DIVE DAY FIVE: WRECKED IN PARADISE

Sabang Wrecks

Because we arrived from Dumaguete in the early afternoon, all those who wanted to dive, had the chance for two dives -- an afternoon checkout one, which we did at Monkey Beach, and another, a night one at Sabang Wrecks. That site is where a group of intentionally sunken vessels for the purpose of creating an artificial reef, lie.

Night dives are always fun, for the chance to see life which doesn't usually come out during the day and to have the eerie sensation of blackness and not knowing what's around the next corner. For an amateur underwater shooter like me it presents the added challenge of properly lighting and exposing subjects, maintaining buoyancy and focusing while trying to capture an image.

And for this dive there were some very nice targets, all pointed out to us by dive guide Henry Cubilao, who would be our small group's dive guide the rest of the way. For those of you who haven't yet dived at night, it's an additional challenge keeping up with your dive leader, especially when other dive groups are converging on the same site, as was the case here. For Henry, it was his bright orange headband I used to identify him.

On this dive, I was able to capture images of a lionfish, a sweetlips, a whitemouth eel and yet another colorful nudibranch.

Dive Buddies: Jim, Mike, Brittney, Rick
Dive Guide: Henry Cubilao
Max depth: 66 feet
Total Bottom Time: 46 minutes
Water temperature: 75 degrees Farenheit
Exposure Protection: 3mm shorty wetsuit
Air source: Enriched Air Nitrox 32% oxygen
Photos Copyright Gil Griffin 2009.