tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48487499499628453102024-02-20T04:35:48.974-08:00Scuba Diving in the PhilippinesScuba Diving in the Philippines brings you guides for the Resorts and Hotels for your vacation, News regarding the underwater world in the Philippines, New Dive spot and ather getaways.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-10557097260575616642009-07-31T00:53:00.000-07:002009-07-31T01:05:42.895-07:00Atlantis Foto Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SnKlVrnIb2I/AAAAAAAAADc/JlQtWMHebE0/s1600-h/atlantis-foto-festival-ad.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 243px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SnKlVrnIb2I/AAAAAAAAADc/JlQtWMHebE0/s320/atlantis-foto-festival-ad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364531898054373218" /></a><br />June saw the commencement of the 3 month long Atlantis Foto Festival, which includes a weekly Photo Competition for guests of both resorts.<br /><br />The Photo Competition is split into two catagories, Digital Compact & Digital SLR cameras, and each week one winner of each category will be selected to go into the Final in September.<br /><br />We should therefore end up with 12 photographs to be judged in each category and the winning shots from each category will win an all-inclusive one week stay at either resort during next years Foto Festival. You can see each weeks winning photographs at www.atlantisfotofestival.com together with further information on the event.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SnKle5gUsmI/AAAAAAAAADk/5lXCcj78lx4/s1600-h/pg-photo-news.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SnKle5gUsmI/AAAAAAAAADk/5lXCcj78lx4/s320/pg-photo-news.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364532056402735714" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-11549410689293666882008-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:002008-11-17T15:46:57.450-08:00International Cleanup Day<span style="font-size:85%;">When Padi Project Aware Foundation held their annual international cleanup day in September, Atlantis in Puerto Galera took the opportunity to mix fun and some hard work and make the day into a special event. As a Go Eco operator, Atlantis organised a cleanup with 4 speedboats and 35 divers from 13 different countries.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SSIAcn7d3FI/AAAAAAAAADU/X2iWdwCzKMw/s1600-h/BeachCleanUp.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SSIAcn7d3FI/AAAAAAAAADU/X2iWdwCzKMw/s320/BeachCleanUp.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269775005731642450" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Equally important to helping the environment is that volunteers have fun, and it was all a great success! We are lucky to have such environmentally conscious divers, with reefs and dive sites that remain relatively free of garbage.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Atlantis also assisted the Auxiliary Coast Guard and a local school to really make the day a special event with 90 students and teachers helping out on land. Many thanks to everyone especially Randy, Gator, and MB from Atlantis.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><B>Footnote:</B> International Cleanup Day is held annually on the 3rd Saturday in September. Divers and water enthusiasts are encouraged to organize or volunteer for cleanups year round to address the devastating impact of marine debris on the aquatic environment. In 2007, a total of 358,617 recorded volunteers helped clean 34,560 miles of shoreline and remove seven million pounds of rubbish worldwide.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-82516996035591087522008-05-04T03:02:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:33:49.252-08:00Featured Dive Resort<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2NA3n_-4I/AAAAAAAAACE/N2QtgkRdBDY/s1600-h/AtlantisPGResort-At-Night.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2NA3n_-4I/AAAAAAAAACE/N2QtgkRdBDY/s320/AtlantisPGResort-At-Night.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196464591126657922" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Our featured Dive Resort for the Month is the Atlantis Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Orriental Mindoro.<br /><br />At the heart of Oriental Mindoro on the Puerto Galera peninsula you will find Atlantis - the areas premier dive resort and dive center. Just a short hop from Manila, Puerto Galera literally means Port of Galleons; its sheltered bays have been a safe haven for sailors for centuries. These days though it’s the world class diving and stunning scenery that keeps visitors coming back year after year.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What makes Atlantis special?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The people, you come first in everything we do, whether it’s your honeymoon, your first time on scuba or a dedicated photo dive for the most experienced divers. Our resort team has decades of experience in all areas, but what makes us stand out is the way we make you feel. When you return, which we are sure you will… it’s just like coming home.</span> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2Q5Hn_-5I/AAAAAAAAACM/lPLHigt4_KU/s1600-h/resort-01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2Q5Hn_-5I/AAAAAAAAACM/lPLHigt4_KU/s320/resort-01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196468856029182866" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2RkHn_-6I/AAAAAAAAACU/rjw9GwIVy1Y/s1600-h/resort-02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/SB2RkHn_-6I/AAAAAAAAACU/rjw9GwIVy1Y/s320/resort-02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196469594763557794" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:85%;">Facilities:</span><br /> * Dive Shop<br /> * Massage Room<br /> * Swimming Pool<br /> * Restaurant<br /> * Seaview Bar<br /> * Conference Room<br /> * Gift Shop<br /> * Multimedia Room<br /> * Wired and Wireless Internet available in specific rooms<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:85%;">Guest Rooms Features:</span><br /> * Climate controlled air conditioning<br /> * Fully stocked mini bar<br /> * Supply of emergency toiletries<br /> * Adjustable ceiling fans<br /> * En-suite facilities<br /> * Solar heated hot water<br /> * Cable T.V. with free movie and sports channels<br /> * In-room safety deposit box<br /> * Coffee and tea making facilities in suites<br /> * Wireless Internet available in all rooms<br /> * DVD player in suites<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:85%;">Diveshop and Services:</span><br /> * First Class Facilities<br /> * Flexible Dive Options<br /> * Highest Standard of Dive Education<br /> * Multimedia Suite for Cameras and Internet<br /> * Kids Diving<br /> * Scooter (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) Diving<br /> * Marine Life Presentations<br /> * Nitrox Diving<br /> * Retail Shops<br /> * Rebreathers and Tech Diving<br /> * Enjoy Trips and Liveaboards<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:85%;">Activities:</span><br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Sporty</span><br /> * Kayaking<br /> * Snorkeling<br /> * Golf<br /> * Hash Run<br /> * Gym<br /> * Go Running<br /> * Jet Ski<br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Tours</span> <br /> * Paradise Reptile Zoo<br /> * Sunset Cruise<br /> * Tamaraw Falls<br /> * Tukuran or Hidden Paradise <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Beach & Island Hopping</span><br /> * White Beach<br /> * Coco Beach<br /> * Haligi, Bayanan and other Beaches<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Contact Atlantis Dive Resorts - Philippines:</span><br /><br /> Address: Sabang Beach, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, 5203 - Philippines<br /> Telephone: +63 (0)43 287-3066 to 69<br /> Fax: +63 (0)43 287-3068<br /> Cellphone: +63 (0)917 562-0294<br /> E-Mail: puertogalera@atlantishotel.com<br /> Website: <a href="http://www.atlantishotel.com">http://www.atlantishotel.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-14861242310945844632008-03-31T02:23:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:33:50.040-08:00RP Poised to be Asia's Capital of Ocean Imagery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cvn2iMDrI/AAAAAAAAAAk/gtMCn7H5zo4/s1600-h/logo.jpg"><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cvn2iMDrI/AAAAAAAAAAk/gtMCn7H5zo4/s320/logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183836270292111026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The Philippines is set to be the center for underwater photography and video in Asia as the Department of Tourism (DOT) hosts for the second time the yearly Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival (CSMIF) on June 13 to 15 at the Manila Ocean Park.<br /><br />Touted to be the biggest underwater imaging event in Asia Pacific, last year's CSMIF was held at the Coconut Palace in Manila and drew in a global audience comprised of professional and amateur photographers and filmmakers, environmentalists and diving experts.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cwe2iMDtI/AAAAAAAAAA0/hZvscelXfVE/s1600-h/AW1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cwe2iMDtI/AAAAAAAAAA0/hZvscelXfVE/s320/AW1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183837215184916178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism, said, "Supporting the CSMIF strengthens our place in the map of international water sports sites. This allows us to encourage more divers and nature adventurers to experience the country's diverse marine life."<br /><br />Working with the DOT in presenting the CSMIF 2008 are the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) and Ocean Environment Australia. Event organizers have collaborated to hold the fair in the Philippines until 2009.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">"We are very excited about this year's event as we will be setting up in the country's very first oceanarium. This is definitely a festival that visitors will enjoy as they learn more about the wonders under the sea," expressed Cynthia Carrion, DOT Assistant Secretary and Executive Director of the PCSSD.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CwvWiMDuI/AAAAAAAAAA8/tOzOl2C9cO0/s1600-h/AW2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CwvWiMDuI/AAAAAAAAAA8/tOzOl2C9cO0/s320/AW2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183837498652757730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The main highlight of CSMIF is the International Underwater Imagery Competition, the biggest marine imaging contest in the Asia Pacific region. Various macro, wide angle and black and white photographs, digital images, short videos, full-length documentary films and books on ocean life will be on exhibit during the three-day festival.<br /><br />Event organizers have invited some of the top marine scientists and image makers for a series of seminars and presentations. Officiating the festival is Daniel Mercier, founder of the World Festival of Underwater Pictures.<br /><br />BBC Blue Planet cinematographer Peter Scoone, coral scientist Dr. Carden Wallace, four-time world free diving champion Fred Buyle, and underwater photographer and author Scott Tuason will lead in the forums.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cw4WiMDvI/AAAAAAAAABE/zTUHoHxseQk/s1600-h/AW3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_Cw4WiMDvI/AAAAAAAAABE/zTUHoHxseQk/s320/AW3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183837653271580402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Also participating are National Geographic's David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Dr. Phil Nyutten and Emory Kristof.<br /><br />Launched in 2002, CSMIF is conducted in association with the World Festival of Underwater Pictures Antibes, also known as the Cannes of marine imagery. Participated in by 38 countries around the world, it is considered one of the major global conferences that help raise awareness and interest in marine ecology.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">For more information, e-mail cts@oneocean.com or visit www.celebratethesea.com.</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-70501879004766861272008-03-31T02:10:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:33:50.206-08:00RP World Center of Marine Treasures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CrqGiMDqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/s2ie7z63d44/s1600-h/biodiversity.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CrqGiMDqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/s2ie7z63d44/s320/biodiversity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183831910900305570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >News From: Daily Inquirer, October 15, 2006 Updated 02:20:27 (Mla time) Blanche Rivera </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />OFF the coast of Batangas, only about 60 feet underwater, is a thriving, throbbing marine rainforest, a place experts call the world’s blue water version of the Amazon River basin.<br /><br />Familiar only to divers and local fishermen, the Verde Island passage has been found to have 1,736 overlapping marine species in a 10-km by 10-km area, the largest concentration of marine life in the world.<br /><br />Concern over the need to protect the treasures beneath the waters of Verde Island has been<br />raised in the wake of the recent massive oil spill that wrecked marine resources around Guimaras Island. Located between the province of Batangas and the island of Mindoro, the Verde Passage corridor is dubbed “the center of the center of the center of the world’s marine shore fish biodiversity.”<br /><br />“You have a very, very special marine natural heritage,” American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, global marine species assessment coordinator of World Conservation Union, said in a forum on marine biodiversity in Makati on Friday.<br /><br />Carpenter and fellow researcher Victor Springer of the Smithsonian Institution were the ones who discovered in 2004 that the Philippines, not Indonesia, was the center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity in the world.<br /><br />Straddling the Indo-Malaya-Philippines archipelago (IMPA), the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape occupies an area of 900,000 square kilometers and supports some 35 million people.<br /><br />The seascape is at the heart of the coral triangle which accounts for 50 percent of the world’s coral reefs and is recognized as the center of the highest concentration of marine biodiversity in the world.<br /><br />Carpenter, who has been doing comparative studies of marine resource concentration in the IMPA, found that central Philippines is the center of that center of marine biodiversity. And at the heart of that is little-known Verde Island. The site with the second greatest number of species is in Palau Bintan in Indonesia, which has 1,670 species in a 10 by 10 km area.<br /><br />“You really have this international obligation and responsibility to preserve this marine counterpart of the Amazon River basin… If you were to preserve this, the world would benefit as well,” Carpenter said.<br /><br />“But more important than that, you have something here that is a source of national pride,” he said.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regulating Shipping </span><br />The Amazon River Basin—covering 40 percent of the entire South American continent—is home to the largest rainforest on earth. The Amazon rainforest has more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem, hosting around 30 percent of the world’s species.<br /><br />A single bush in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the entire British Isles, while one hectare of its forest may have more than 480 species of trees. Speaking before environmentalists and government officials, Carpenter said the Philippines, which recently witnessed one of the worst oil spills that damaged vast marine resources in the Visayas, needed to exert more effort to take better care of its corals. “The Philippines is in a crossroads. You need to take advantage of that in terms of economic support,” Carpenter said.<br /><br />“I think what you need to do is to be more careful about the sort of shipping that goes through here. One of the proposals is to make the Verde Island passage a particularly sensitive shipping area, an international agreement,” he said.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strict Safety Standards </span><br />The World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines has already proposed the delineation of particularly sensitive shipping areas (PSSA), where stricter maritime safety standards will be imposed on vessels using the route.<br /><br />A WWF map shows that international and domestic sea lanes overlap with priority marine conservation sites. The National Disaster Coordinating Council, however, has yet to act on the proposal.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Livelihood and Heritage </span><br />A tripartite partnership of First Philippine Conservation Inc., Conservation International- Philippines and First Gen Corp. started the Verde Island Integrated Conservation and Development Program in 2004 to eliminate destructive activities in the sea and promote the area as a prime tourist destination.<br /><br />Carpenter said the Philippines needed to strictly enforce the laws and heed the suggestions and recommendations of environmental experts to protect its marine life. “You have some of the best marine scientists in the world here. You have over 400 marine parks. You have people that support you. Somehow, you just need to get the enforcement there,” he said.<br /><br />He said that despite bans on illegal fishing, he was aware that this illegal activity was still going on in several places in the Philippines, which has nearly 900 coastal municipalities. “You have to increase your efforts to come to a sort of balance between livelihood and preserving your natural heritage,” Carpenter said. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">©2006 www.inq7.net all rights reserved October 15, 2006 </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848749949962845310.post-58799112084111470322008-03-31T01:47:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:33:50.404-08:00Scuba Diving in the Philippines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CmUGiMDpI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VatzMU9nYr0/s1600-h/scuba-diving-01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dfBEYMcUjnM/R_CmUGiMDpI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VatzMU9nYr0/s320/scuba-diving-01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183826035385044626" border="0" /></a><span class="text2"><span style="font-size:85%;">The </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Philippines</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> is to scuba divers what Switzerland is to skiers, Hawaii to surfers and Nepal to mountaineers: is a place you must visit at least once, to get the real heart of the sport. The country is a veritable smorgasboard of world-class dive sites set in a lush tropical environment with all the trappings you could wish for. Statistics from the Philippine Department of Tourism indicate that divers visiting the Philippines return for an average of 10 trips each which speaks volume about the quality of the dive sites and the professionalism of the operators. Lifted from the book, “Action Asia Adventure Travel Guide to the Philippines”.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">The Philippines also boasts as one of the top three best diving destinations as well aside from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau" title="Palau">Palau</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives" title="Maldives">Maldives</a>. The archipelago is also considered as one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world, with more species crammed and concentrated in one areas. The best dive sites in the Philippines are located in Anilao, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay" title="Boracay">Boracay</a>, Malapascua, Apo Island, Balicasag, Pamilacan, Tubbataha, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palawan" title="Palawan">Palawan</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Galera" class="mw-redirect" title="Puerto Galera">Puerto Galera</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Popular SCUBA DIVING Spots</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Anilao (Batangas)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Puerto Galera (Oriental Mindoro)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Cabilao Island (Bohol)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Balicasag Island (Bohol)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Apo Island (Negros Oriental)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Malapascua (Cebu)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Tubbataha Reef National Park (Palawan)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Sarangani Bay</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Mactan Island (Cebu)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Olango Island (Cebu)</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0