Big Apple Dive Resort

Big Apple Dive Resort is situated on the shores of Sabang Beach in Puerto Galera, positioned at the centre of the highly productive Verde Island Passage. This location provides immediate access to a vast array of marine environments, ranging from shallow coral gardens to deeper wreck sites and limestone walls.

The resort operates as a comprehensive diving destination, combining high-end accommodation with a professional PADI 5 Star dive centre. Whether you are arriving from Manila via private van or taking the ferry from Batangas, the resort serves as a base for exploring one of the most biodiverse marine corridors in the world.

As a PADI 5 Star facility, the centre provides structured training and guided excursions for all experience levels. The curriculum covers the entire spectrum of recreational diving, from initial certifications through to the professional Divemaster level.

The resort is designed to handle both training and leisure divers, offering two daily departures to ensure you can tailor your diving schedule to your preference. All operations are conducted in English, making it straightforward for international divers to communicate with the staff and instructors.

The training programme is comprehensive, catering to those just starting their underwater journey and those looking to advance their careers. You can complete your initial certifications and progress through the intermediate levels up to the PADI Divemaster qualification.

All courses are internationally recognised, ensuring that your credentials are valid wherever you choose to dive next. The centre's 5 Star status reflects the standard of instruction provided throughout these programmes.

The centre utilises its own private jetty for departures, allowing for efficient boarding and departures for all daily excursions. This private access simplifies the logistics of getting from the resort directly to the dive sites without needing to navigate public piers.

The resort provides a full range of facilities to support your diving, including on-site accommodation with 14 premium air-conditioned rooms. Starlink WiFi is available throughout the property, allowing you to stay connected between dives.

For those looking to relax after a day in the water, the resort features a beachfront restaurant serving fresh seafood and international cuisine, alongside various bars and karaoke lounges. The facilities are designed to support a full diving holiday with 24-hour room service available.

The reefs are characterised by a massive diversity of hard corals (Scleractinia), including brain coral (Diploria), staghorn corals, table corals, and mushroom coral. You will find lush growth of soft corals (Alcyonacea), whip corals, sea fans (Gorgoniidae), and large gorgonians (Gorgonacea) decorating the walls and reef structures.

Large pelagic species are a highlight of the area, with sightings of mackerel sharks, reef sharks (Carcharhinus), and whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus). You may also encounter manta rays (Mobula alfredi), spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari), and various species of stingrays (Myliobatiformes) patrolling the deeper sections.

In the reef habitats, look for large schools of fish including snappers (Lutjanidae), jacks (Carangidae), and emperor fish. Turtles are a regular presence, with green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) often seen navigating the currents.

Macro enthusiasts will find plenty to observe, from nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani) and pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) to various species of shrimp (Caridea) and mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda). Keep a close eye on the rubble and coral heads for octopus (Octopus vulgaris), moray eels (Muraenidae), and colourful frogfish (Antennariidae).

The resort's location in the Verde Island Passage means you will encounter a variety of environments, from sheltered reef flats to more exposed wall dives. The presence of multiple dive sites allows for selecting locations that suit the current conditions of the day.