Puerto Galera · Philippines · Reef · Muck & macro
Giant Clams / The Hill
Mandarinfish leave the fire coral here at dusk
Area photo: Firth McEachern · CC BY-SA 4.0
A coral hill topping out in 5 m and falling to sand at 18 m, named for the giant clams scattered across it. Away from the clams the ground turns sandy, which is where the small subjects live, and the site is dived at dusk as one of the area's mandarinfish spots.
Also known as The Hill, Giant Clams.
Where it is and how deep
13.5162° N, 120.9614° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The top of the hill lies in 5 m of water, covered with coral heads, sponges, large green tree corals and fields of soft coral. Working down the slope you reach a maximum of about 18 m, where a sandy bottom takes over, scattered with hard coral. The giant clams the site is named for sit across the structure; there is coral in their immediate area, and it becomes progressively more sandy as you move away from them.
The site sits well protected between three islands, but that shelter does not cancel the tide. Blue-ringed octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish have both been sighted here, along with giant cuttlefish and lots of moray eels in the harder ground. Keep an eye on the current while you look: it can get quite strong on the wrong tide, and the guide's read on timing decides whether the dive works at all.
The other reason to book this site is the last hour of daylight. Mandarinfish live in fire coral on the hill and come out around dusk to display and, with luck, to mate. That dive is spent hovering over one patch of coral in fading light rather than covering ground, so plan it as a separate, shallow, low-effort dive.
Marine life and season
- Mandarinfish
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Puerto Galera: November–May dry season is calmest; June–October southwest monsoon brings rain and swell.
Know before you go
- The current can get quite strong on the wrong tide, and a mistimed drop can put you off the hill entirely — ask the dive master before entering.
- Blue-ringed octopus have been sighted here. Look, photograph, and keep hands off anything small and mottled on the sand.
Questions divers ask
Where can you see mandarinfish in Puerto Galera?+
The Hill is one of the sites where mandarinfish live. They shelter in fire coral and come out around dusk, so the dive is run in the last of the light and stays shallow, over a single patch of coral.
How deep is The Hill?+
The top of the hill is in about 5 m of water and the slope bottoms out at a maximum of around 18 m, where sand scattered with hard coral takes over from the reef.
Sources
- The Hill Dive Site — PADI
- Giant Clams/The hill - Scubago — Scubago/SSI
In The Logbook
- When the reef spawns: the moon's other calendarBig animals · 10 min read
- Who actually stings you underwaterBody & health · 8 min read
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