DAUIN – THE PHILIPPINE'S CAPITAL OF MUCK DIVING

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY ALDO GALANTE

Dauin is a coastal municipality located 15km south of Dumaguete, on the island of Negros Oriental. You can get there via Dumaguete Airport from Manila or Cebu, and then drive for about 30 minutes until you reach Dauin. You can also reach Dumaguete by ferry from Cebu, Bohol or Siquijor, and from there it takes about the same amount of time by car to reach Dauin.

Diving is a major industry in Dauin. Several marine reserves and dive sites are located along the Dauin coast and on the Island of Apo, located off the coast. I have been very fortunate to visit the beloved Dauin several times since 2006. I have watched the growth of this area over the years, and in my humble opinion, I would say this is the capital of muck diving in the Philippines. It’s definitely the closest I’ve come to the Lembeh Strait, in Indonesia. That is why macro photography enthusiasts and lovers of rare species, such as the critters found along the black sand shores of Dauin, return to this area whenever they can.

For my latest trip, I have to thank my experience to the Atlantis Dive Resort which I had won a prize for from the Hippocampus underwater photography competition I had taken part in along with other divers from all around the world. My prize was an all-inclusive week which included the accommodation, all meals, and unlimited diving.The hotel was beautiful and we got an amazing room overlooking the pool.

The hotel is fully equipped for divers and photographers of all levels, as well as for nondivers. My wife Luciana, who had a great time, enjoyed the beach, the pool, snorkelling at the house reef, she loved the beautiful spa and the delicious meals. The truth is, we fully enjoyed everything that the Atlantis had to offer.

DAUIN

As for diving, it is the coast of Dauin where muck diving (or diving in volcanic black sands) takes place. From Dauin, you can dive at more than 20 dive sites and they are all very close to the Atlantis hotel’s area, including their spectacular House Reef where I spotted two large Commerson Frogfish close to one another.

Starting from north to south, I could describe all the wonderful dive spots such as Mainit, San Miguel – north and south, Talisay, Sahara Point, Bonets Corner, Dauin Sanctuary – north and south, Ginama Point, Bahura, and Pyramids, but the one that deserves a special mention is Masaplod – north and south. This particular dive site gave us one of the best moments – perhaps the best of our lives. There are so many species to see, including seahorses, several types of frogfish (one of my favourites), wonderpus, mimic and blue ring octopuses; in short it is an extraordinary place and it’s only 10 minutes away from the hotel. This dive site’s particularity is its sand. It’s very fine and somewhat paler in colour, so if you are not careful with the movement of your body and fins, you can easily spoil the dive for others by completely depleting the visibility.

Apo Island

For those who love majestic and colourful reefs, full of soft corals inhabited by sea turtles and pelagics of different species, then the island of Apo, about 12km from Dauin is the place to be. This is an iconic dive spot and one of the most famous in the Philippines. The healthy reefs around Apo Island boast over 400 documented species of corals – that’s 65% of the world’s corals found in one place! This island has several diving spots that are carried out according to the currents of the day, such as the famous Rock Point – east and west, Mamsa Point, Cogon Baluarte, Chapel Point, Coconut Point, Cars and Tires Point amongst others. Sadly, the dive site called Clownfish City, which I was able to dive in the past, was unfortunately deteriorated by a major hurricane that crossed the island a few years ago. The rest of the reefs in Apo remain splendid, clean and vibrant.

The Atlantis Dive Centre also runs a day’s excursion that takes place on a traditional local boat with comfortable seats and a bathroom on-board. You will enjoy 3 dives at the island. It includes lunch and drinks, and you will return back to the resort at about 4pm, thus concluding a perfect day with a memory full of underwater images.

In addition to the Island of Apo, the dive centre also organises night and Blackwater dives on demand; as well as day trips to the nearby island of Siquijor (about 20km away by boat) to enjoy its vibrant walls full of soft and hard corals.

OSLOB

If you like whale sharks, there is also the possibility to do a full day’s excursion organised by the hotel to neighbouring Oslob (on the Island of Cebu), where diving and snorkelling with the whale sharks is a guarantee.

It would be impossible for me to describe all of the marine species encounters I had on the sandy coast of Dauin. However, I can say that it is the place where the most frogfish can be seen on a single dive. All of this combined makes it the perfect diving getaway. We cannot ask for more from Dauin. It’s an extraordinary place!

THE NON-DIVING

But it’s not all about the diving here. You can also visit the old Church, the market, the waterfalls of Casaroro, go mountain trekking, visit its black sand beaches and its white sand beaches in the southern area of Dauin at Zamboanguita and Siaton, in addition to those of Apo where you can snorkel in all the different spots.

Walking around Dauin is very interesting and you can enjoy the excellent cuisines at the restaurants and bars such as Fin Bar, Lokal Resto, Anahaw, Soga and Frontemare, the exquisite Italian pizzeria located right on Dauin beach.

If you have time, I also recommend a visit to Dumaguete to see its waterfront and market where delicious seafood caught in the area can be tasted.

In short, I fully recommend this remote diving destination to anyone who has the possibility to travel there. If you want the 5 star experience, I strongly suggest staying at the Atlantis Dive Resort (https://atlantishotel.com/dumagueteresort) where everything is customised for your personal experience, from the welcome, to the farewell. It’s hard to leave after having spent an incredible week in a beautiful room with 5 daily dives (all on Nitrox), and having tasted the best culinary delicacies every day.

Until the next dive!