Anilao, Philippines

Country: Philippines Type: muck / macro / reef Best known for: World-class macro photography, blackwater diving, nudibranch diversity, Verde Island Passage biodiversity Wetpixel expeditions: No formal Wetpixel-branded expeditions, but extensive community presence through Crystal Blue Resort and annual shootouts

Overview

Anilao is a small township on a peninsula in Batangas province, about three hours south of Manila by car. The name now refers broadly to all dive sites within reach of Balayan Bay, Batangas Bay, and Malicacaban Island ([1]). The area sits at the heart of the Verde Island Passage (VIP), which separates the main island of Luzon from Mindoro. Scientists consider this passage the center of the center of the Coral Triangle — the most biodiverse marine region on Earth ([2]).

The unique geology and oceanography of the area drive its extraordinary biodiversity. Nutrient-rich currents from the Western Pacific and the South China Sea flow through the passage, with seasonal trade winds creating upwellings that mix deep cold water with warm surface layers. Two deep-set bays act as nurseries for larval fish and planktonic organisms, refreshing twice daily with tidal flow ([3]). The result is exceptionally dense and diverse macro life: frogfish, rhinopias, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, and Coleman shrimp are regular sightings ([4]).

Diving is typically done from bangka boats (small open boats with outriggers), with four dives per day common — two morning dives, an afternoon dive, and a dusk or night/blackwater dive. Most sites are within 30 minutes of the resorts ([5]). Notable dive sites include Sombrero Island, Beatriz, Layag-Layag, Kirby’s, Apohls, Mainit Corner, Twin Rocks, and Cathedral ([6]). The area has 54 recognized dive sites plus three around nearby Verde Island ([7]).

While Anilao is best known for macro, it also has healthy reef systems. The cooler waters washing over the reefs have so far provided some protection against the coral bleaching affecting other regions ([8]). Pelagic life is limited — whale sharks, mantas, mola mola, and thresher sharks are sporadic rather than reliable ([9]).

Wetpixel Coverage

Anilao’s rise as a premier macro destination was extensively documented on Wetpixel, largely through the work of Mike Bartick, who manages Crystal Blue Resort. Bartick first visited Anilao in 2006 and was “blown away by everything.” By 2011, he had partnered with the resort’s owner to create what he describes as “the first dedicated underwater photographers resort in Anilao” ([10]). He has logged over 4,000 dives in the area ([11]).

Bartick’s prolific Wetpixel contributions include articles on snooting, backlighting, bokeh techniques, and blackwater diving, all developed and photographed in Anilao. His 2020 article “Going Big in Little Town” provided the definitive overview of Anilao’s geology, oceanography, and dive sites for the Wetpixel audience ([12]). He published The World of Blackwater as an ebook in 2022, drawing heavily on his Anilao night diving work ([13]).

Anilao is also closely associated with blackwater diving in the Wetpixel archive. Filipino photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tuason brought blackwater photography to the Philippines after learning the technique in Hawaii in 2012, developing it extensively in Anilao’s Balayan Bay and Maricaban Strait. His book Blackwater and Open Blue (2017) documented the practice, and he was featured in a Wetpixel interview discussing technique, gear, and the extraordinary larval marine life found during night dives in open ocean off Anilao ([14]).

The annual Anilao Underwater Shootout, run by the Philippines Department of Tourism, became a regular Wetpixel news item. The competition draws international photographers for several days of competitive underwater photography ([15]). A “Lembeh vs Anilao Shootout” was announced in 2020, pitting the two premier macro destinations against each other ([16]).

Nicholas More’s 2018 Full Frame gallery showcased the destination’s A-list macro subjects — rhinopias, hairy frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish — after winning a trip to Crystal Blue through the Dive Into the Pink competition ([17]).

Key Photographers

Conservation

The Verde Island Passage was under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2020, but lacked protective measures against refineries and manufacturing in the surrounding bays. Agricultural runoff and grey water from large companies operating with minimal regulation also threaten the ecosystem ([18]). Several Marine Protected Areas exist within the Anilao area, including Twin Rocks and Arthur’s Rock ([19]).

Timeline

References

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  2. Wetpixel article, Sep 10, 2015: Anilao Biodiversity And Dive Guide Launched At Drt Show ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2018: Nicholas More Anilao ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2018: Nicholas More Anilao ↩
  6. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  7. Wetpixel article, Sep 10, 2015: Anilao Biodiversity And Dive Guide Launched At Drt Show ↩
  8. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, Jan 6, 2019: Conversations With Underwater Photographers Mike Bartick By Henley Spiers ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2022: Shipping The World Of Blackwater By Mike Bartick ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2017: Interview Gutsy Tuason ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, Dec 4, 2017: Results Anilao Shootout 2017 ↩
  16. Wetpixel article, Jan 25, 2020: Major Announcement Lembeh Vs Anilao Shootout In December 2020 ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2018: Nicholas More Anilao ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  20. Wetpixel article, Jul 18, 2003: Sipadan Water Villages Photo Week ↩
  21. Wetpixel article, Jan 6, 2019: Conversations With Underwater Photographers Mike Bartick By Henley Spiers ↩
  22. Wetpixel article, Jan 6, 2019: Conversations With Underwater Photographers Mike Bartick By Henley Spiers ↩
  23. Wetpixel article, May 12, 2014: Shootout International Open Anilao ↩
  24. Wetpixel article, Sep 2, 2015: Anilao Guide Published On Itunes ↩
  25. Wetpixel article, Sep 10, 2015: Anilao Biodiversity And Dive Guide Launched At Drt Show ↩
  26. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2017: Interview Gutsy Tuason ↩
  27. Wetpixel article, Dec 4, 2017: Results Anilao Shootout 2017 ↩
  28. Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2018: Nicholas More Anilao ↩
  29. Wetpixel article, Jan 6, 2019: Conversations With Underwater Photographers Mike Bartick By Henley Spiers ↩
  30. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  31. Wetpixel article, Aug 5, 2020: Wetpixel Live Blackwater Photography With Mike Bartick ↩
  32. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2022: Shipping The World Of Blackwater By Mike Bartick ↩
  33. Going Big in Little Town by Mike Bartick (article) ↩
  34. Interview: Scott “Gutsy” Tuason on blackwater diving (article) ↩
  35. Nicholas More: Anilao (Full Frame) (article) ↩
  36. Conversations with Underwater Photographers: Mike Bartick (article) ↩
  37. Anilao guide published on iTunes (article) ↩
  38. Anilao Biodiversity and Dive Guide launched at DRT Show (article) ↩
  39. Shootout: International Open Anilao (article) ↩
  40. Results: Anilao Shootout 2017 (article) ↩
  41. Shipping: The World of Blackwater by Mike Bartick (article) ↩
  42. Wetpixel Live: Blackwater Photography with Mike Bartick (article) ↩