Anilao is famous for its macro diving with a prolific and diverse nudibranch population. In fact, during a 2 week competition called “slugfest”, participants discovered more than 500 unique species of nudibranchs! Since we had newly acquired Olympus TG cameras, we wanted to spend some time here focusing on the little critters. Unfortunately, we timed our trip at the tail end of October which was still in typhoon season. As bad luck would have it, Typhoon Kristine (a large and catastrophic typhoon) hit mere hours before we landed in Manila which resulted in widespread flooding and landslides. The road to our resort was blocked so we had to wait it out in Manila for conditions to improve. We still managed to salvage several days of SCUBA diving and while dive conditions were less than optimal, we were able to see quite a wide range of nudibranchs, shrimp, crabs and fish. Despite only scratching the surface of what Anilao has to offer, we wouldn’t hesitate for a return trip and are definitely keen to revisit this area!
Colorful mural at the Manila airport
Jeepney (a small bus converted from old American military jeeps left behind after World War II) transport
Edgar - our private dive master for the week in Anilao
Greyface moray eel
Shortspine porcupinefish
Longhorn cowfish
Redmarbled lizardfish
Ocellaris clownfish
White-spotted puffer
Sebae clownfish
Orangutan crab on bubble coral
Chromodoris annae (Anna's magnificent sea slug)
Scorpionfish
Lipspot moray
Tomato clownfish
Hypselodoris bullocki nudibranch
Anemone shrimp
Scorpionfish
A pair of mating Hypselodoris tryoni nudibranch
Goniobranchus hintuanensis nudibranch
Porcupinefish
Goniobranchus alius nudibranch
Seahorse
Flying gurnard
A car buried under a landslide from Tropical Storm Trami
Anilao landscape
A rainbow over Anilao
A peacock mantis shrimp scurries back to its burrow
Yellow-edged moray
Gravier's flatworm (pseudoceros gravieri)
Goniobranchus geometricus nudibranch
Black-blotched porcupinefish
Snowflake moray
Hypselodoris apolegma nudibranch
Leatherjacket filefish
A coral reef teeming with anthias fish
Nembrotha chamberlaini nudibrach
Sansibia flava (broad feather soft coral)
The aptly named orangutan crab
Snowflake moray
Octopus
Fimbriated moray
Thornback cowfish
Bubble-tip anemone
Robby showing off his camera equipment
Our dive crew getting us to our dive sites under less than optimal conditions
Lollipop coral
Doriprismatica atromarginata nudibranch
Black ribbon eel
Frogfish
Electric disco clam
Chromodoris willani
A peacock mantis shrimp out of its burrow
Lauriea siagiani (also known as the pink hairy squat lobster or the fairy crab)
Chromodoris willani nudibranch
Porcelain anemone crab on coral
Fimbriated moray
Comet (marine betta) fish
Hypselodoris pulchella nudibranch
Phyllidia pustolosa nudibranch
Giant clam
Ceratosoma trilobatum nudibranch
Spotfin lionfish
Bangkas in the province of Batangas
Sunset over Arthur's Resort in Anilao
Miamira alleni nudibranch
Phyllidia ocellata nudibranch
Blue ribbon eel
Demon stinger
Chromodoris elisabethina nudibranch
Blackspotted puffer
Goniobranchus reticulatus nudibranch
Sarasvati Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes sarasvati)
Redspotted sandperch
Striped eel catfish
Armina sea slug
Arthur's Place Dive Resort
Pink frangipani
SCUBA divers arrive by jeepney to dive Anilao
Our boat assistant in Anilao
Top shell snail (trochidae)
Hypselodoris krakatoa nudibranch
A barred fin moray eel
Thor amboinensis (squat shrimp)
Tiger cowrie sea snail
Sea anemone
Variable fire urchin
Sea pen
Whip coral goby
Hawkfish
Glass shrimp on coral
Blue dragon nudibranch
Anilao village dogs
Dive master at Arthur's Dive Resort
The main roading leading to Anilao being cleared several days after a devastating typhoon (severe tropical storm Kristine)
Lapu-lapu Monument in Manila
Fruit stand; Manila
Enjoying pork silog at La Fuk restaurant
Robby next to street art in Manila
A cat napping on the street in Manila
Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic church in Manila
Lunch at Gerry's Restaurant (amazing food but way too much of it)
