Shooting underwater photos is a delightful way to spend your dives. You get to search for fascinating and beautiful creatures and then share these discoveries with friends, family and the world on social media. Capture a great shot in the Philippines and it will surely become a strong contest entry.
But what is the best underwater photography in the Philippines? Where should you dive to get the best photos?
The answer is complicated because there are so many personal factors to consider when determine the best dives, dive regions and dive operators. This article highlights some of the major considerations in planning your underwater photo trip.
Facilities & Support for Underwater Photographers
One of the most important considerations is whether the dive operation is designed to support underwater photographers.
For example, Atlantis has spacious, climate-controlled camera rooms in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete so that you can service and prep your gear in great light. Atlantis also has multiple dedicated camera rinse tanks at each resort, plus staff trained to help carry your system to and from the dive boats on your request.
On top of that, you want to consider the dive center’s schedule and ability to work with photographers. Atlantis offers 5 dives per day, and with all Puerto Galera dive sites and Dumaguete dive sites just a 2-5 minutes away, it’s very easy to work with your guide to repeat sites or search for specific critters to check the boxes of your must-have shot list.
Great Marine Life
Marine life is another major consideration in choosing your underwater photo destination. The Philippines is located right in the coral triangle.
Puerto Galera is located in the Verde Island Passage, which is considered the center of marine biodiversity in the ocean. This means that there are more species found here than anywhere else in the world! This means that each dive is packed with unique marine life, vibrant and healthy coral reefs, and much more.
The black volcanic substrate in Dumaguete is the perfect habitat for a wide variety of macro critters, and pros consider it hands-down a Top 3 macro destination and arguably The Best macro destination in the world.
At Atlantis our motto is ‘Arrive as a Guest, Leave as a Friend,” and this exceptional dedication to service combined with incredible marine life is what keep our friends returning to each resort.
Talented Guides
This could easily be number one on our list, since a good guide will make all the difference in your photography. Most of us divers would swim right past most of the subjects, as they can be deceptively difficult to spot.
A good guide will discuss your ideal photo subjects with you and then help to find them as you dive together day after day. Many guides will even help you to set up a great photo composition.
The dive guides at Atlantis have many years of experience helping guide new divers and in working as hardcore critter-finders for experienced divers. You will be amazed at how much you’ll see on a single dive while working with our guides.
In addition, the guides at Atlantis take pride in our local reefs and won’t hurt any marine life for the sake of a photo. This is extremely important so that the next photographer gets the same great photo opportunities.
Ready to start planning your Philippines underwater photo trip?
Email Us and we can build a personalized itinerary!
