Deluna Diving Center

Located in Aninuan, Puerto Galera, Deluna Diving Center has been a fixture of the Mindoro diving scene since 2013. The centre serves as a base for exploring the rich biodiversity of the Verde Island Passage, providing access to more than 50 dive sites within a 5 to 25-minute boat ride.

The area is renowned for its variety, ranging from shallow reef flats and macro-heavy sites to deep walls and wreck dives. Whether you are looking for the specialized ecosystems of Verde Island or the sheltered waters of the local bays, the centre provides the logistical support required for daily excursions.

As a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort, the centre maintains a professional standard of instruction and dive operations. The team is experienced in handling a wide international clientele, with the added advantage of having full-time Russian-speaking instructors on staff alongside English-speaking professionals.

The centre manages everything from entry-level Discover Scuba Diving programmes to professional Divemaster training. Their expertise covers a broad spectrum of specialties, including technical skills like Deep Diver and Drift Diver, as well as specialised equipment training such as the Diving Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) courses.

Deluna Diving Center offers a complete PADI curriculum, catering to every stage of a diver's development. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving or the Open Water Diver course, with the option to use the Open Water Diver Referral to continue their training elsewhere.

For those looking to advance their skills, the centre provides Advanced Open Water Diver, Deep Diver, and Drift Diver certifications. Specialist training is also available, including Wreck Diver, Night Diver, and Performance Peak Buoyancy, alongside the Diving Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) diver courses. Professional aspirants can work through the Divemaster programme on-site.

The centre is fully equipped for divers travelling light, offering a complete range of rental kit including regulators, BCDs, wetsuits, masks, fins, and dive computers. For those interested in underwater photography or night diving, action cameras and torches are available for hire.

Nitrox is available on-site, with the centre providing both 12-litre and 15-litre cylinders to suit different dive profiles and gas requirements. The facility is designed to support both recreational and specialty diving, such as DPV excursions.

The marine life in Puerto Galera is defined by its incredible diversity, spanning from massive pelagics to tiny, specialised organisms. On the deeper walls and outer reefs, you can encounter large species such as tuna (Thunnus), wahoos, and various sharks, including whitetip sharks (Triaenodon obesus) and grey reef sharks. Schools of barracudas, jacks (Carangidae), and various mackerels are common, alongside sightings of rays and occasionally larger predators.

The reef structure itself is a vibrant tapestry of hard corals (Scleractinia) and soft corals (Alcyonacea), including various gorgonians and sea fans (Gorgoniidae). These corals provide the essential habitat for a vast array of reef fish, such as snappers (Lutjanus), groupers (Epinephelus), and colourful butterflyfish (Chaetodon).

For macro enthusiasts, the area is a premier destination. The seabed and reef crevices are home to a wealth of specialised life, including various species of nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani), ornate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus), and pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti). You will also find a variety of crustaceans, such as shrimp (Caridea), crabs (Brachyura), and mantis shrimp, alongside diverse species of octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and various types of sea slugs.

The sandy areas and seagrass meadows support a different community, including sea cucumbers, various species of eels (Anguilliformes), and garden eels, often frequented by green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Diving conditions in the area vary depending on the site. Many of the local reefs are subject to variable currents, with sites like Monkey Beach, Hibo Reef, and Verde Island known for moderate to strong currents that require experience to navigate safely.

The peak season for diving typically runs from November to July, with the most favourable conditions occurring between March and June. During these months, the water is generally calm, though divers should always be prepared for the characteristic currents of the region.