West Escarceo

West Escarceo is a reef and wall dive site located along the Sinandigan headland north of Sabang Bay in Puerto Galera, part of a continuous run of sites stretching from Sabang Point to the Canyons along the Verde Island Passage. It is reached by a short five-minute boat ride, with entry typically by backroll. The reef begins shallow at around 5 metres, slopes gently downward past large coral boulders, and levels out onto a sandy area at roughly 25 metres, with a maximum depth of 21 metres.

The reef holds an exceptional variety of hard and soft corals colonised by feather stars in reds, greens, and yellows, and many boulder corals are covered in christmas tree tubeworms spiralling out in shades of orange, blue-tipped white, red, and black. Fish life is abundant from the top of the reef down: redtooth triggerfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, damselfish, jacks, and baby barracudas are present throughout, while pipefish, sergeant majors, Moorish idols, and several species of sea cucumber inhabit the lower sections. Large pufferfish with radial markings around the eyes appear on nearly every dive, and colourful groupers make regular appearances. As the reef approaches Escarceo Point the current strengthens and schools of big-mouth mackerel, juvenile tuna, trevallies, and emperor fish become common. Blue-spotted stingrays may be found resting on the sandy bottom, and camouflaged species including scorpionfish, stonefish, and octopus require a careful eye to locate on shelves and in dens. The site is also popular with underwater photographers and suitable for corals, lutzans, and tuna sightings.

Conditions at West Escarceo vary considerably with the moon and tides. Visibility ranges from 10 metres up to 30 metres. When the current is slack, the dive is a calm, detailed exploration suitable for beginners. When the tide is flooding and current runs fast, the site becomes an energetic drift dive carrying divers northward as far as Hole in the Wall — a three-metre-long tunnel roughly one metre in diameter through a reef wall — which is a site in its own right. The site is rated suitable for beginners and upward, though stronger current conditions make it more demanding for intermediate-level divers.