Patrick Preston: Messages

Kalumbuyan Reef is a nice reef about 30 minutes past the Okikawa Maru. This diving site is one of the nicest sites in the region and has an amazing diversity of corals and sea life. Photographers will enjoy its abundant macro life as well.

The Teru Kaze or East Tangat Gun Boat is a small gunboat sitting in shallow water on the East side of Tangat Island. The bow starts at 4 meters and she continues down on a slant. Relatively intact there are a few holds that you can penetrate. This is a common last dive of the day and a great place to hunt for macro critters.

Siete Picados aka 7 Islands is the local marine park. It is composes of seven small limestone islets. The strict no fishing and no anchoring policy has done wonders for the marine life. You can see groupers, sweetlips, batfish, angel fish, clown fish, and many other reef fish. Current here can be strong, and it makes for a really pretty drift dive.

There are still some people that believe this to be a Japanese war wreck. It is not. This wreck is most likely an American vessel that sunk during bad weather. The engine room and the empty cargo hold are the options for light penetration. The travel time of three hours to reach Black Island make this wreck difficult to dive by day trip.

Skeleton Wreck is a small fishing boat located at Coron Island. The wreck lies on a slant and starts at 4 meters. Most of the boat has weathered away leaving the ribs, hence the name skeleton wreck. Skeleton is a small open wreck, and suitable for beginners. There is a lot of macro life hiding here if you have a good eye. Because of its shallow depth, Skeleton Wreck is also popular with snorkelers.

The Morazan was an English passenger cargo vessel that was captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy and used for here war efforts. She sits on here starboard side in 25 meters of seawater. The Morazan's four massive cargo holds are empty, but the real treat is the pair of massive boilers in the engine room. This wreck dive is good for divers of all abilities. The big holds and the engine room are good for beginners. For more a more advanced route, it is possible to do a complete swim-through and pass from bow to stern without exiting the ship!

The Kogyo Maru was a Construction Supply Ship for the Imperial Japanese Navy. She now lies on her starboard side in 36 meters of seawater. In her holds you can find her supply of concrete now hardened in the shape of the bags it stored in. You can also see an old cement mixer, bulldozer, and roll of chain link fence. Fish life that can be seen here are razor (shrimp)fish, bat fish, snappers, groupers, lionfish, and sometimes crocodile fish.

The Lusong Gunboat breaks the surface at low tide and reaches a maximum depth of 10 meters. The surrounding reef is really nice. It is common to see broadclub cuttlefish, parrot fish, anemone fish, and other common reef fish. Because of the shallow depth, the Lusong gunboat is usually the last dive of the day before we head back to the dive shop.

The Akitsushima is a Japanese Seaplane Tender, and one of the most requested dives in Coron. Her huge crane resting in the sand is a now a home for many fish. On the outside you can still find her anti-aircraft guns lying in the sand. A direct hit almost cut the Akitsushima into two pieces. The massive split now provides easy access inside. Many of the passages inside are small and good buoyancy is a must. Care must be used as live ammunition can still be found. Using nitrox 32 is a good way to boost your bottom time.

The Okikawa Maru is a Japanese oil tanker that has it all. With a maximum depth of 26 meters and the main deck level at 18 meters, you can expect a longer bottom time than the other wrecks. There are lots of corals growing on this sunken giant. The Okikawa also has a large concentration of macro critters. The area is prone to strong currents. But, the current brings in the fish. It is an awesome sight to see big schools of fish hiding from the current behind her huge rudder. Penetrations include a swim through the propeller shaft, and swimming through the oil holds.

The Kyokuzan Maru is a spare parts supply vessel. Inside her holds one can find many tires and what is left of the staff car. The body of the car has weathered away, but the frame, engine, bumpers, etc are still visible. The Kyokuzan is located on the north side of the island in Maricaban Bay. Getting there involves a 1 hour drive to the north side of Busuanga and a 30 minute boat ride to get to the wreck. Due to the depth, this dive is only recommended for experienced divers. Quite often the visibility here reaches 20 meters.

If you think you have done everything, think again. Diving Barracuda Lake is a very unique experience. The lake consists of fresh water sitting on top of salt water. The freshwater is a very comfortable 31 C. The top of the salt water layer is 38 C. No one is sure for the reason of the backwards thermocline, but there are a few theories. Stop by the dive shop and we can share them with you. The dramatic underwater rock formations make you feel as if you are on another planet.

The Olympia is a cargo ship of unknown origin. Sitting upright, her large cargo holds offer good penetrations for beginners. One of the favorite penetrations is the locker room at the bow. Inside you can still see the coiled up cable used to haul up the anchor. On the deck level you can find a big school of lionfish. Scorpion fish are common all over this wreck, so watch your buoyancy. The sides of the Olympia are covered with black corals. It is also a good place to look for seahorses and ghost pipe fish.

The Irako was a refrigeration supply ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She sits nearly upright in 45 meters of water. Aside from the bridge, which took a direct hit, the Irako is pretty well intact. For advanced divers with the appropriate skill level, this wreck can be a lot of fun. Many of the routes are smaller and darker than the other wrecks in the area, and perfect buoyancy is a must. On the outside there is a big school of jacks that swim in a tornado like formation. The top of the wreck is also hangout for snappers, groupers, barracuda, and lionfish.