The Cathedral (Dive Site) - Batangas Attractions

The Cathedral (Dive Site)

The Cathedral (Dive Site) is located in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines.

 

This is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably the best-known Philippine dive site. Originally quite barren, it has been seeded with coral from elsewhere and is now, due to incessant fish feeding, teeming with fish. The banca anchors in a shallow water and you may swim down and out across sand with small coral heads soon to be met by hordes of fish hoping to be fed. The site itself resembles a roofless cavern consisting of two large sea mounts, between which is a small cross planted at 50 ft by now ex Philippine President, Fidel Ramos on 1983 and blessed by Pope John Paul II. The site drops away in small steps, but becomes less interesting below 78ft. When the current is running there are colorful feather stars and inflated soft corals everywhere. Lots of colorful sponges and nudibranchs, hydroids, sea squirts, feather duster worms and algae coat the rocks in between stony corals with Christmas-tree worms in the corals.

 

Cathedral is check out dive for most open water student divers, the dive here done usually by returning to the boat, with slight to moderate current often south bound but switches direction occasionally. It has under water artificial landmarks like castle and the famous cross that named it cathedral, this cross-made out of concrete cement the shallow area is abundance in hard corals with sandy bottom on the way to the cross. The two big rocks lay underwater at 18m./60ft. and coated with soft corals, big sea fans and lots of fish, sometimes octopus, green turtle, giant black frog fish and marble sting ray can be encounter. Main attraction is fish feeding. The fish that pester you to be fed include all the smaller angelfish, butterfly fish, wrasse, triggerfish, Moorish idols, surgeonfish, damselfish and puffer fish. There are lots of parrotfish, anthias, trumpet fish, cornet fish and hawk fish, some blue linckia sea stars, sea cucumbers, small barrel sponges and anemones with clownfish and frogfish.

 

Source:

Mabini.gov.ph

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