There are few true wonders of the sea more captivating, and intriguing, than coming face to face with Batfish, Frogfish, and Electric Clams. On my last set of dives in Anilao, I was astounded to find all three uncanny species waiting for me just out front of the AquaVenture Reef Club.
While dive resorts all over the world lay claim to having a healthy "house" reef, none could ever compare to the abundance of exotic sea creatures which make their home directly off the stone covered beaches of Anilao.
In the deeper water, directly in front of AquaVenture (around 31 meters), batfish (of the family Ephippidae) abound in large schools. Just up the slope, two of the largest frogfish I have ever seen claimed their own private artificial reefs. Now i've seen plenty of Frogfish, from Honduras all the way to Thailand, but I have never, ever, seen specimens this large. These were true giants, and they certainly did not mind posing for the camera.
A short boat ride away from AquaVenture is Anilao's renowned "house reef", which is home to a stunning array of corals, schooling jacks, and a miraculous variety of reef fish. The coral in this undersea wonderland is lush, vibrant, and staggeringly healthy. I have never seen such stunning colonies of pillar corals or leaf corals, anywhere in the world.
Anilao is truly a destination unlike any other, and I hope my "This is Anilao" series of videos inspires you to undertake an expedition to this extraordinary diving destination in the near future.
Special thanks to the crew at AquaVenture Reef Club for making this an absolutely unforgettable experience:
aqua-venture.com/