Batangas Anilao Muck Diving — Critters Safari

Anilao is the birthplace of Philippine scuba diving and, today, the macro and muck-diving capital of the world. This full-day critter safari is built for divers and underwater photographers who get more excited by a flamboyant nudibranch than a big blue expanse. Of the roughly 800 nudibranch species identified worldwide, around 600 live in these waters, earning Anilao the title Nudibranch Capital of the World, and it ranks among the planet's top muck-diving sites alongside Indonesia's Lembeh Strait.

Over multiple dives across legendary sites such as Secret Bay (Mainit Muck), Mainit Point, Sombrero, and Layag-Layag, your guide will hunt out the weird and wonderful: hairy and painted frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, wonderpus and mimic octopus, seahorses, pipefish, mantis shrimp, ornate ghost pipefish, and the occasional rare Rhinopias. The dives are guided by experienced spotters who know exactly where these tiny creatures hide, so you spend your bottom time shooting rather than searching. Just a couple of hours from Manila, it is the easiest world-class diving in the country.