Words and images by Tiani Dun
I recently had the chance to spend six nights diving with Atlantis Resorts in Dauin, Philippines, and what an experience! This spot is a true macro diver’s haven, with every dive feeling like a Pokémon hunt for the ocean’s weirdest and most wonderful critters. From seahorses to flamboyant cuttlefish and blue ringed octopus, every dive felt like entering another world.
The best time to visit Dauin is from November to June, when conditions are typically calm and visibility is at its best. But diving here is considered excellent year-round, and some photographers even prefer the off-season for fewer crowds. Since most dive sites here are sandy slopes or “muck dives,” the resident macro creatures can be found anytime of the year!
What makes Dauin really special is the diversity of animals and habitats you can see. In a single trip, you can spend your days searching for rare macro critters, exploring the vibrant reefs at Apo Island, and heading out into the dark for some of the most unique night and blackwater dives.
If I had to break it down, here were my top 3 favorite dives I did in the area:
1. Punta (AKA Secret Corner)
This dive site was a standout for our group and quickly became our favorite. On this corner, the sloping black volcanic sand creates the perfect environment for critters to hide. This corner is really a dream for muck diving and macro lovers.*
*Note: On muck dives, expert buoyancy control is essential –not just for your own safety, but to avoid kicking up sediment and ruining the visibility for all your dive buddies!
On just one dive, we spotted five octopus of three different species! One blue-ringed, one algae octopus, and THREE wunderpus! We spent nearly the entire dive observing their behavior, which honestly felt like we were watching a real-life nature documentary.
The wunderpus were especially interesting, and perhaps my favorite to watch. It was my first time seeing this species and we watched them shift colors and textures, mimicking other marine animals to deter predators. At one point, one swam in a way that seemed to mimic a stingray gliding across the sand. Later, it flashed bold stripes that looked similar to a lionfish. I even spotted a juvenile peeking out from the sand, watching us curiously. Once it realised it had an audience, it came out to put on a show!
This dive was such an incredible experience that we insisted on coming back the next day for more cephalopod action (which it delivered, once again).
2. San Miguel
San Miguel quickly became one of the most interesting sites we visited. The site features a sandy slope covered in underwater tire structures and ropes. Over the years these have become completely overgrown with marine life to create the perfect hiding spots for lots of little critters! Our guide somehow managed to spot a tiny frogfish camouflaged amongst the ropes and coral, which made us realise just how many little creatures were hiding in plain sight. I started to look closer, and even managed to find one myself!
Aside from the frogfish, we also saw many nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish, shrimps, seahorses and crustaceans tucked into every corner of the site. Honestly, we didn’t need to swim very far at all! Every few meters there was a new species to photograph.
3. Atlantis House Reef (Night Dive)
The Atlantis House Reef is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated dive sites in Dauin. Sitting right in front of the resort, it is a classic muck-style slope that makes it perfect for relaxed shore or night dives, especially when you want an easy dive that is still full of life.
We explored this site on a night dive and found it to be a super active hunting ground! We spotted a plethora of cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs and scorpionfish hiding in the sand and rubble. One of the highlights was a flamboyant cuttlefish hunting and flashing its vivid colours as it walked across the seabed.
4. Apo Island
If you are looking to mix in some wide angle diving with macro, Apo Island is an absolute must. Located just a short boat ride from Dauin, this protected marine sanctuary is famous for its healthy coral reefs and abundant marine life.
After days of searching for tiny critters, it was fun to change it up with these beautiful reefs for our wide-angle lenses! We were rewarded with a plethora of hard corals, soft corals, reef fish, sea snakes and some epic drop-offs.
If you’d like to add some variety from Dauin’s muck diving this is a fantastic day trip. It’s also a reminder of just how diverse this region can be.
5. Blackwater Dive
Blackwater diving is definitely one of the most unique experiences you can have underwater. They are truly unlike any other dive, and if you haven’t done one before, then Dauin is a perfect place to try it.
Imagine heading out into the open ocean after sunset, surrounded by darkness. The crew sets up a suspended light system over thousands of metres of water, and slowly, life begins to appear from the depths. Strange and alien organisms rise from the ocean floor as part of their nightly vertical migration.
This dive felt completely unreal. We saw such a wide array of strange creatures, from salps drifting past to juvenile fish and crabs that looked like little aliens. At one point, we found ourselves being surrounded by hundreds of squids!
If you’ve never tried blackwater diving before, Dauin is an amazing place to start. While it can be quite intimidating at first, it’s most definitely worth the adventure! It almost feels like you’re drifting in outer space!
Dauin is one of those dive locations that exceeded all of my expectations. Once you start looking closer, you realize just how much life is hidden here under the sand in amongst the reef! Every dive felt like a discovery, with so many rare and unique species to be photographed.
One of the things that really stood out to us was the skill of the local guides. They had such an incredible eye for spotting even the tiniest, most camouflaged creatures we would certainly have missed on our own. Overall, the quality of service at Atlantis was absolutely seamless, and we couldn’t be grateful enough!
If you are looking for a dive destination with a wide variety of creatures (especially if you are a diver who loves all of the little things), then Dauin should definitely be high on your list.
