General
Diving Information
The
abundance and beautiful diversity of marine life is immediately obvious
when you poke your head underwater. When you have done this you surely
want to experience more. And there is plenty to see for anyone who would
like to venture deeper than knee deep into the water. The twenty-four
dive sites of Puerto Galera form an incredible addition to the fantastic
and unspoiled beauty of its shores and the mountains beyond. It is therefore
not surprising that for almost 50 years Puerto Galera has attracted
experts studying the ecostructure of micro-organisms, marine life, animals
and plants. The University of the Philippines Marine Biological Station
was set up in 1934 and in 1974, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program
International declared the area a research center and the reefs a marine
reserve. The great ecological complexity and the abundant species have
earned Puerto Galera a reputation as the best dive area in the Philippines
and maybe in Asia.
Due
to the warm southwards flowing currents that bring clear water with
temperatures of 28 to 30 degrees Celsius during the bigger part of the
year the reefs of Puerto Galera have been able to perpetuate their mesmerizing
existence through history. Only in the months of December to February,
which are cool and usually dry, the water temperature drops to a still
comfortable dive level of 24 degrees Celsius.
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Dive weather of Puerto Galera
The weather of the Island of Mindoro can roughly be divided in two seasons
the "Habagat" and the "Amihan".
Amihan is the wind effected by the northeast monsoon, which blows from
October until the middle of May, which create the best dive conditions
for diving. Visibility is usually 20 and can reach 40 meters in April
and May, however this maybe reduced somewhat around Christmas and New
Year when plankton production occurs.
Habagat is the wind effected by the southeast monsoon, which blows from
nearly opposite direction in the months of June until the end of September.
In the northern part of Puerto Galera surf and surges often develop
effecting visibility in shallow coastal water and the waves can become
rough by midday. About 60 to 80 meters from the beach the visibility
during this season is often quite reasonable. However in the area of
Muelle Bay and east of Puerto Galera near Palangan and Sinandigan the
waters are usually very calm during this time of the year and offer
good diving.
June to September is also the time of the year for typhoons, which can
give rain over about 3 days, usually followed by a break in the monsoon
with a period of fine weather that can last to up to two weeks. Without
any doubt, this season is the next best time of the year for the dive
enthusiast.
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What does diving in Puerto Galera cost?
Diving is not really expensive and the quality is excellent. Dive Centers
all charge more or less the prices as shown below. Please bear in mind
that these prices are only guidelines to give you an idea of the prices
being charged. For fixed agreements please contact the center of your
choice.