sheer variety of critters was overwhelming — a total eye-opener. It was my first time ever seeing a pipefish, a hairy frogfish, and a ghost nudibranch. Although most of the dive sites lean toward macro, the coral coverage is remarkably high thanks to active conservation efforts. From a wide-angle photography standpoint, I think it's actually quite worthwhile as well. On top of that, there are also schools of barracuda to look forward to.
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Anilao Diving Overview
- Water temperature ➡ Average 27–28°C; around 25°C in winter
- Dive type ➡ Boat dive by banca; typically 6–8 divers per boat
- Recommended season ➡ Spring breeding season
- Dive site conditions ➡ A mix of coral reefs and volcanic ash from Taal Volcano
- Unlimited shore diving ➡ Dive shops usually include unlimited shore diving in package deals; the shore entry is right at the dive shop's doorstep
- Meals ➡ Most meals are taken at the resort
- Nearby shops ➡ There are essentially no shops near the resort — it's recommended to ask your driver to stop at a store on the way from the airport
- Souvenirs ➡ There is a small port nearby with a few shops selling clothing and souvenirs
ANILAO IN GENERAL
- Water temperature ➡ 81°F on average; 77°F during winter
- Dive type ➡ Boat dive by Banca; usually accommodates 6–8 divers
- Recommended timing ➡ The breeding season in Spring
- Dive site condition ➡ Covered by corals and ash from Taal Volcano
- Food ➡ Most meals are taken at the resort
- Shops ➡ There are no shops near the resort — it is suggested to drop by a store on the way from the airport
- Souvenir ➡ There are a few shops selling T-shirts and souvenirs by a small port
Anilao Dive Sites
ANILAO DIVE SITES
| 潛點 Dive site | 微距 Macro | 廣角 Wide Angle | 潛點介紹 Dive site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Rock 雙子岩 | 🔍 | 🗻 | One of the top must-visit dive sites in Anilao. Serving as the house reef for Planet Dive, two enormous rocks draped in coral make it an excellent spot for both macro and wide-angle photography. At an average depth of around 14m, you can find a diverse array of critters including pipefish, ribbon eels, and countless nudibranchs. If macro isn't your thing, the sight of corals blanketing the entire rock face is spectacular in its own right — and a school of barracuda sometimes makes an appearance too. |
| Kirby's Rock | 🔍 | 🗻 | A large underwater rock formation. The site is well known for pygmy seahorses found at around 29m depth — a must-queue experience for any self-respecting Taiwanese diver. |
| Mainit Point / Secret Garden 祕密花園 | 🔍 | One of Anilao's most iconic muck dive sites. Across a sandy slope ranging from 3–21m, there is an astonishing variety of critters to discover — tiny frogfish, hairy frogfish, ghost nudibranchs, gobies living in bottles, Bobbit worms, and all manner of nudibranchs. | |
| Anilao Pier 阿尼洛碼頭 | 🔍 | A must-dive for night diving! Anilao Pier sits at an average depth of 8–10m over a sandy bottom — ideal conditions for muck diving. Look out for coconut octopus and mimic octopus lurking in the shallows. |
Of the world's top four macro dive sites, the only one I have yet to visit is Lembeh. Below is a personal comparison based on traveling from Taiwan. My personal favourite is Dauin, near Dumaguete — in particular, a private pier there that delivers the best of both macro and wide-angle photography. When the morning sunlight filters down through the water, the scene is breathtaking. The towering pillars are blanketed in coral and teeming with critters waiting to be found, while nudibranchs carpet the sandy floor in such staggering numbers that they could fill an entire field guide on their own.
| 個人喜好程度 Personal favourite | Dauin ♥ ♥ ♥ | Tulamben ♥ ♥ | Anilao ♥ ♥ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 容易到達程度 Easy access from Taipei | Anilao 👍👍👍 | Tulamben 👍👍👍 | Dauin 👍👍 |
| 潛水費用低到高 Diving cost from low to high | Dauin 👌👌👌 | Tulamben 👌👌👌 | Anilao 👌👌 |
| 導潛綜合能力 Dive guide ability | Anilao 💯💯💯 | Tulamben 💯💯 | Dauin 💯💯 |
| 生物多樣性 Diversity of critters | Dauin 👍👍👍 | Anilao 👍👍 | Tulamben 👍👍 |
| 海蛞蝓豐富度 The density of Sea slugs | Tulamben ♥ ♥ ♥ | Dauin ♥ ♥ ♥ | Anilao ♥ ♥ |
| 覓食困難度 Food choices | Dauin 👎👎👎 | Anilao 👎👎👎 | Tulamben 👎👎 |
Truth be told, dive guides at all three destinations are remarkably talented — each one exceptional at leading recreational divers. But when it comes to what an underwater photographer specifically needs — air conservation, a sharp eye for critters, and an instinct for the right angle — Anilao's guides, in my admittedly limited experience, tend to tick all three boxes more consistently than the others.
If you're too lazy to brief them in detail, just whisper the magic words:
Something to show off
Further reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
