"The Center of the Center of Marine Biodiversity"
When you get off the boat on Sabang Beach, near Puerto Galera on Mindoro Island in the Philippines, a sign that reads “Welcome to Sabang, Your Gateway to the Center of the Center of Marine Biodiversity” greets you. That phrase defines the diving in the region, as you will not find more fish species anywhere else on Earth.
There are several different ways of counting species, but most estimates indicate that there are well over 2,000 species of coral reef fish in the Coral Triangle — the high-diversity area between Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Getting an exact number for any given location is more difficult, but recent estimates suggest the number for Puerto Galera is at least 1,000. For comparison, the number of coral reef fishes in the entire Greater Caribbean region is a little more than 700, and Hawaiʻi has about 600.
Los científicos han intentado explicar por qué la región del Triángulo de Coral es diversa. Las tres hipótesis alternativas son que se trata de un centro de origen, un centro de acumulación o un centro de superposición. Cada teoría explica la gran diversidad de manera ligeramente diferente, pero todas son sencillas.
The first hypothesis suggests that the Coral Triangle is an area where a lot of species are formed, and the second assumes that species form in the periphery in places such as Hawaiʻi and eventually migrate and accumulate in the center, which is the Coral Triangle. The third theory accounts for the location of the Coral Triangle between the Indian and Pacific oceans, so it’s a place where there’s overlap among species that evolved separately. The most likely explanation is that all these processes contribute to the region’s high diversity.
You will see a lot of different species on a single dive, but there’s stunning diversity in the habitats as well. Every dive can be wildly different as you move from classic muck dives to white-sand reef dives, wall dives, drift dives, macro dives, and wreck dives, all within an hour’s boat ride from Puerto Galera.

Puerto Galera
Independientemente de cómo el área se volvió tan diversa, el buceo en el Triángulo de Coral es espectacular, especialmente en Filipinas. Prácticamente está garantizado ver algo nuevo en cada buceo, incluso al pasar horas bajo el agua, qué es lo que hago yo. Hoy en día, la mayoría de mis buceos son buceos técnicos, científicos y profundos, uno de los cuales hice en Blackfish Corner.
This site is on the west point of Verde Island, about a 45-minute boat ride from Puerto Galera, and is known for an abundance of red-toothed and black triggerfish. Because of the site’s location, currents there are strong and unpredictable. The bottom configuration and colors are amazing, with a lot of live corals as well as many current-loving gorgonians and sponges. The visibility isn’t always great because of the currents, but the nutrients in the water are what attract all the fish. Washing Machine is another popular nearby site, and that’s a good description of what some dives there feel like.

Casi siempre buceo con una cámara, pero ese día las fuertes corrientes me obligaron a dejarla para concentrarme en mi trabajo: colocar transectos y contar peces a lo largo de ellos para comprender los mecanismos que les permiten coexistir. Mi equipo y yo descendimos a aproximadamente 122 metros (400 pies) por 10 minutos, lo que se tradujo en aproximadamente cuatro horas de descompresión.
We started our ascent after completing our brief work, and when we reached about 300 feet (91 m), I looked up and saw three large shark silhouettes right above us. When we got closer, I noticed that the sharks’ caudal fins were very long, which is an unmistakable characteristic of thresher sharks. The three sharks swimming just above our heads are one of the most spectacular underwater sights I’ve ever witnessed. We were on rebreathers and got very close. It was the kind of unique encounter you can expect when diving in the Coral Triangle, even though this one will remain just a story since none of us had a camera.
Verde Island’s opposite point is also worth a visit. The most spectacular dive site there has many names: Some call it Pinnacles, mientras que otros lo conocen como The Drop Off. Regardless of the name, it’s where I saw some of the best and most diverse coral cover. When going to the Philippines, some people immediately think of macro photography, but photographers should bring their wide-angle lenses for the spectacular scenery at Pinnacles.



Conservación de coral
When talking about coral reefs, we must also discuss their conservation status. Corals live in symbiosis with algae called zooxanthellae. Symbiosis is a close relationship between two different species from which both species usually benefit. In this case, algae and corals feed on each other’s waste in one of nature’s most efficient recycling systems. Neither corals nor algae can get enough nutrients from the water alone, so their mutualistic relationship allows both to survive and thrive in nutrient-poor waters.
Corals are very sensitive to temperature changes, and our planet is warming. When the water temperature goes above what the corals can tolerate, they get stressed and expel the zooxanthellae that give them food and provide their color. That’s when they turn white in a phenomenon called coral bleaching.
La mala noticia es que el blanqueamiento se está volviendo más frecuente y está afectando a más corales cada año. Es un problema mundial que no tiene una solución sencilla y rápida. La Tierra se está calentando más rápido de lo que los corales pueden adaptarse a las temperaturas más cálidas, y la totalidad del ecosistema de arrecifes de coral está sufriendo las consecuencias.
La buena noticia es que los arrecifes de la región del Triángulo de Coral, especialmente en el Paso de Isla Verde, están algo protegidos del calentamiento y el blanqueamiento. Hay dos características de la región que la vuelven especial. Primero, las fuertes corrientes hacen que el área sea muy dinámica en cuanto a la temperatura. Hay muchas áreas donde la turbulencia causada por las corrientes trae agua fría desde el fondo hacia la superficie, por lo que los corales de esta región están mucho más adaptados a las temperaturas fluctuantes que en otras partes.
Segundo, el agua fría también trae nutrientes desde el fondo y esos nutrientes hacen que los corales resistan el blanqueamiento más que en otros lugares como el centro del Pacífico. Puerto Galera no es el único refugio de corales, ya que existen muchos lugares similares en el Triángulo de Coral.


Conclusión
El buceo en Filipinas es una experiencia sin igual. Con más de 7.600 islas y una rica biodiversidad marina, Filipinas tiene algunos de los puntos de buceo más espectaculares del planeta. Estas son algunas de las razones por las que me encanta visitar el lugar.
The Philippines’ position at the head of the Coral Triangle makes it one of the global centers of marine biodiversity. Its waters are home to an astonishing array of marine life, and Puerto Galera provides unparalleled access to this diversity.
The area offers a wide range of sites catering to divers of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Whether you’re into wall diving, drift diving, wreck diving, or macro photography, there’s something for everyone, and every dive has something unique to offer.
Even though Puerto Galera and Verde Island can have large temperature fluctuations, you’ll never need more than a 5 mm wetsuit. The visibility on some sites might not be crystal clear due to the currents, but the diversity of life more than makes up for it.
Puerto Galera has one of the best dive tourism infrastructures in the Philippines, with dive resorts, liveaboards, and dive centers scattered across Sabang. Whether you prefer luxurious accommodations or budget-friendly options, there are choices to suit everyone, and it’s not hard to find someone to fix your camera equipment in case a problem arises.
Filipinas también es conocido por su rico patrimonio cultural y sus atractivos naturales en la superficie. Los buzos pueden combinar sus aventuras submarinas con visitas a deslumbrantes playas, exuberantes selvas tropicales y la vibrante ciudad de Manila. Desde explorar sitios coloniales españoles históricos y búnkers japoneses de la Segunda Guerra Mundial hasta encontrar vida silvestre única, Filipinas ofrece muchas experiencias agradables fuera del agua.
The Philippines has been actively working to protect its marine ecosystems. Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue recently designated Verde Island as a Hope Spot — a location that is “critical to the health of the ocean.” This recognition was made not only because the area is of exceptional biological importance but also because local communities are heavily involved in protecting it. Many areas around Puerto Galera are also protected, enjoyed only by divers and managed by local communities.
Puerto Galera should be on top of everyone’s dive destination list because of the unparalleled underwater experience it offers combined with its breathtaking marine biodiversity, great diving conditions year-round, and plenty of topside activities. Whether you’re an advanced underwater photographer or a novice diver, the Philippines always has something extraordinary to offer.


Cómo bucear en este lugar
Cómo llegar: Your port of entry in the Philippines will be Manila. Philippine Airlines flies nonstop from New York (JFK), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO) to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL). United Airlines also flies directly from SFO to MNL. Other airlines can take you there if you don’t mind a layover somewhere in Southeast Asia. After landing in Manila, take land transportation for the two- to three-hour ride to Batangas and then get on a ferry that can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the boat. This last bit of in-country transportation might seem complicated, but your dive operator can organize it.
Condiciones: Puerto Galera has a dry season from October to May, when dive conditions are usually better. The rainy season is from June to October, when runoff affects the visibility, and there is a low chance that a typhoon will hit. The hottest months are April and May, when temperatures average 78°F to 93°F (26°C to 34°C), and the coolest are December and January, when temperatures range from 71°F to 86°F (22°C to 30°C). Water temperatures hover around 81°F (27°C) year-round, getting warmer or cooler by no more than a couple of degrees depending on the season.
Currents are unpredictable due to the region’s geological complexity. Puerto Galera sits on a small peninsula sticking out from the southern edge of the Verde Island Passage, the strait that separates southern Luzon Island from northern Mindoro Island. Water coming from the Pacific flows through this channel toward the South China Sea, and as it passes through, it forms eddies and sometimes causes coldwater upwellings. These upwellings bring nutrients from the deep, creating the high biodiversity in the region.
Explore más
Discover some of Puerto Galera’s marine diversity of in this video.
© Alert Diver – Q3 2024