Verde Island: Heart of the Coral Triangle

Text and Photo by Terry Booth

A team of marine conservationists declared in 2006 that the Philippines is the ‘Center of Marine Biodiversity in the world’ and the Verde Island Passages as the ‘Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity’, containing more than 76% of the world’s coral species.

The eponymous Verde Island, located slap bang in the center of the strait between Batangas and Mindoro, is one of the best diving places in the Philippines, due to its pristine clear waters, stunning underwater topography and abundant marine life.

The only sign that there is a world class dive site just meters below the surface are two small pinnacles piercing the surface of the water. These pinnacles drop down deep and with the undulating terrain melding canyons, fissures, boulders and sheer walls, amazingly varied seascapes are offered, and along with the varying conditions, can be dived again and again, without the fear of getting bored.

We chose to drop in at the top of the pinnacles, at around 5m, with a negative entry to negate against the surface currants and in case the currents below were playing up. The wall afforded some shelter enabling us to relax and to gasp at the crystal clear waters and the abundance of fish. As we followed the wall down, we were greeted by thousands of red tooth triggerfish, anthias and butterfly fish. Whip corals and gorgonian fans scattered the wall providing shelter for a myriad of macro inhabitants such as shrimp, crabs and pygmy seahorses.

Verde Island also holds a huge amount of colourful nudibranches that rivals anywhere in the archipelago with thousands of species having been recorded, including the magnificent Spanish Dancer.

Reaching the edge of the pinnacle, there is a ledge at 18m. Here is where you will find the larger inhabitants of Verde Island. The wall ends and the current soars. We hold onto the rocks as we are buffeted from the swells; a line of clothes drying in this ferocious wind. Firmly holding on to the ledge, we become engulfed in schools of barracuda and a tornado of trevally hanging graciously in the current.

We dived four times at Verde, alternating the exposed wall side with the island side. There lies a sloping reef, rich in volcanic activity, with sulphurous bubbles bubbling from the sea floor. A more sedatory drift allows the divers to go slowly with the current. As you get closer to the end of the wall, the current starts racing, and you have to make sure that at the right time you nip back behind the wall. Otherwise you are in the blue, and it’s time for your ascent!