• Home
  • Advertising
  • Submit an Article
  • About RTTP
  • Contact Us

Retiring to the Philippines

Magazine for expats thinking of retiring to the Philippines

  • Guide
    • About the Philippines
    • Moving to the Philippines
    • Visas
    • Packing & Shipping
    • Bringing Your Pets
    • Importing a Motor Vehicle
  • Living in the Philippines
    • Culture Shock
    • Property
    • Banking
    • Driving
    • Public Transportation
    • Telecommunications
    • Hobbies & Interests
  • Travel
    • Airline News and Promotions
    • Places to Visit
    • Best Way to Get There
    • Lodging
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurants
    • Imported Foods & Drinks
    • Home Cooking
  • Entertainment
    • Nightlife
    • Things to Do
  • Shopping
    • Where to Shop
  • Health
    • Doctors
    • Hospitals
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Insurance
  • Economy
    • Cost of Living
    • Business News & Information
    • Investing in the Philippines

Diving Subic Bay

August 9, 2013 by Ross Mills 1 Comment

diving_subic_bay
It was about 7:00 pm and very dark – the night was still; the stars were shinning above as I did a back roll into the water off the boat; still descending into the 12 meter deep, dark but crystal clear water; I turned on my flashlight and shone it into a rock crevasse – just in time to see a one meter eel take a small wriggling reef fish into it’s mouth. The eel had a choice of finishing the morsel or letting it go to escape my flashlights glare – the eel chose to finish its dinner before it disappeared from view. The whole episode lasted 40 seconds or less; but what a surprise for me and a treat as well! That was just one of many memorable moments for me diving in the Philippines. I have swam in the middle of a school of large reef fish too numerous to count – the fish were oblivious of me. On another occasion my dive buddy and I watched as a fully grown sea turtle energetically used it’s flippers to dig up a shell fish to eat, the reptile saw us but did not care – it was too interested casting the sand away to catch it’s meal. I have been eye to eye swimming beside two meter or longer reef sharks on more than one occasion. One of the biggest surprises I have had while diving was while inspecting a large fan coral I realized that there was a colony of pygmy seahorses living on that coral; the largest of them was perhaps a quarter of an inch tall and they blended with the fronds of the coral like they were a part of it.

One of my favorite kind of dives is a drift dive particularly when there is a strong current. I have never flown without being in an airplane but I think the sensation is similar to what it must feel like to soar; to be carried on the wind like a kite – the sea bed drifting by below me and all I have to do is to keep myself horizontal; the current maintains my momentum while I observe the life below while I drift by.

Off shore of almost every island you can do any kind of dive you like deep dive, wall dive or drift dive. There are many underwater caves to explore and wrecks to dive on as well. If you Do the same dive in the same spot after the sun goes down – it’s a totally different world and the creatures of the dark come out of their holes. North and west of Manila the tanks and other military equipment that General MacArthur sunk before leaving the P.I. in the early days of World War Two await anyone that wants to take a look.

Subic Bay near Manila is a good place to dive there are a number of shipwrecks and lots of reef fish that have made the old relics into a home. A tradition in Subic is to feed the fish there – in fact when diving onto a wreck it is common for the fish to swarm you as they look for a hand-out. Other awesome places to dive are Alona Beach Bohol, Puerto Gallera Mindoro and Moalboal Cebu Island. The sites are too many to be listed but I must mention El Nido Palawan, Apo Island off Mindoro and Tubbataha Reef the later is a world heritage site.

You may have traveled the length and breadth of the Philippines by all modes of transport but if you have not been under water you have not seen a half of what the P.I. offers. Scuba diving will give you a taste of another world; a world where the wildlife is not afraid of you where you can get inches away from the fish before they pay any attention to you at the most they will just observe you with some curiosity; if they notice you at all. It is not a silent world but is a place where the sounds have a damper on them. If you are from a temperate climate I could liken the quiet to going for a walk on a city street during the first heavy snowfall of winter time. The city sounds of tires, the footsteps and construction equipment are all muffled and seem distant. If you feel you cannot afford to scuba dive then you should try snorkeling above a coral reef for a little tamer but still amazing experience.

Expatjoe

(Visited 498 times, 1 visits today)

You Might Also Like...

  • Email From A Retired Expat
    Email From A Retired Expat
  • The Catfish Hunter
    The Catfish Hunter
  • Old Time Rock n' Roll!
    Old Time Rock n' Roll!
Tweet
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: Hobbies & Interests, Things to Do Tagged With: diving, manila, philippines, subic bay

Comments

  1. David F. says

    May 26, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    I’d really like to try some diving here but not sure of how it would affect my already bad back. After PADI certification I did not get to do a lot of diving but did swim with and feed dolphins in Freeport/Lucaya (hence, my two most used screen names, Divelucaya and Divefreeport). I also checked out the sunken paddle-wheel steamship Lady of the Lakes in my home state of New Hampshire. I am sure there are many beautiful underwater sights to behold in this marvelous country.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Articles

  • Is Gambling in the Philippines Illegal?
  • Can Foreigners Own Land in the Philippines? Proceed With Caution If You Want to Stay Safe.
  • 5 Tips for a Healthy Retirement in the Philippines
  • How to Ship a Car to the Philippines
  • Top 5 Financial Tips for Expats in the Philippines
  • How to Live in the Philippines with No Money
  • Why I Ultimately Left the Philippines
  • Keep the IRS off Your Back! Advice for Americans Abroad
  • Are the Guys at RTTP Fascists?
  • I Never Chose to Live in the Philippines

Latest Comments

  • David-Paul Newton-Scott on Why I Ultimately Left the PhilippinesI speak Tagalog so to me the place just feels like an extension of the UK. Learn the language and...
  • James on Watching Sports in The PhilippinesI’m a grass roots track and field club athlete in Melbourne, Australia and am considering moving to the Philippines. For...
  • Charles geistel on How To Retire Early In The PhilippinesHello Everyone yes I enjoyed the information but one more year on my way back to the Philippines and yes...
  • Michael Ray Brown on Philippines 13a Visa Requirements ExplainedI will have to renew my 13A visa in December for the 1-year probation period. What papers if any do...
  • Jonnie on Philippines 13a Visa Requirements ExplainedWhen traveling in and out of the Philippines with my 13A visa. Is there any expiration requirement on my passport?...
  • Barak F. on New Courtesy SRRV For VeteransI can't seem to find a list of approved militaries. Might someone have a link to an official PRA list?...
  • Kevin on New Courtesy SRRV For VeteransThey charge $10 per year for a Annual ID. The $360 is in reference to dependents. A spouse and up...
  • Charlie Bamford on Why I Ultimately Left the PhilippinesHi Vic I live near Tacloban & worked remotely for a UK company for 8 years. Despite what PLDT &...
Want More Comments?

Sponsored Links

[adrotate banner=”14″]

[adrotate group=”5″]

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Tags

bacolod balikbayan box banking behavior business christmas cooking cost crime culture dating diving driving earthquakes entertainment expat expats festival fiesta filipinos food foreigner friends guide health holiday living love moving music nightlife philippines relationships resort restaurants retirement retiring romance safety shipping shopping superstitions travel visa weather

Discover the Secrets to Dating Asian Women

Popular Posts

  • Philippines Retirement Visa
  • Philippines 13a Visa Requirements Explained
  • How to Ship a Car to the Philippines
  • Working On The Building
  • New Courtesy SRRV For Veterans
  • Why I Ultimately Left the Philippines
  • Philippine Dating Scams

Weather in the Philippines

Copyright © 2012 - 2025 · Retiring to The Philippines · All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Disclaimer