Apo Reef ay isa sa mga pinakasikat na diving areas around Mindoro at Pandan Island. Sa katunayan marami ang nagsasabi na ito ang one of be the best in Asia. Ito ay nasa 30 km mula sa Kanluran baybayin ng Mindoro Island, 30km long and divided into a northern and a southern lagoon.
Malawak ang marine fauna at may mga 400-500 iba’t ibang uro ng coral. Kasama sa marine life ang mga pating, manta at stingray. Humigit-kumulang 500 ibat ibang uri ng isda naninirahan sa tubig na ito. Ang wall diving is second to none at hindi na kailangan sumisid sa ilalim upang maranasan ang ibat ibang uri ng buhay sa dagat.
Apo Reef ay matatagpuan sa Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro declared as the World’s second largest coral reef and the largest atoll in the Philippines. Maraming mga divers ang nagpasyang sumisid sa Apo reef because of its impressive wall, dropping to depth has a beautiful sea fans and huge amount of marine life.
Maging sulit ang iyong relaxation at pagpapahalaga sa kagandahan ng Isla. Mayroong itong isang ranger station which is great place for seaside barbecue. Sa may 100 metro ang layo ay may isang Lagoon na mapapalibot ng mangroves, ito’y isang likas na tanawin sa Isla.
Trips to Apo reef are generally arranged from Pandan Island Resort on the west coast ng Mindoro Island. Pandan Island ay nasa south, or from Puerto Galera, 125Km ang layo. Halos Lahat ng mga turista ay kasali sa itineries ang Apo Island.
Dive Site:
South Corner
Depth: 25ft – 200ft
The top reef is a mixture of hard coral formation with sand patches. The Wall is sloping down to 150+ft, there are some ledges perfect for white tip sharks to rest.
Ego Wall
Depth: 20ft – 200+ft
Ito ay makikita sa North West corner of Apo Island. This sheer wall dive has got a few interesting cuts to explore, the wall has a lot of sea fans, colorful sponges and soft corals.
Mabuti Wall
Depth: 15ft – 200+ft
The shallows are the perfect habitat for Black Tip Reef sharks you can see Titan triggerfish crushing coral with their powerful jaws.
Shark Ridge
Depth: 10ft – 200+ft
Based on the outer reef, shallows start at 10ft before the wall drops very deep. There are sand channels along the wall with some coral outcropping covered in gorgonian fans
Ranger
Depth: 10ft – 150ft
This site is located right in front of the ranger station on Apo Island.
North Wall
Depth: 20ft – 200+ft
When the current is moving this is one of the best dives on Apo Reef. The top reef is covered in healthy hard corals with a few sand channels and gullies to explore.
Shark Airport
Depth: 25ft – 250+ft
This is one area where you can see many white Tip reef sharks. The wall is in two parts, the first part ends in a large sand step between 60 and 90ft.
Apo 29
Depth: 95ft – 500+ft
This seamount is for advanced divers only. The top of the reef is nearly a 100ft and is a great nitrox dive.
Hunters Rock
Depth: 15ft – 300ft
This site is actually 10 miles away from Apo reef and can be an unpredictable dive that is good for advanced divers.
Corde Point
Depth: 25ft – 200+ft
This location has a large reef plateau with coral ridges and some smaller coral gardens.
Apo Wreck
Depth: 30ft – 100ft
This is a perfect dive to finish up your trip to Apo Reef. There is a wreck at 40ft which has some great coral growth
Apo Reef at a Glace
Accommodation: Mainly situated on Pandan Island, Puerto Galera or live-aboard vessels.
Depth: 5-40 meters
Visibility: 15-50 meters
Currents: can be strong, sometimes the directions changes during the dive
The average cost of a dive: $25
Dive Sites: 10+
Dive Operators: 15+ (although only for operators offer day trips)
Getting there: 3 hours by boat from Pandan Island or sablayan, 125 km by boat from Puerto Galera. Live-aboard from 1-5 days.
Off Season: July to January
Maraming Salamat Po.
