Anilao - A Mecca For Macro

Nigel Marsh & Helen Rose · Issue 88, Jan/Feb 2016 · pp. 50–55

Products mentioned: Nikon D7200, Nikkor 18-300mm, Tokina 10-17mm, Nikkor 60mm micro, Ikelite Housing, Inon Z240 strobe

I’m sure most underwater photographers are like us and have a wish list of species they would dearly love to photograph. We plan many of our dive trips to reduce this list and on most trips we manage to tick off two or three subjects if we are lucky. However, on a recent trip to Anilao in the Philippines our wish list was decimated. In a week of diving we eliminating over a dozen species off the list, but we also saw species that we hadn’t even thought of having on the list! Over the last few years Anilao has built up a reputation as one of the best muck and macro destinations in the world - a Mecca for macro. Located 120km south of the Philippines capital of Manila, Anilao is an easy destination to reach by car, and has always been popular with divers living in Manila. As such countless dive resorts are located right around the Calumpan Peninsula, spreading well beyond the little town o…