Mainit Corner

The very tip of the spear on the Calumpan Peninsula is Mainit, located where Batangas Bay begins and where the straits are narrow. Although the correct geographical name of this location is Cazador Point, the dive site has come to be known as Mainit in honor of the small hot spring on the shore. The unique geography funnels a huge volume of water through this relatively small area several times a day as the tides ebb and flow. Combine this with the very deep waters nearby, as well as all the nutrient runoff from this whole region of Luzon, and you get a place where life thrives. This is not unlike other points in Anilao as Mainit would be more at home somewhere like Palau. For the experienced or technical diver looking for something special, there is no better place in Anilao.

From above, Mainit is roughly triangular with the apex pointing to the south. This neatly divides the dive into two sides, and depending on the season you will enter on one of these. During Habagat season the entry is from the east where the waters in Batangas Bay are usually calm; but during Amihan season the opposite is true and the entry zone is reversed. Either way the beginnings of the dive are relatively similar, as both east and west are made up of sandy slopes with small boulders strewn about. The shallow eastern side next to Secret Bay has some soft corals growing on the small boulders, while the western side is devoid of coral. Regardless of how you get in, the focus of this site is what is called the “Apex”.

The Apex is a gradual slope that runs from the shore down to roughly 40 meters before getting much steeper and plunging to more than 70 meters. For most recreational divers the dive will be spent in the shallower area above the drop-off, but for tech divers the deeps are full of rich, dense, and very colorful soft corals that hug the slope.

If you’re not a tech diver, don’t worry, there is plenty to see above 40 meters. The slope is a veritable garden of sea fans, hydroids, xenia corals, soft corals, and hard corals. All these are found in abundance and that makes this area a wide-angle photographer’s dream. Add in the occasional passing turtle and you’ve got the potential for some amazing images. The fish population, though diminished due to overfishing, is still much richer than most other dive sites in Anilao. Prepare to be surrounded by wrasses, snappers, anthias, and groupers. This is especially true if you head out far enough to find the large mounds.

At about 30 meters deep near the tip of the Apex are three large rocky mounds the size of cars. These mounds break up the current and create a place to hide from the water sweeping by. Divers who enter these shadows in the current will usually find other animals with the same idea; typically oriental sweetlips who will let you get much closer than usual and just stare at you. Outside these shadows in the raging waters are usually found schools of silvery chevron barracuda and the occasional blacktip shark, which are getting increasingly rare. These are not the small reef sharks, but the much bigger species that is usually around 1.5 meters long. Use the rocks to hide from the current for as long as you safely can before heading back up the reef slope to do your safety stop.

Mainit, though topographically beautiful and full of incredible life, is not a dive for the novice diver. Currents are known to get very strong here, and there are even down-currents that occur near the Apex. (Note: If caught in a down current swim AWAY from the reef into open water, do not try to hug the wall or fight it.) On the surface wind-driven waves can make the entry and exit pretty challenging, so be patient and time the waves when getting back to the boat. If you are comfortable braving these challenges, or time your visit perfectly with tide and wind forecasts, Mainit can be one of the most beautiful dives in all of the Philippines.