Dive Review of UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo/Crystal Blue Resort in
Philippines/Anilao

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UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo/Crystal Blue Resort, May, 2012, by Rene Umberger, HI, US ( Reviewer 5 reports). Report 6686.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation	N/A	Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The value just can't be beat. 4 divers per guide and wildlife everywhere. Of course, you have to get past the plastic floating by and lying on the bottom, but it's no worse than Indonesia's rivers of plastic. We were a group of 8 friends traveling from Hawaii, West coast and mid West. For Hawaii and West coast - it's much easier to get to Manila and then on to Anilao (3 hours by van) than to/from Indonesia. Just 10.5 hour flight from HNL. Our last trip to No. Sulawesi took us 48 hours to get home, door to door. The diving is comparable, and yes, Indo is better, but for the time/$$, we're headed back to Anilao again next year. Hotel staff at Crystal Blue was so friendly, helpful and professional. Food was very good and they had no problem accommodating vegetarian requests. Several in the group came down with digestive problems, but no more than usual for these types of adventures. Mike, Scott and Matt gave very informative photo presentations and everyone learned something. The dive guides are excellent critter finders, but do mishandle the marine life. Most in our group were instructors and divemasters and it was just too much animal wrangling for us, but guides toned it down upon request. Of course, most of the guides and "boatmen" as they're called are former aquarium collectors, so at least they've switched professions to one that doesn't strip mine the reefs. They definitely need moorings, with anchors thrown into the coral regularly. But again, nearly all of us are headed back next year - so that's the bottom line.
Websites	UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo Crystal Blue Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Hawaii, Palau, Galapagos, Socorro, Fiji, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Lembeh, No. Sulawesi
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-°F / 28-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	20-80 Ft/ 6-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Some guides restricted bottom times - others did not.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	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	[None]

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Dive Review of UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo/Crystal Blue Resort in Philippines/Anilao

UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo/Crystal Blue Resort, May, 2012,

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 UW Photography Guide & Bluewater Photo/Crystal Blue Resort in
Philippines/Anilao