In August and September 2023 I did a three week long dive trip to the Philippines with my friend John. We spent the first week at Anilao staying at Buceo Anilao Dive Resort and the next two weeks at Sabang (Puerto Galera). A t Sabang, we stayed at Capt'n Greggs and dived with them as well.

There are a dozen or more dive sites located within 10 minutes run from Capt'n Greggs.

Unfortunately we had a Super Typhoon hit the northern Philippines when we were at Anilao and lost some days diving there. We were also delayed a day in getting to Sabang.

Dungon Wall is located about 650 metres to the east of the resort. A GPS mark for the starting spot for the dive site is 13° 31' 21.324"N 120° 59' 12.678"E (using WGS84 as the datum). The site is a short distance to the west.

A satellite photo from Google Earth that shows the location of Dungon Wall. Sabang is at left of the photo

The site is about two thirds of the way from the resort to the lighthouse headland. It is off a small point. you drop to the bottom in about 15 metres and then head down the slope to 19 metres. The bottom is a steep slope at first then a shear wall to 35+ metres. We head west with a very slight current behind us.

At the start of the wall there is a large gorgonia. I examine it and find two tiny pink pygmy sea horses. Brilliant! I actually get very good photographs of them, unlike many pygmies which are hiding in and behind the gorgonia. We travel along the wall and drop a bit deeper to 24 metres. The wall is about 100 metres long. There are lots of featherstars on the wall and a school of larger fish off the wall (no idea what species).

A very small pygmy sea horse	Another pygmy sea horse

Later there is another school of fish, this time small chevron barracuda. There are anemones with clownfish, moray eels, lots of nudibranchs and all the normal fish. Strangely, one moray eel had a fish as a companion, it hung very close to it. It was not a cleaner fish.

A flutemouth	A really nice barrel sponge

As we go along the wall we go up and down a little and at the end of the wall, the slope continues. At 25 minutes, we start a very gradual ascent. After spending 10 minutes at 10 metres, we end up in six metres where we do a safety stop.

This was a very good dive, with the pygmy sea horses the highlight. Water temperature was 29C in September and the visibility was about 20 metres.

MORE PHOTOS

Very plentiful!	Also quite common here and elsewhere
Lots of these nudibranchs too!	Red anemonefish (clownfish)