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Explore Anilao

Diving in Anilao is an enchanting experience for divers seeking a unique underwater adventure. Nestled in the Batangas region on the island of Luzon, Anilao was once a hidden gem known mainly to local Filipinos. Its close proximity to Manila makes it a convenient weekend getaway, drawing divers to its warm, calm waters teeming with marine life. Although lacking in pristine white beaches, Anilao more than compensates with its vibrant coral reefs, diverse critters, and world-class macro photography opportunities. The waters of Anilao are a treasure trove of biodiversity, with around 40 dive sites including renowned spots like Sombrero Island, Maricaban Island, and Cathedral. These sites are easily accessible via short boat rides, offering divers the chance to explore stunning underwater landscapes. The region is famous for its rich reefs and unexpected critters like nudibranchs, shrimp, and the elusive blue-ringed octopus. Anilao is a paradise for underwater photographers and offers dive courses for all levels. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced diver, Anilao promises captivating night dives and thrilling drift dives.

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Diving in Anilao

Anilao diving is famous for its muck diving. Muck diving is a bit of a misnomer, usually the seabed is not “mucky” as such, but it can be sandy or silty and it can refer to almost any dive where you spend your time with your head buried in the seabed rather than looking up! One of the things that makes Anilao muck diving so impressive is the warm, volcanic sands which are very nutritious. Something that muck diving lovers will love about Anilao is the biodiversity. Nudibranch, shrimp and interesting fish and other beasties like bobtail squid and stargazers can be found burrowed in the seabed here.

Reef diving is also popular here as the corals are so healthy and so varied. They have such vibrant colours, even 30m below, that you will scarcely believe your eyes. Some of the sites provide moderate to strong currents if the conditions are right, so you can drift serenely over the reefs, enjoying the abundance at every turn.

The ocean conditions are usually calm here. This makes the area perfect for beginner dive courses from one of the many dive resorts. Liveaboards also commonly pass this way and moor for several days. These trips often take in other local sites like Coron, Apo Reef and Puerto Galera.

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Dive Sites

The best Months to dive in Anilao

Diving in Anilao is available all year round. However, due to its location in the typhoon belt, it is subject to seasonal changes in the weather which can affect your holiday and the diving conditions.

The dry season is from November to June; rainfall is minimal and the winds are low. This means that diving conditions are generally good due to calm waters. May and June tend to be the warmest months with water temperatures regularly hitting 29oC.

December to February are the coldest months, with water temperatures sometimes reaching 25oC and necessitating a full length 3mm at a minimum for most divers. Though this is distinctly chilly, it does create the best conditions to see all the rare macro critters, not only do they thrive in the cold, but rarer creatures come up from deeper waters.

The rainy season runs from July - October. Though there can be long spells of fine weather, there can also be prolonged storms and typhoons which can disrupt diving. Directly following a storm, macro life may spend a few days hiding from the turbulent conditions in the shallow water. It tends to be quieter too - the dryer months have many tourists, especially at weekends and on holidays like New Year and Easter.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Anilao

Anilao diving is famous for its muck diving. Muck diving is a bit of a misnomer, usually the seabed is not “mucky” as such, but it can be sandy or silty and it can refer to almost any dive where you spend your time with your head buried in the seabed rather than looking up! One of the things that makes Anilao muck diving so impressive is the warm, volcanic sands which are very nutritious. Something that muck diving lovers will love about Anilao is the biodiversity. Nudibranch, shrimp and interesting fish and other beasties like bobtail squid and stargazers can be found burrowed in the seabed here.

Reef diving is also popular here as the corals are so healthy and so varied. They have such vibrant colours, even 30m below, that you will scarcely believe your eyes. Some of the sites provide moderate to strong currents if the conditions are right, so you can drift serenely over the reefs, enjoying the abundance at every turn.

The ocean conditions are usually calm here. This makes the area perfect for beginner dive courses from one of the many dive resorts. Liveaboards also commonly pass this way and moor for several days. These trips often take in other local sites like Coron, Apo Reef and Puerto Galera.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

Moray Eel

916 Sightings
J
63
F
65
M
102
A
77
M
72
J
83
J
80
A
100
S
66
O
93
N
58
D
57
Green Turtle

Green Turtle

709 Sightings
J
49
F
61
M
74
A
73
M
69
J
71
J
57
A
56
S
50
O
53
N
53
D
43
Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill Turtle

410 Sightings
J
39
F
36
M
32
A
18
M
38
J
40
J
29
A
26
S
10
O
45
N
35
D
62

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Octopus

Octopus

263 Sightings
J
15
F
19
M
8
A
41
M
25
J
50
J
27
A
22
S
4
O
18
N
17
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 600

Wrasse

Wrasse

210 Sightings
J
13
F
25
M
9
A
27
M
15
J
12
J
20
A
21
S
16
O
20
N
20
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 27

Barracuda

Barracuda

173 Sightings
J
13
F
23
M
17
A
9
M
20
J
19
J
30
A
9
S
7
O
10
N
7
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 28

Clownfish

Clownfish

2.1k Sightings
J
150
F
145
M
227
A
186
M
188
J
237
J
214
A
218
S
114
O
183
N
94
D
140

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish

1.4k Sightings
J
87
F
87
M
161
A
125
M
131
J
187
J
152
A
158
S
75
O
108
N
64
D
96

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

Angelfish

1.3k Sightings
J
82
F
99
M
129
A
121
M
125
J
167
J
124
A
136
S
86
O
98
N
62
D
73

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 12

Lionfish

Lionfish

1.2k Sightings
J
82
F
81
M
142
A
101
M
128
J
132
J
121
A
125
S
59
O
107
N
63
D
80

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3000

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

1.2k Sightings
J
100
F
79
M
154
A
147
M
109
J
92
J
67
A
94
S
30
O
124
N
79
D
79

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

1.1k Sightings
J
76
F
74
M
111
A
88
M
98
J
165
J
111
A
146
S
47
O
62
N
47
D
45

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

Pufferfish

1.1k Sightings
J
76
F
90
M
94
A
94
M
79
J
145
J
102
A
113
S
57
O
78
N
48
D
79

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 8

Bannerfish

Bannerfish

910 Sightings
J
47
F
79
M
57
A
77
M
64
J
130
J
115
A
133
S
57
O
75
N
29
D
47

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

838 Sightings
J
56
F
80
M
77
A
94
M
73
J
121
J
73
A
80
S
56
O
59
N
26
D
43

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Trumpetfish

Trumpetfish

808 Sightings
J
40
F
49
M
79
A
57
M
45
J
127
J
114
A
129
S
26
O
76
N
29
D
37

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish

543 Sightings
J
29
F
47
M
22
A
58
M
30
J
66
J
36
A
87
S
51
O
57
N
22
D
38

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

Sweetlips and Grunts

410 Sightings
J
18
F
34
M
17
A
39
M
29
J
74
J
31
A
53
S
28
O
38
N
17
D
32

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3400

Shrimp

Shrimp

387 Sightings
J
49
F
24
M
22
A
36
M
23
J
17
J
16
A
52
S
13
O
61
N
30
D
44

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 50

Frogfish

Frogfish

330 Sightings
J
27
F
8
M
22
A
46
M
37
J
36
J
23
A
40
S
11
O
29
N
18
D
33

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Jackfish

Jackfish

321 Sightings
J
13
F
36
M
42
A
33
M
52
J
40
J
26
A
10
S
13
O
18
N
17
D
21

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

Damselfish

298 Sightings
J
12
F
12
M
17
A
25
M
31
J
44
J
36
A
47
S
22
O
20
N
5
D
27

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Boxfish

Boxfish

289 Sightings
J
16
F
19
M
22
A
27
M
4
J
39
J
33
A
64
S
12
O
10
N
14
D
29

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Grouper/Basslets

Grouper/Basslets

286 Sightings
J
17
F
33
M
22
A
31
M
16
J
34
J
19
A
41
S
24
O
20
N
18
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Goatfish

Goatfish

256 Sightings
J
5
F
13
M
10
A
18
M
24
J
41
J
40
A
47
S
10
O
10
N
15
D
23

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

Snapper

232 Sightings
J
11
F
16
M
22
A
18
M
24
J
16
J
25
A
26
S
10
O
22
N
19
D
23

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish

225 Sightings
J
10
F
15
M
29
A
39
M
13
J
26
J
11
A
30
S
7
O
20
N
13
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Soldierfish

Soldierfish

220 Sightings
J
6
F
32
M
15
A
12
M
27
J
23
J
7
A
35
S
11
O
24
N
10
D
18

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7000

Crab

Crab

220 Sightings
J
17
F
8
M
11
A
30
M
15
J
14
J
23
A
29
S
9
O
33
N
14
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 20

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish

204 Sightings
J
19
F
20
M
14
A
20
M
8
J
28
J
42
A
21
S
11
O
9
N
5
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 30

Sand Eel

Sand Eel

178 Sightings
J
10
F
17
M
12
A
14
M
15
J
19
J
20
A
14
S
18
O
20
N
6
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 80

Stingrays

Stingrays

168 Sightings
J
17
F
7
M
11
A
5
M
17
J
11
J
27
A
15
S
25
O
11
N
7
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 30

Stonefish

Stonefish

117 Sightings
J
14
F
4
M
7
A
13
M
8
J
9
J
20
A
12
S
0
O
12
N
12
D
6
Banded Sea Krait

Banded Sea Krait

108 Sightings
J
5
F
6
M
6
A
10
M
7
J
18
J
10
A
16
S
6
O
14
N
3
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pipefish

Pipefish

105 Sightings
J
5
F
4
M
10
A
13
M
5
J
8
J
1
A
15
S
7
O
20
N
12
D
5
Ribbon Moray Eel (Ghost Eel)

Ribbon Moray Eel (Ghost Eel)

105 Sightings
J
2
F
4
M
10
A
12
M
13
J
11
J
10
A
23
S
7
O
5
N
8
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 15

Garfish

Garfish

87 Sightings
J
1
F
3
M
0
A
1
M
9
J
18
J
27
A
11
S
3
O
7
N
3
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2000

Gobies

Gobies

76 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
3
M
14
J
19
J
31
A
9
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 400

Blennies

Blennies

65 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
11
J
18
J
26
A
9
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Snake Eel

Snake Eel

61 Sightings
J
7
F
5
M
2
A
20
M
2
J
4
J
2
A
0
S
3
O
3
N
6
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 33

Hawkfishes

Hawkfishes

61 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
7
J
18
J
30
A
6
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Squid

Squid

60 Sightings
J
2
F
5
M
4
A
17
M
5
J
1
J
0
A
8
S
3
O
5
N
2
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7

Pygmy Seahorse

Pygmy Seahorse

53 Sightings
J
2
F
3
M
8
A
9
M
7
J
5
J
3
A
9
S
0
O
3
N
3
D
1

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