Anilao Spring 2025 Underwater Photoworkshop Trip Report

Just a short three-hour drive from the bustling international hub of Manila lies the tranquil village of Anilao—a lush, coastal haven where palm trees cling to steep, jungle-covered slopes that plunge into crystal-clear blue waters. Nestled within the heart of the Verde Island Passage—one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth—Anilao offers some of the richest underwater experiences imaginable. 

One of the dive boats during our Anilao Underwater Photo Workshop 

Beneath the surface, Anilao’s rubbly reefs and sandy slopes come alive with an astonishing variety of marine life. Every inch seems to reveal a new subject for the macro lens—from a rainbow of nudibranchs to bizarre and beautiful oddities like hairy shrimp, clown frogfish, and pygmy seahorses. It’s a playground for photographers who seek the rare, the hidden, and the surreal. 

A nudibranch photographed by Camilla Caton

This spring, nearly 50 intrepid travelers joined our back-to-back Bluewater Travel underwater photography workshops—an immersive 17-day journey of exploration and creativity. Across more than 60 dives, guests learned the art of macro photography in one of the world’s most critter-rich destinations. The workshop was divided into two sessions—a 7-day class and a 10-day class—each packed with hands-on instruction from three experienced Bluewater instructors. Topics ranged from photo editing and composition to advanced techniques like snoot usage and creative backlighting. 

Our April Spring Workshop Group! 

Our May Spring Workshop Group! 

Underwater, our instructors worked side-by-side with students to build “macro studios” —miniature stages where we experimented with tools like macro diopters, magic tubes, colored lights, steel wool, and directional lighting. Each dive became a creative lab, where guests could test new gear and refine their techniques on a wealth of photogenic subjects. 

Creative macro photography was a focus of this trip – like this yellow goby by Joe Fischer 

Among the trip’s most unforgettable experiences were the blackwater dives—conducted after sunset in the open ocean of the Verde Island Passage. In these deep, pelagic waters, the night transforms into a cosmic ballet of alien-like creatures. Giant swarms of jellies, delicate paper nautiluses, and juvenile wonderpus floated through the dark, illuminated by strobes in a dreamlike atmosphere. There are few experiences on Earth that so closely resemble floating through outer space. 

A nudibranch photographed with the EMWL by Greg Bang 

Why Anilao is the Critter Capital of the World Widely regarded as the “Critter Capital of the World,” 

Anilao offers underwater photographers a chance to explore one of the richest macro ecosystems on the planet. The daily tidal flows of the Verde Island Passage deliver nutrient-dense waters that fuel a staggering diversity of marine life—though often at the cost of reduced visibility. From coral gardens to rubble slopes, the varied terrain supports a unique evolutionary playground for rare and fascinating species. 

A cardinal fish with eggs by Sue McCready 

Workshop Format and Instruction Highlights 

For this workshop, Bluewater partnered with Crystal Blue Dive Resort, the perfect home base for serious shooters. The resort offers a dedicated air-conditioned camera room, spacious classroom, and hearty buffet meals three times a day, blending Western and Filipino favorites. The dive center is impressively efficient, allowing guests to complete up to four dives per day, with workshops and image reviews scheduled between dives. 

The dive deck – guests getting ready for their next dive! 

The learning environment was immersive and focused, with daily group sessions and evening one-on-one editing time led by our experienced instructors: Nirupam Nigam, Mike Chiado, and Mike Bartick. We covered topics including snoot photography, magic tube photography, macro lighting, macro video, editing in Adobe Lightroom, editing in Adobe Premiere pro, composition, the triangle of exposure, photographing behavior, and more! 

Class underway during our workshop! 

The Top Dive Sites We Visited 

Each day, our group was divided among six different boats, with instructors rotating between them to ensure that every guest received personalized attention and guidance. This approach allowed us to cover dozens of dive sites throughout Anilao, offering a diverse range of subjects and conditions. While every site offered excellent photographic opportunities, a few stood out as highlights of the trip: 

Kirby’s Rock 

During our workshop, Kirby’s Rock consistently provided opportunities to photograph the elusive pygmy seahorse. These tiny creatures, no larger than a grain of rice, are notoriously difficult to capture. In addition to macro subjects, Kirby’s Rock is one of the few sites in Anilao suited for wide-angle photography, with schools of redtoothed triggerfish, anthias, and colorful reefs draped in rainbow crinoids. 

A pygmy seahorse at Kirby’s Rock photographed by Romain Galoisy 

Sombrero Island 

A small island about an hour from Crystal Blue, Sombrero offered excellent wide-angle conditions with coral fingers, clear water, and strong currents. It’s one of the best places in Anilao to photograph anthias schools and anemonefish. Additional sightings included giant nudibranchs, turtles, and scorpionfish. 

On the way to Sombrero! 

Crystal Blue House Reef 

The house reef at Crystal Blue Resort was among the most frequently visited sites during the workshop—not just because of its proximity, but due to the incredible encounters it offered. Guests witnessed flamboyant cuttlefish, including individuals incubating eggs, peacock mantis shrimp guarding their young, and a range of nudibranchs and frogfish. 

Mantis Shrimp on eggs by Richard Condlyffe 

Secret Bay 

Secret Bay was the most classic muck diving site on our itinerary, consisting of a sandy slope that descends to about 80 feet. The site regularly produced seahorses, hairy frogfish, yellow gobies in bottles, Coleman shrimp, hairy shrimp, and an impressive variety of nudibranchs. 

A hairy shrimp near Secret Bay by Heather West 

Twin Rocks 

For a brief window during the trip, both workshop groups were able to witness the rare juvenile zebra batfish. While the encounter was short, it provided a special opportunity for photographers to experiment with creative snoot lighting. 

A rare juvenile zebra batfish by Lisa Perla 

Cathedral 

Cathedral featured a high density of giant frogfish in a wide range of colors. Smaller reef residents, including clownfish and other anemone dwellers, added variety to this coral-rich site. 

A shrimp photographed by Ron Scholte 

Anilao Pier (Night Dive) 

One of the favorite night dives of the workshop, Anilao Pier revealed an array of nocturnal subjects. Bobtail squid were frequently spotted, emerging from the sand, while coconut octopuses displayed curious behavior, often interacting with cameras as they explored their surroundings. 

A frogfish photographed by Linda Zath

Blackwater Diving 

The blackwater dives proved to be among the most extraordinary experiences of the trip. Conducted offshore at night, these dives introduced guests to the otherworldly creatures of the ocean’s vertical migration. Subjects included mantis shrimp larvae, schools of moon jellyfish, male and female argonauts, salp chains, juvenile wonderpus, and diamond squid. Despite our best efforts, the blanket octopus remained elusive. 

An argonaut photographed on a blackwater dive by John McDowell 

Guest Photos – Top Images From the Trip 

As the workshop progressed, guests’ photos steadily improved—many advancing from technical snapshots to truly impactful, artistic images. Each participant began to develop their own unique photographic style, and by the end of each session, several had produced work that even the instructors admired. 

At the conclusion of each workshop, the resort staff selected a series of standout images from the group. These winning photographs formed a mini portfolio that celebrated the creativity and growth of our guests. Winners received Bluewater merchandise as a token of recognition. Below are some of the winning shots from the trip. Additional guest images are featured throughout this trip report. 

By Barry Cline

By Elena Lim

By Camilla Caton

By Young Feng

By Elena Lim

By Larry Madrigal

By Heather West

Check out these amazing photos by Trip Leader Nirupam Nigam!

FAQ About Diving in Anilao 

1. What are water temperatures like in Anilao? 

The water in Anilao is warm! About 80-86F. We recommend a 3mm wetsuit from Bare, Waterproof, or Fourth Element. 

2. How is the visibility in Anilao? 

The visibility in Anilao is good, but lower than the rest of the Philippines. Generally, dive are about 30-50 ft in vis. Some dives are clearer and some are more murky. 

3. What lenses should I bring for a macro workshop? 

We recommend a long telephoto lens like a Nikon 105mm, Sony 90mm macor, Canon 100mm, or Olympus 60mm for most subjects in Anilao. For blackwater diving, we recommend a shorter macro lens like the Nikon 60mm macro, Olympus 30mm macro, or Canon 60mm macro. If you want to do supermacro photography, then you should consider a wet macro lens. 

4. Is there air conditioning? 

Yes! The rooms at Crystal Blue have air conditioning. So does the camera room. 

5. How many dives per day? 

This workshop had four dives per day. 

6. How is the food in Anilao? 

The food at Crystal Blue is excellent! We had a buffet style breakfast, lunch, and dinner – though you can order an omelet or other breakfast dish for breakfast. Most food was scrumptious Filippino food but there were some western options. 

7. How do I get to Anilao? 

Anilao is easy to get to! From the west coast of the US it’s a direct flight to Manila and then a three hour drive to the resort. 

8. Can I dive Nitrox? 

Yes, Nitrox is included for $99 at each dive during our Bluewater Anilao photoworkshop. 

9. How experienced do I need to be to do a blackwater dive? 

We recommend having excellent buoyancy control if you want to do a blackwater dive. This kind of diving is great for intermediate to advanced divers. Beginner divers can also blackwater dive, but should practice on the normal reefs beforehand. 

10. What kind of animals will I see in Anilao? 

You will see just about every critter you could want to find in the coral triangle, including wonderpus, mantis shrimp, frogfish, nudibranch, harlequin shrimp, blue ring octopus, rhinopia, and more. On this trip, we did not see any blue rings or rhinopia unfortunately – but we saw just about everything else! 

11. How are the dive guides in Anilao? 

The dive guides in Anilao are the best in the world at finding critters! Our dive guides were not guides – they were critter spotters. During the workshop we encouraged guests to make a list of subjects they wanted to see. Everyone crossed just about every item off their list due to the magical talent of the guides. 

Read about our previous Anilao Workshop December 2024.

Recommended Dive and Photo Gear 

Anilao offers some of the most diverse and rewarding macro photography opportunities in the world. To make the most of your underwater experience, we’ve compiled a list of recommended gear and accessories that can enhance your images and help you explore creative techniques throughout the workshop. 

Snoots 

Snoots allow you to narrow your strobe’s light beam, isolating your subject and creating dramatic black backgrounds. We recommend using a snoot compatible with your existing strobes for the best value and performance. Alternatively, the Backscatter Mini Flash and Optical Snoot combo (available at Bluewater) is a great all-in-one solution. You can also reference our full snoot guide for more information. The Marelux SOFT Lite is currently the best snoot on the market if you currently have a strobe and is compatible with every strobe using a dedicated mount for your specific strobe model. 

Focus Lights 

Accurate focus is critical for macro photography. A compact focus light will help your camera lock focus more efficiently in low-light situations. One of our favorite budget-friendly options is the Bluewater 1500. 

Magic Tube 

The Saga Magic Tube is a creative accessory that adds a swirl of color around your subject. While somewhat niche, it can produce beautiful, artistic results in the right conditions. 

Colored Backlighting 

For creative color effects, consider using RGB-capable video lights such as the Kraken 2500 WRGBU. You can also use color filters from Marelux (SOFT series) or Backscatter’s snoot filters to add colorful backgrounds or accents to your images. 

Steel Wool 

Steel wool can be used to create a textured, bokeh-like background in your macro compositions. Choose a type that won’t rust, and use a toothpick or similar support to position it safely behind your subject. 

Muck Stick 

A muck stick is a helpful tool for maintaining position in the water without disturbing the bottom. It can also be used to stabilize lights or snoots for more controlled lighting setups. 

Saga Magic Ball Lens 

The Saga Magic Ball Lens produces a spherical effect in your frame, placing your subject in a crystal ball-like orb. It’s a novelty lens but can be fun for experimentation and unique compositions.