Dive Review of Atlantis Azores in
Philippines/Coron Bay, Puerto Galera

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Atlantis Azores: "Coron Bay wrecks worthwhile", Feb, 2017, by Ed Noga, OH, US ( Sr. Reviewer 10 reports with 6 Helpful votes). Report 9494 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was my second trip to the Philippines and the Atlantis Resort at Puerto Galera. I never thought I would be back-- I'm really a wreck diver, with mild interest in macro photography-- but signed up for the Atlantis Azores live-aboard because we were going to Coron Bay to dive the Japanese wrecks from World War II. The wreck diving was pretty good. Other than a seaplane tender and a couple of gunboats, the wrecks are cargo ships sunk by the U.S. fighters and bombers in a devastating 15-minute raid. These were ships that escaped from Truk, then Palau, previously. They are pretty shallow - the deepest about a hundred feet or so - and in a bay so the viz was a little low at times. Better of course inside the wrecks, which were guided tours, and just as well because getting out at times was a tight squeeze. They bill this as Little Truk. That's not a bad description--fewer wrecks, of course, and lacks the visibility at Truk Lagoon, but interesting and a much less expensive trip. Atlantis Azores has been around for a number of years under different flags. It is an older boat that they certainly work hard to keep operating. The transmission died the week before we arrived and had to be replaced, causing another group to miss out on their trip to Coron. Atlantis fully reimbursed them for the boat trip, and most of the people stayed and dived out of Puerto Galera, including trips to Anilou and Verde Island. All those who I met seemed disappointed they couldn't go to the wrecks but quite satisfied with how they were treated and the diving. They got other perks too, including free drinks at the bars. If you like macro photography this is a terrific place to go. Lots of endemic, tiny creatures, including serious muck diving. I get bored with it after about the 10th dive, but that's just me - like I say, I like wrecks. You dive off zodiacs, back-rolling in and removing your gear and climbing up a very solid ladder on the way back into the boat. The service is exceptional.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Primarily Lake Erie and the Great Lakes, but all over, from Truk to Galapagos, the Red Sea to Cocos Island.
Closest Airport	Manila	Getting There	Flight to Manila, they bus you down to Batangas and then a boat to Puerto Galera on Mindoro.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	76-82°F / 24-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	35-120 Ft/ 11-37 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	The usual - 500 pounds of gas when you are back on the surface. One or two guides are with groups of 4-8 divers, and they certainly can find the tiny, tiny critters
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The Atlantis Azores as well as the Puerto Galera Resort are geared for photographers. The boat has a very large, multilevel table that is quite adequate, and an indoor charging station. The resort has an entire room set up for photographers for their equipment and charging. This is the land of macro photography, and if that's your passion it's a good place to go and relatively speaking not very expensive. You will get your seahorse, mantis shrimp and, if you're lucky, blue-ringed octopus shots. If you can't find them, the guides will.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Atlantis Azores in Philippines/Coron Bay, Puerto Galera

Atlantis Azores: "Coron Bay wrecks worthwhile", Feb, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Atlantis Azores in
Philippines/Coron Bay, Puerto Galera