Philippines

Trip report Philippines June 2008 from Matt

Puerto Galera

Prior first dive I give a safe ccr diving presentation with the staff of Tec Asia as they are no very familiar with CCR divers and procedures. Apparently they had some bad experiences with CCR divers and would like to take the opportunity to talk about save CCR diving practices, in particular planning and bailout procedures. As we go diving with our guide Sam we do a full CCR skill circle stationary and then drifting in order to polish up on them for the next three weeks of diving.

 

Next day with no rain the viz is much better, I see the first time in my life a Seahorse, a Pygmy one that is. The so called pump boats or outrigger boats make a nice diving platform, the ladder is nice too. The dives we where doing in Puerto Galera included a number of CCR normoxic trimix dives to the Japanese wreck. The wreck was sunk during WW II, it was a wooden vessel that burnt down to the waterline. Today we can see the Scottish steam engine with anchor, prop shaft and prop sitting in the sand. Marine life is quite nice, the whole dive site pleasant to dive with no or little current at 142 feet with an ascent along the sloping reef as we get shallower we see a lot of soft corral, crabs, nudibranchs and more Seahorses to finish up decompression.

 

Another site is a dive to a wreck that was sunk as artificial wreck named Alma Jane right here in the bay to 100 feet. As we jump in the water a strong current is pulling but we make it to the mooring line and descent. The wreck is open with a tube like superstructure and a lot of spade fish took up residency at the rudder and super structure. A nice dive with lots of photo ops. During our ascend and deco stops we use our jon-lines and they work like a breeze, sailing in the current with no need to hold on to anything. That is quite some fun.

 

Another nice dive is an easy drift for an hour along Kilima wall at 90 feet for an hour and some change, coming up slowly. The marine diversity is just incredible. Nothing is big but a lot a lot of different stuff around. First time in my life I see some frog fish, actually two of them together, black ones. Stone fish too is in the area.

 

On our last day here we take off for a afternoon cruise along the coast and lagoon toward Coco Beach, Puerto Galera and White beach. Dave and Sam are joining, along is Sam’s daughter Katy as we visit an Italian restaurant on White beach to have some real Pizza.

 

Summary Puerto Galera:

 

Stay – 24 hour electricity in El Galleon Resort in Small Laguna even during frequent power outs due to own large generator, a/c rooms, lots of power outlets in room European or UK style with some U.S. style too but all 240 Volt 60 hertz. Free wireless internet in Puerto Galleon restaurant even during power out.

 

Dive – Asia divers is the recreational dive shop of the El Galleon Resort. Tech Asia is the place to go with good facilities for technical or CCR diving. Excellent guide service ask for Sam. Comfortable pump boat for diving, extreme helpful staff on boat and shore, set up for large group of technical divers and can accommodate large group of rebreather divers. They have double 80 cft alm tanks, helium and scooters.

 

CCR – High pressure O2 with 200 bar / 3000 psi filled by neighbor dive shop, can organize absorbent but order ahead of time. One bucket Sofnolime cost $ 305 usd, lots of bailout tanks 40 and 80 cft alm, no rebreather tanks, good assembly tables for CCR assembly with plenty of fresh water.

 

Other – Choice of food and restaurants in Small Laguna and Sabang Bay. Bring a macro lens.

 

Coron Bay

 

We are leaving the Manila Airport hotel at 6:30 am toward the domestic terminal where we fly to Busuanga Island part of the Palawan Island chain for wreck diving. We have together 166 kilo of check in luggage plus the two heavy carry on pieces over our shoulder not to mention. Over all is cost about 7000 FP / $ 120 usd as we get 50 kilo free. The flight from Manila to Busuanga is short with 40 minutes in a brand new 25 seater turbo prop plane which is a third empty and has a lot of leg room. The airport in Busuanga is a small wooden building, it takes a bit of shoving around to get our 7 pieces luggage into the small minivan but of we go for a 40 minute ride on a dirt road that is in progress of an overhaul. Arriving in small and laid back Coron City we look for our boat that will bring us to Sangat Island where our resort is located at as it has the shortest travel time to the wrecks. The boat ride takes around 30 minutes cruising along a scenic coast.

Andy the owner is greeting us upon arrival, The Sangat Island and resort could be somewhat out of a movie or travel catalog. A small island with steep hills where a small beach is nestled in a small bay, all with white sand and clear water. The resort is all bamboo with no noise or electricity. I change my CCR onboard tanks over from my 13 cft tanks to 40 cft tanks as there is no booster on the island to bring my oxygen pressure up, so I rather dive larger tanks to have enough reserves to make two dives without the need of refilling in-between dives.

 

The dives conducted where all on the Japanese ships in the area sunk during a U.S. air raid on September 24^th 1944. We where visiting the wrecks of the Tangat Maru with 165 mtr length and at max depth of 85 feet. She is a large but empty freighter, almost no current and a viz of about 24 feet. The bombs hit the ship straight into the pilot house causing major damage. The huge cargo holds are empty and invite easy exploration. With minimal decompression we return to the surface. The Sangat Gun Boat located just around the corner of Sangat Island Resort, with a max depth of 65 feet and a length of 35 mtr an easy afternoon dive. The shallow parts of the wreck are beautifully encrusted in all kinds of corral. The engine has been salvaged during the 1950’s providing a large empty space for easy penetration.

 

I could get JoJo (Joachim) to take me to the Iraku Maru wreck located at 139 feet depth with a length of 200 mtr. She was a freezer and food processing ship for the Japanese fleet. Viz is around 23 feet and green. JoJo leads on to a deep penetration where we see a sewing machine, the large engine room, an industrial size kitchen with all the equipment. As we get closer to the bow the doors getting to small for all my gear incl. bailout tank  and I turn the dive to get back on deck. The pilot house was hit fair and square by a bomb. Not much left of it.

 

The Kyogo Maru with 110 feet depth and some 180 mtr in length. She had loaded construction material which can still be seen with tractors, wire mesh and hardened concrete bags. We dive today with a different boat, a traditional pump boat instead of the diving boat from the last days. Viz is around 30 feet or less with little current. As we dive towards the prop we discover it has been salvaged. The ship is laying on its starboard side giving excellent access to the wreck at various depth. In total of six cargo holds invite for further exploration as well as the pilot house superstructure, which has been hit fair and square by a bomb, so has been the stern where the steering mechanism is located. In the forward cargo hold some tractors can be seen, in the central super structure bathrooms and kitchens can be identified.

 

The Akitsushima, a flying boat tender and only military ship in the area. Apparently she took part in the battle of Midway, got damaged then repaired in Japan and sunk here after two days of fighting. Large cranes and radio towers provide plenty of photo ops at 125 feet depth along this 180 mtr long ship which lays on its port side. Two triple AA guns can be seen aft and midship. A large crack separates the wreck at the sea plane staging area. Plenty of areas for easy penetration.

 

Some 30 minutes after the dive Keith is suffering from dizziness and vertigo but responds to oxygen first aid. As a precautionary act we evacuate to Coron City where at the Sea Dive Resort a small one person recompression chamber is used to treat local Hookah divers free of charge as a community service. The doctor recommends a table 6 treatment and of goes Keith for a ride for suspected inner ear DCS.

 

On our last day on the Island we do an island hopping tour aboard a small outrigger boat to have a look around. The Island tour is very nice as the weather is beautiful. We visit North Key, a small island within a small chain of Islands on the very Western edge of the Palawan Island chain where we have lunch served with a grand view of clear water, white beach and islands stretching as far as one can see.

 

Summary Coron Bay:

 

Stay – 11 hours electricity from 6 pm to 5 am on Sangat Island Resort which is closest to the wrecks, no a/c rooms on the island, lovely huts some of them without mosquito screening on windows but all of them mosquito nets over beds, some huts have no power outlets, but in huts they have them 240 Volt 60 hertz with American style two pin plug. Free solar powered wireless internet in restaurant area.

 

Dive – Set up for recreational divers and technical divers. Irregular to non-existent guide service and when available guide is diving on single tank for deep wreck penetration, ask for JoJo. Set up for small group of recreational divers and will reaching limits when catering for group of technical or rebreather divers, 100 bar / 1500 psi max O2 fills, membrane system for nitrox fills. Staff ok on boats with help on bailout tanks.

 

CCR – Absorbent can be organized and shipped through Tech Asia, order well ahead of time, one bucket of Sodasorb cost $ 600 usd, lots of 80 cft alm tanks with DIN valves, only two 40 cft alm tanks available both with yoke valves. No rebreather tanks, no helium, no scooters, some assembly tables close to beach. No real fresh water on the Island as water is a bit salty, some boats are more comfortable then others for rebreather divers.

 

Other – Limited choice of food in buffet style. Bring wide angle lens, lots of mosquito repellent, mosquito coils, books. Bring a Jon line, stage rigging and a primary light with punch with a tight and focused beam. For some of the large rooms a video reflector would be good too.

 

Subic Bay

 

Travel day again. The check in at Busuanga airport is easy, going through security check with our pile of luggage we pay for 166 kilo (no 50 kilo free this time) 8500 FP / $ 200 usd for excess luggage. Back in Manila we meet and are picked up by Sam from Tech Asia. We hired Sam as our dive guide in the Subic Bay area. As we pass Clark airfield where the U.S. air base used to be we see the 20 meter high ash fields from the 1992 Mt. Pinatubo Volcano explosion. While entering the old Subic Bay Naval base we entering a Philippines apart with clean and organized roads and traffic, no Tricycles and no Jeepneys. We stay at Vasco´s, owned by Australian Bryan who is quite a character and has done a number of wreck expeditions. His exploits can be seen all around the nice water front restaurant and the small private museum.

 

After a call to the DAN office in the U.S. Keith is off to the local hyperbaric doctor to see when he can go diving again. He is cleared with one more day of rest, that is very good news.

 

In Subic Bay we plan and dive the U.S.S. New York as much as we can. The light battle cruiser New York was scuttled in 1941 before approaching Japanese troops could seize her. We are lucky that no American ships are in port at the moment as they have a security zone around them, and the New York does lie in the zone. Visibility is about 3-25 feet but the wreck is quite impressive laying on the port side. Both, the aft and forward turret with the large guns are still in place, so are the props. The wreck is buried in the silt almost to the center line. Our dive’s are to 100 feet to the sand where the guns and the prop are.

We dive out of a WW II landing craft with a ramp that can be lowered which makes it a very comfortable diving platform. The trip from Vasco{s to the wreck site is a mere 5 minutes. Plenty of deep penetration can be done on the New York with some permanent guidelines in place. A strong and focused primary light is essential in order to penetrate the limited viz. though.

 

Sam and I are diving on the LTC, a landing craft from WW II. Just after the war she was used as target practice and sunk just outside the runway. As the wreck is located a bit more outside the bay the viz is much better with plenty of marine life. As we cruise around the wreck first we see winches, water bomb racks, gun turret mounts and intake ducts. After getting a good view on the outside of the wreck we do a bit of penetration swimming through a bunch of crew quarters with the folding beds up in travel position. We exit in the holding bay and cruise along the back of the vessel with easy 50 feet viz. and great dive with 93 feet depth.

 

Summary Subic Bay:

 

Stay – The Magellan Motel, Vasco´s restaurant and Master Dive store is part of a one stop location all under one roof. All rooms have a/c, plenty of power outlets marked with either 110 Volt or 220 Volt all with U.S. two pin connector. The Vasco’s restaurant is located over the water overlooking Subic Bay, good choice of food.

 

Dive – Currently the dive store has no guide or Instructor on staff, we hired Sam from Tech Asia to act as our guide. Plenty of recreational gear and tanks with yoke valves, two set of doubles, oxygen available to 130 bar and nitrox by partial pressure blending. Helium not available here but on other location within Subic Bay. WW II landing craft used as dive boat, great diving platform. U.S.S. New York located 5 minutes away from dock.

 

CCR – Absorbent needs to be ordered and shipped ahead of time, we used Tech Asia to do the job, $ 305 usd per bucket. Oxygen up to 130 bar, no DIN valves, only 80 cft tanks available but Tech Asia can ship in any bailout tank size and valve choice ahead of time. No rebreather tanks. Limited assembly tables but all very clean and plenty of fresh water.

 

Other – Bring primary light with good punch and focused tight beam, stage rigging, Jon line and wide angle lens.

 

Note on Co2 absorbent: The bucket (18 kg) of Co2 absorbent retail cost in Manila at the supplier is $ 214 usd. When the bucket reaches Puerto Galera the same bucket as having traveled and reaching another retail location is now $ 305 usd retail at Tech Asia. When the bucket reaches Sangat Island in Coron Bay area the same bucket is now $ 600 usd retail (no typo) due to travel and a remote retail location. In order to save money you could pre-order the buckets in Manila and pick them up at the supplier location or have them shipped to your hotel in Manila if you stay one night there as we have. If you travel to Puerto Galera or Subic Bay you will drive there by mini bus and boat and have not to pay and hassle with air lines. If you fly to Busuanga, Coron Bay area the PAL Express airline does charge 50 FP / $ 1.20 usd per kilo excess luggage, making it a lot cheaper this way. The very cheapest way would be bringing your own sorb into the Philippines … or diving o/c.

 

The last day of the trip is spend in a posh Manila hotel to tank up energy to deal with airline personnel, and the heap of luggage that I came here with.