2014年，獲得網友投票世界最受歡迎的微距潛點
Voted by divers as the world's second best macro dive site in 2014,
Anilao is famous for the muck dive.
The more debris there is, the more surprises you'll find —
try your luck whenever you come across a promising patch.
* Ranking: Lembeh, Indonesia; Anilao, the Philippines; Tulamben, Indonesia; Dauin, the Philippines (Dumaguete)
A small fishing village called Anilao is world-famous for its critters and macro photography.
It is located in Batangas, roughly a 3-hour drive from Manila airport.
Thanks to its ideal location close to the capital,
Anilao transformed itself from a humble fishing village into a premier dive resort destination long ago.
Beyond its celebrated muck dives and black-water photography, Anilao also hosts an underwater photography competition every November.
Competition is fierce, which means the local dive guides are exceptionally sharp-eyed — true hawks of the underwater world.
Not only do they spot creatures you'd never find on your own, they are also knowledgeable photographers in their own right.
Diving with them gives you the rare opportunity to encounter unusual marine life while picking up lighting techniques and photography tips along the way.
It is popular for its incredible muck diving and black-water photography.
The annual photography competition held every November draws divers from around the world.
The level of competition is so high that the skill sets of the dive guides here are truly impressive.
They are not only eagle-eyed spotters but also accomplished photographers.
Beyond seeing fascinating critters,
picking up lighting skills and photography knowledge from them is one of the greatest rewards of diving here.
Anilao was the very first dive site I visited outside of Taiwan.
With visibility exceeding 20 metres, I was completely blown away.
Having done most of my dives along the Northeast Coast, where visibility is often poor, diving here felt like swimming inside an aquarium.
The sheer number of critters was overwhelming — it was like stepping into a whole new world.
It was my first time ever seeing pipefish, hairy Frogfish, and ghost nudibranch.
Although most dive sites here are geared towards macro,
the high coral cover — thanks to strong marine conservation efforts — means wide-angle shooting is equally rewarding.
There are also schools of barracuda to look forward to.
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Anilao at a Glance:
- 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 spawning season
- Dive site conditions ➡ A mix of coral reef and volcanic ash from Taal Volcano
- Unlimited shore diving ➡ Most dive resort packages include unlimited shore dives right in front of the resort
- Meals ➡ Most meals are taken at the resort
- Nearby shops ➡ Virtually none — it's recommended to stop at a shop along the way from the airport
- Souvenirs ➡ There is a small harbour nearby with a few shops selling T-shirts and souvenirs
ANILAO IN GENERAL:
- Water temperature ➡ 81°F on average; 77°F during winter
- Dive type ➡ Boat dive by banca; typically 6–8 divers per boat
- Recommended timing ➡ The breeding season in spring
- Dive site condition ➡ Covered by corals and ash from Taal Volcano
- Food ➡ I usually eat at the resort
- Shops ➡ There are no shops near the resort. It is recommended to stop along the way from the airport
- Souvenir ➡ There are a few shops selling T-shirts and souvenirs near a small port
Anilao Dive Sites:
ANILAO DIVE SITES:
| Dive site | Macro | Wide Angle | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Rock | 🔍 | 🗻 | One of the top must-visit dive sites in Anilao. Serving as the house reef of Planet Dive, two enormous rocks draped in coral make it an excellent site for both macro and wide-angle photography. At an average depth of 14 m, you can find a diverse range of critters including pipefish, ribbon eels, and countless nudibranch. For wide-angle enthusiasts, the soft coral coverage is spectacular, and a school of barracuda occasionally passes through. |
| Kirby's Rock | 🔍 | 🗻 | A large underwater rock formation. The dive site is well known for its pygmy seahorse living on a sea fan at around 29 m — a classic queue-worthy encounter for any macro enthusiast. |
| Mainit Point / Secret Garden | 🔍 | A quintessential Anilao muck dive site featuring a sandy slope from 3–21 m. There is no shortage of critters to discover, including tiny Frogfish, hairy Frogfish, ghost nudibranch, gobies in bottles, Bobbit worms, and a wide variety of nudibranch. | |
| Anilao Pier | 🔍 | A must for night diving! Anilao Pier sits at an average depth of 8–10 m over a sandy bottom — perfect for muck diving. Look out for coconut octopus and mimic octopus lurking in the shallows. |
Of the world's top four macro dive sites, Lembeh is the only one I have yet to visit. The comparison below is based on my personal experience travelling from Taiwan.
My personal favourite is Dauin, near Dumaguete. There is a private pier that is ideal for both macro and wide-angle photography. When the morning sunlight filters down through the blue, the scene is simply breathtaking. The towering columns are blanketed in coral and brimming with hidden critters, while nudibranch crawl across the sandy floor in such abundance that you could practically publish a field guide just from one dive.
Below is a personal comparison of the top macro dive sites, based on trips departing from Taiwan. Currently, Dauin in Dumaguete is my personal favourite.
| Personal favourite | Dauin ♥ ♥ ♥ | Tulamben ♥ ♥ | Anilao ♥ ♥ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy access from Taipei | Anilao 👍👍👍 | Tulamben 👍👍👍 | Dauin 👍👍 |
| Diving cost (low to high) | Dauin 👌👌👌 | Tulamben 👌👌👌 | Anilao 👌👌 |
| Dive guide ability | Anilao 💯💯💯 | Tulamben 💯💯 | Dauin 💯💯 |
| Diversity of critters | Dauin 👍👍👍 | Anilao 👍👍 | Tulamben 👍👍 |
| Nudibranch density | Tulamben ♥ ♥ ♥ | Dauin ♥ ♥ ♥ | Anilao ♥ ♥ |
| Food choices | Dauin 👎👎👎 | Anilao 👎👎👎 | Tulamben 👎👎 |
Dive guides across all three destinations are genuinely skilled at leading recreational dives.
However, when it comes to the three qualities that matter most to underwater photographers — air conservation, sharp-eyed spotting, and an understanding of photographic angles — my modest personal experience suggests that Anilao's dive guides consistently excel across all three.
If you can't be bothered doing your homework before a dive, just say the magic words to your Anilao dive guide:
Something to show off
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