The Boulders and The Jap Wreck in Puerto Galera - Philippines

The dive site that we are going to present is a site that not many people try or have tried in Puerto Galera due to its long travel time. You will see that the long way is still worth it and that this one dive can easily turn into two dives. Actually we are going to present two different dive spots that are often seen as one and the dive places are the Boulder / Jap Wreck.

The Boulder / Jap Wreck dive site is situated in a mountainous area on the east coast of Puerto Galera and thus cannot be reached directly from the shore. The name says it all, because this dive site is all about boulders and a Japanese wreck. The ride to the Boulder / Jap Wreck dive site will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes, yet it is worth it if you have the required experience and training level for this dive.

The first spot of the Boulder / Jap Wreck dive site will be the boulder part. When you descend into the water, you will find large boulder formations and plenty of colored gorgonians, tree corals, whip corals and basket sponges along the boulders. The boulder dive site has a couple of seahorses, pipefish and certain rare nudibranchs. The Japanese Wreck is a wreck from the World War II and it has two resident large moray eels that will thankfully take any food you bring. You will also find a large orange stonefish hiding somewhere around the engine of the wreck. The Japanese wreck is also home to schools of cardinalfish, groupers and sweetlips.

The Boulder / Jap Wreck dive site has two different depths. The boulder has a minimum depth of 3 meters and a maximum depth of 21 meters. The Japanese Wreck however has an average depth of 42 meters. The shallower Boulder / Jap Wreck dive site can be conquered by beginners and advanced open water divers, but the deeper dive spot needs to have the necessary tech diver certification. You should also bring flashlights or dive lights with you into the Japanese Wreck. Both dive sites require a good dive guide who knows when there are strong currents and mild currents.

The regular dive to Boulder / Jap Wreck costs $25 including boat ride, guide, weights and tanks. The tech dive into the Japanese wreck costs around $50 without rental equipment, but with trimix tanks, weights, guide and transportation. The Boulder / Jap Wreck can be an interesting dive for those who have the experience and even for those who dont.