Located in the middle of one of the busiest shipping channels in the Philippines, Verde Island is a stepping stone between Batangas City in the north and Puerto Galera to the south. The 1.14 million hectare body of water surrounding the island supports the richest biodiversity in the Coral Triangle region, and more than lives up to its title as ‘The Centre of the Centre of the Marine Biodiversity of the World’.
Not surprisingly, Verde Island is top of the list for many divers visiting nearby Atlantis Dive Resort in Puerto Galera. Day trips out to the island take approximately an hour’s transit, and Atlantis offers three dives around the small pinnacle’s vibrant reefs. Marine life along Verde Island’s walls is flourishing, and the surprisingly clear waters allow for fantastic photo opportunities. But perhaps the biggest influence on the region’s aquatic habitat is the brisk currents that swirl and eddy through gullies and swim-throughs around the reef, replenishing nutrient-rich waters that fuel a cornucopia of species, huge both in number and size.
Verde Island’s most popular dive site is known simply as The Wall. This sheer 230-foot drop-off features a jungle of intricate gorgonian fans and massive sponges, alongside a multitude of colorful hard and soft corals. Vibrant shoals of small tropical fish swarm close into the safety of the reef, while large swirling schools of bigeye jack and barracuda create a backdrop of constant movement out in the blue. Larger ocean-going fish such as tuna, eagle rays, and manta rays can also be spotted at depth if you take the time to look away from the distraction of the steep pinnacle walls.
Other exciting sites such as Drop Off (as the name suggests an exhilarating plunge over an unusual vertical reef) or the white-knuckle Washing Machine offer an exciting foray into one of the best dive areas in Puerto Galera. From bubbling volcanic vents to rainbow reefs packed with oversized corals and sponges, plentiful nudibranchs to an abundance of turtles and everything in between, Verde Island is one of Bluewater Travel’s favorite Philippines dive locations.
This article and photos courtesy of our partner, Bluewater Travel.
