Manila Channel Drift Dive - Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is the Philippine diving capital and this little island or pier rather boasts of different kinds of diving sites. To be perfectly honest, they actually have the bragging rights to say that you can find everything a diver could wish for right at the Puerto Galera dive spots; drift dives, wreck dives, cave dives, special surprise dives, rays, sharks, snakes and so much more. Let us take you to a special drift dive today which is called the Manila Channel drift dive.

The Manila Channel is only fifteen to twenty minutes from Puerto Galera and is located at the tip of an island north from the pier and can be reached by boat. The dive site is right between the Paniquian and Medio Islands that are fronting Puerto Galera. The Manila Channel is right beside the shallow dive spot Coral Garden and you can even drift your way into the other dive spot which makes you cover two dive spots in one dive. The savvy diver knows the value of these two dive spots and will simply ask their guide if a detour drift to the Coral Garden is possible.

Expect to see a coral field full of assorted sponges, soft and hard corals. During your Manila Channel drift dive you will also see many big and small schools of varieties of fishes such as porcupine fishes, emperor fishes, parrot fishes, boxfish, angelfish and puffers. You should also look for eels that are lurking around in the Manila Channel area and with a little luck of Poseidon; you might see the sea turtles that are floating around gently in the drift of the Manila Channel.

The maximum depth of the Manila Channel drift dive is 18 meters which enables any diver to be able to dive in the Manila Channel. All you need is an open water diver certification, but if the currents are too strong the guides may ask for advanced open water diver certification with logged drift dives because the currents can become very rough. Nitrox dives for the Manila Channel drift dive is not necessary and you will be able to save enough air to take a hike to the Coral Garden dive spot nearby.

The costs for the Manila Channel drift dive ranges between $25 and $40 depending on your choice of guide or dive resort. The costs already include rental equipment such as tanks, weights or other special equipments. It is best to book for a whole day dive so that you can visit Coral Garden and other dive spots that are nearby. The Manila Channel is one drift dive that has to be on your diving list once you are in Puerto Galera since it is a four star diving spot. You will not regret taking up the Manila Channel drift dive and you will take these memories back home.