MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines swept top honors in the Pacific region as the best macro-life dive destination and obtained second place in the category for value for diving dollar and third for diving for advanced divers, diving for beginners and wreck diving.
The country was also second place for overall dive destination next to the Galapagos, a group of volcanic islands off the west coast of South America.
The 2010 Top 100 Readers’ Choice Survey was conducted by Scuba Diving magazine, a widely circulated dive magazine in North America.
More than 5,000 readers from all over the globe ranked the world’s best diving destinations in the following categories: overall rating of the destination, wreck diving, big animals, shore diving, macro life, value for your diving dollar, diving for advanced divers, marine life, visibility, health of marine environment, wall diving, snorkeling, diving for beginners, underwater photography and overall rating of the diving.
Readers of the magazine favored the Philippines as it satisfies both beginners and advanced divers – a variety of dive sites and facilities, an unbelievable abundance of marine life, having the most affordable and exciting dive packages in the world and extremely helpful English speaking Filipinos.
With 11,250 miles of shoreline and 10,546 square miles of coral reefs, the archipelagic wonder lies at the tip of the Coral Triangle – an area with the most bio-diverse and marine-rich waters on Earth.
Our treasure trove of 7,107 islands is definitely a virtual paradise of infinite subaquatic and subterranean possibilities ––– pristine reefs, huge pelagic fishes and a menagerie of distinct marine life, World War II ship wrecks and undiscovered treasures, vibrant soft and hard coral formations, exhilarating activities such as wall diving, underwater photography and deep diving.
Sought-after destinations such as Anilao, Puerto Galera, Palawan, Busuanga, Malapascua, Balicasag and Pamilacan are just some of the popular dive sites favored by international dive enthusiasts.
Dive tour operators have started to expand their Philippine dive programs as seen in various brochures and catalogues. The country’s dive resorts have likewise evolved — offering a variety of dive facilities from rustic setting to luxurious resorts.