Diving Sipalay – Negros island in the Philippines.

But this blog is about diving so I better get back to the subject.
Actually I didn’t do my first dives with TakaTuka, but with Easy Diving. This was because TakaTuka doesn’t dive on Saturdays, and a frien of mine came on a short visit and wanted to dive (Obvious).

So I called Easy Diving and arranged for three dive. I packed my macro setup and of we went on a tricycle. Of course my choice of equipment was wrong this time, as of many times before.

Now for the dive sites

SIPALAY/EASY DIVING –  SS PANAY

– Our first dive was @ SS Panay. An Exiting wreck from the second world war. Very good condition with 33 meters at topmost level. This war ship was hit by Japanese torpedo’s in March 1942. Still gas mask in the stock rooms. The visibility was not very good, but there were oppurtunaties for a few good shots. We found the gas masks, and a lot of fishes inside and around the ship. On our way to the surface we also saw a big school of Bannerfish, eating the jellys.

SIPALAY/EASY DIVING –  CLARA REEF

– The reef starts at 11 down to 30 meters on a exiting slightly dropping wall. Plenty of Butterfly Fish among others and with the best chance of good visibility.
We saw several Mantis shrimps. The guide had a toy tiger with him, so I got the opportunity to try some different macro shooting.
A seahorse I have never seen before, and several different shrimps was also there. Best macro dive there

SIPALAY/EASY DIVING – DISNEYLAND

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – MAD MAX

– You will dive under an old dock through a breathtaking steel landscape scattered with gigantic, colourfully overgrown tires. Mad Max is the home of the pipefish, lobsters, stonefish, morays and lion fishes. An extraordinary dive site in 5-28meters dept. This place will also be a good dive for wide angel. The columns will look nice in good visibility. Lots of nudibranches here. Among them were also The Blue dragon. Also the Peacock mantis shimp. In the big tires there is lots of different shrimps and lion fishes.

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – JULIENS WRECK

– Wreck dive with some current at 6 meters. The quiet big wreck lies broken up in pieces scattered on a large area. You can dive or snorkel on it.beautiful coral coverage.
Here I follow the guides recommendation to go for macro. Big mistake. Wideangel is the chose here. At least if you only have one dive. Because of its shallow dept all the wreck pieses is covered corals and bade in sunlight. So with a model you could make some good pictures. But the best thing would be to dive it twice, to do both macro and wide angel here.

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – TURTLE HEAD POINT

– This sloping dive spot near “Turtle island” is the habitat of various small and bigger fishes. Dept: 3-35 meters. The wall starts around 15m and continues down to about 35m. Here is beautiful sea fans and overhang. Further up you will find a lot of smaller stuff. And maybe a turtle or two.

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – TURTLES BACK

– You will marvel at the immense diversity of corals and fishes you can observe here in 5 to 20 meters dept. A bit like the previous dive, but without the wall. And with more canyons covered with coral. A nice and easy dive.

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – SUNKEN ISLAND

 – Another sunken island with lots of fish and supposedly pygmee seahorse, a big variety of corals. A very popular divespot. Dept: 8 to 25m. I was hoping for Pygmee seahorse but there was nothing except the a lot of big fans. At least I couldn’t find them. And me, my wife and one of the guides spent the hole dive searching. So I can say for sure that this was not the time to see them. So no picture from this dive

SIPALAY/TAKATUKA – FRIDAY THE 13´th

This vivid coral reef is smoothly sloping from 5-36meters and is teeming with fishes and all kinds of corals.
This was surprisingly a very good dive. Turtles, batfishes, and a lot of good canyons and coral. The hole place is filled with different canyons that easily can confuse you reg. where you are and witch direction to swim. Here I could spend a couple of more dives.
A good last dive in Sipalay

click here to go to the gallery from Sipalay