The Canyons

A world-class drift dive that starts at the underwater arch called the "Hole in the Wall" and follows a steep reef slope into three deep coral-covered canyons. The reef is very healthy and colorful, with abundant soft corals, sponges, sea fans and staghorn corals; large schools of snappers, sweetlips, jacks, trevally and barracuda commonly surround divers, while batfish, grouper and other species patrol the walls and occasional pelagics such as manta rays, thresher sharks or schooling hammerheads have been sighted in the blue. Entry is by boat, usually from Sabang or West Escarceo. The canyon walls descend well over 30 m; divers typically operate around 25–30 m, with reported maximums around 30–35 m and occasional deeper downcurrents. Currents from the Verde Island Passage produce a strong drift and occasional surge, so positioning and drift planning are essential. Visibility is often 10–30 m and water temperatures are typically in the high 20s °C. At the end of the deepest canyon (about 30 m) a 1.5 m coral-encrusted anchor marks the turnaround point and divers ascend in open water with a safety stop near the anchor; only experienced divers are recommended and many operators advise using enriched air (nitrox) to maximize bottom time.