Dive Site - Manila Channel - The Hill

Manila Channel

The Manila Channel is a great easy drift dive. While flooding you jump into the shallow water right on top of a nice reef at 3 meters of depth.

Divers are surrounded by thousands of colorful reef-fish. The reef slopes down to a sandy bottom at about 16 meters. When drifting into the channel you will pass small walls and overhangs where many medium sized groupers are hiding.

Lionfish and scorpionfish are guaranteed on this dive-site and Mantis-Shrimps can be seen rushing over sandy patches to hide from the inclosing divers.

Of the small walls are some huge barrel-sponges on the sandy bottom as well as mushroom-corals. Watch out for Giant Frogfish in that area.

On the sandy bottom are also many sea-urchins where you should have a closer look, as you may spot several shrimps living in them including the beautiful Coleman-Shrimp.

The gentle drift dive in the Manila Channel can also be done during outgoing water.

The Hill

The Hill in Puerto Galera is located between three islands. A shallow dive site, suitable for novice divers during slack tide, but with strong currents when ebbing.

The Hill’s top is in about 5 meters and goes down to a maximum depth of 15 meters, where it slopes out into a sandy area. it’s covered with many Coral-heads, green elephant-ear corals and sponges. This dive site is one to where the shy but nice looking mandarin fish stayed. They are just coming out their home when it’s dusky. That is right time for them to play, perform their famous mating dance and to copulate.

Rare Nudies, Octopus and different kind of cuttlefishes (including the flamboyant cuttlefish) can also be spotted at the Hill.

Make sure your dive-guide knows his tide-tables well and goes with you there during slack-tide.

Puerto Galera overview - Puerto Galera Dive-Site Map