DIVE DAY TWO: DAUIN SOUTH HOSPITALITY AND A PAIR AT THE PIER

Dauin South

We hit the southern part of this big reef near the resort this morning, which is another spot inside the protected sanctuary and got our first glimpse of what happens when the coral is protected and allowed to flourish: hard corals in pristine condition, with sharp definitive features and sharp, crisp colors.

This site is a sandy slope with a grassy area and the dive plan, like others we've done, involves making a loop back to the bangka, which today is Taks. Normally, all divers are assigned numbers, guides and sites in their groups, which is selected by dive shop personnel and written up on a whiteboard each morning. But I decided to make a switch, after seeing that I was assigned to Dauin North. I didn't want to immediately go back to where I'd been, so, no worries, I chose Dauin South.

We approached a mooring buoy at 10 feet, then descended and traversed the site, seeing hard, terrace-like coral structures where small tropicals pecked around for nutrients. There is absolutely no shortage of fish here -- another great benefit of reef protection. Besides clownfish, which are becoming, affectionately "the usual suspects" on diving in this part of the region, there were plenty of characteristic bright blue sea stars, with their long, spindly arms and tiny white spots. Finding the nudibranch -- tiny, delicate creatures with complex stripings and marking -- here was a special treat, but would be far from the last one we'd see.

Dive Buddies: Rick, Jim, Mike
Dive Guide: Wennie
Max depth: 56 feet
Total Bottom Time: 57 minutes
Water temperature: 81 degrees Farenheit
Exposure Protection: 3mm shorty wetsuit
Air source: Enriched Air Nitrox 32% oxygen
Photos Copyright Gil Griffin 2009. Clockwise, from top left: Our dive bangka, Taks; panda clownfish in anemone; panda clownfish and saddleback clownfish; nudibranch; coral seascape; sea star.