Asia Divers/El Galleon Beach Resort, October 1995, Linda Hooper. "First-class dive operation run by expatriates. Safety conscious, well trained, sites for all levels. Wonderful reef dives, incredible variety of soft and hard coral and fish. Small boat (bonca); return to the resort between dives. A many in a day as you wish. . . . El Galleon resort is Spartan but comfortable. Hot water showers with good water pressure (not common in the Philippines). Staff friendly and restaurant good. I did my open water training and was satisfied."

Asia Divers/El Galleon Beach Resort, October 1995, William Wanamaker, Sanibel, FL. "Conservative, thorough briefings, quality dives, excellent staff. 20­30 sites on the Puerto Gallera area, Mindoro, 4­5 hours from Manila. Bottom is rock, moderate to strong current, good coral growth. Morays, stingrays, scorpion and stonefish, white-tip sharks, turtles, sweet lips, barracuda, tuna, octopus, zillions of tropicals, snakes, excellent corals. Wrecks, walls, caves. $20/dive if you use their equipment; $15/dive with your own. Good restaurant with French chef ($4 meals), hot water, generator if power is out, fantastic service. $17­$20/room. Several good restaurants, night life with bars/discos/movies. Can't do better in the Philippines."

Discovery Divers/Bayside Divers, April 1995, Bill Wanamaker, USAID/Manila. "US Navy sunk 29 Japanese ships in Coron Bay in '44. Can dive on 12. . . . Tae Maru was 440' cargo ship. Uupright at 90'. Coral growth, lots of tropicals. Many large batfish. Can enter holds. Vis. 40'. . . . 400' Tangat sits upright at 100'. Cargo holds empty. Batfish, lionfish, tuna. Akitsushima a 400' seaplane tender. Sits on side at 110'. Marine growth. Tropicals. Vis. 20­30.' Dark. . . . Kogiyu-Maru a large cargo ship. Five holds. Can enter damaged bridge. Many tropicals. Poor viz. Fair current. . . . Coron also has caves, lakes and corals. Ships all salvaged but good dives and good value."

Subic Bay Aqua Sports/By the Sea Resort, June 1995, Bill Wanamaker, USAID/Manila. "Main attraction is 400' USS New York, WWI battleship scuttled on 12/41. Sits on port side in 85' on sand. Two 16" cannons . Large propeller. Can penetrate, long swim-through, not close quarters. Poor viz. Many lionfish, grouper, baby barracuda, spotted rays. No current. Other wrecks - Oryoku Maru, El Capitan, Seian Maru, LST 46, Patrol Boat. Average vis. in Subic 15­60'. Warm water all year. Good variety tropical fish on most dives. . . . By-the-Sea is nice resort - low prices. Good food at Capt'n Greggs. Can see Chinese porcelain salvaged from Spanish galleons (with National Museum). 2 hours from Manila. Good value. Combine Subic with other dive destinations in the Philippines."

Copyright 1997 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.