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Diving Apo Island with Atmosphere
One of the most famous dive sites in this area of the Philippines is Apo Island. It is just a short boat ride away from the Atmosphere Resort, via the marine park office to get your permits to dive there. Apo Island has been a Marine Sanctuary for over 20 years and this shows even as you glance down at the reefs below from the boat as you pull up to your dive site.
The corals here are healthy and abundant and the beauty of the shallows is breath-taking. On a sunny day, the corals light up in their multi-coloured splendour to delight both snorkelers and divers alike. These shallows are also home to a large number of sea turtles, who rest on the soft corals and graze on the hard corals. Banded Sea Kraits (sea snakes) also inhabit these shallow waters, taking divers by surprise as they wiggle out from the protection of the corals to head for the surface.
Once you have taken your fill of the shallows, and in the knowledge that you will have to come back here for your safety stop, you can head deeper down the sloping reef. The reef is just as healthy here, but the species of coral and fish change as you descend. Magnificent Anemones, balled up to show their vivid purple skirts, host families of anemonefish. If you look closely at the large sponges, you are sure to find one of the areas signature species – the frogfish. And if you keep one eye looking out into the blue, large pelagic species have been known to come in closer to the reef wall and give divers unexpected encounters with various species of shark.
On your surface interval you can buy local trinkets from boats that visit with clothing and souvenirs, whilst rehydrating or grabbing a bite to eat. The Atmosphere boat, Victoria, is a traditional banka boat with bamboo outriggers and is the most commonly used boat for this trip. It is extremely spacious, with plenty of room both for those that like to worship the sun or those that like to stay in the shade. The crew are always on hand to look after you too, changing your equipment over between dives and ensuring you have everything you need.
Apo Island is a must do day trip when staying with Atmosphere. We are only sad that we did not have enough time to go back and do a second trip there, but there are so many more dive sites to explore, and just not enough time for us to fit it all in. Next time…
Equipment Used
Olympus OM-D EM-1 MKII with Olympus 8mm lens
Nauticam Housing
INON Z240 Strobes
For more information about Atmosphere Resorts & Spa visit their website by clicking here.
For more information about visiting the Philippines click here.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
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MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
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MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
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SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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