snorkeling anilao

this weekend we traveled to Mabini, Batangas to go snorkeling. this is the hobby that we grew up doing ever since we were kids. we do it almost twice a month along with my father and my brothers. so doing it on a summer is a good time for a calm sea and doing it in Anilao makes it very special.Anilao is one of Philippine's pride in snorkeling and scuba diving and not for white sand beach lovers. it is approximately 3hours from Manila since there are ongoing road repairs in Cuenca. this dive haven shelters many endemic sea creatures because Anilao is connected to Balayan bay and the Verde passage. it is teeming with a healthy marine life which means that corals are abundant. when you reach the town of Mabini, you will see resorts on all sides. most of the time, we choose Dive n Trek and Sombrero island but this time we picked Anilao Outrigger. from afar we can already see how beautiful the dive site is. there's a wide snorkeling area making me decide to just take a few shots of the view and immediately dived into the waters of Anilao. for snorkelers, it is important to have a calm surface water because waves creates a blurry undersea view. on that day, sun was up and the weather was perfect. sunlight may bring sunburn but it is an advantage since it produces enough light for us to clearly see the corals and the fishes.let me apologize for not bringing an underwater camera. i could have shared to you its beauty from below. i'll do that next time.

you can easily spot crabs on the walls of the sea barriers of the resort and fishes can be seen from the pathway. clown fish can easily be spotted since corals are in abundance. the picture below shows scuba divers near the surface. Anilao Outrigger has a wide area that's less than 20feet deep, so snorkelers will have a really good time. it also caters to people who loves kayaking, pedal boating and even wind surfing. from the resort, the view is perfect as it overlooks the Balayan bay. so you can sit down on one of its balcony and watch divers plunge and motor boats traveling to the other islands. the food was good and the people inside the resort was limited to its capacity making our stay more private.there's a swimming pool on one side that caters the kids and for scuba diving lessons.
the tip most part of the resort is a big rock that adds view to its wide area and crossing it leads you to an even wider view of the Balayan bay.
the exciting part was actually to look for the cross that was located in the far middle part of the snorkeling site. it was about 15meters deep in that area since it was high tide. we were very lucky to spot one sea turtle near the cross. according to the resort staff, there are turtles living in that area. wow! that's a good sign that the area is indeed a sanctuary for sea creatures. in the afternoon, we did fish feeding to see fishes coming in groups to as close as touching your body. you can see them surrounding you. that's one of the best part in snorkeling. late afternoon, we enjoyed pedal boating and kayaking. i was bringing with me my camera to at least take a shot of the underwater view and a shot of the resort from the snorkeling area. the picture below shows a view of the corals from the pedal boat. Anilao Outrigger Resort offers a really good service because the staff are really friendly. they really took time talking to their customers. islands like Sombrero, Maricaban, and Verde are just minutes away from the resort. these islands are known for its best diving sights of endemic species.
Anilao is a dive sanctuary that tells me how blessed i am to have lived in such a nice tropical country. here's a video from youtube that shows a glimpse of what Anilao can offer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kLRrV7ik5Q&feature=related