Verde Island is situated off the north east tip of Mindoro, really close to Batangas, and is the home of some truly spectacular diving. The currents around the island can run quite strong so the world class diving is really for the more experienced.
The best known site at the island is The Wall which is a sheer drop of over 70m into the depths. The wall is covered in beautiful corals and gorgonian fans and the colours are superb. Marine life is prolific and there are big groups of batfish, emperors, and surgeons everywhere. The strong waters may well pull in larger pelagics such as tuna, white tip and black tip sharks. Manta and Eagle Rays are sometimes seen cruising past in the deeper blue.
There are several other sites around the island and the profusion of life can be very rewarding for photography – just take advice from the dive leaders as to whether current conditions will make carrying a camera a little difficult.
Verde Island is accessible from Puerto Galera as a day trip diving and, subject to weather conditions, we highly recommend that you dive here.
Verde Island is a small island located between Batangas and Mindoro. Tourists and scuba divers can easily visit the island from Puerto Galera, which is just one hour away by boat. There are some good beaches and coves, and a museum which contains artifacts collected from Spanish and Chinese shipwrecks.
The reefs around Verde Island have a reputation for their great bio-diversity, and the dive sites are excellent for macro photographers. One of the best dive sites is the Verde Island drop-off: a wall which is home to thousands and thousands of brightly colored Anthia Fish.