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Why Join This Trip? - Inclusions & Exclusions - Trip Type - Dive Overview - Accommodations
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Ultimate Luxury Philippine Resort Group Trip June 2025
at Atmosphere Resort & Spa, Dumaguete
Immerse yourself in extraordinary macro critter diving sites in Dumaguete, marvel at the breathtaking coral reefs of Apo Island, and don't miss the opportunity to take part in our FREE photo workshops. All while experiencing unparalleled hospitality and world-class amenities at Atmosphere Resort & Spa.
June 29 - July 6, 2025 (7 Nights)
Trip Leader: Mark Strickland
Deluxe Suite:
$2,414 per person, double occupancy
$3,323 per person for single occupancy
Premium Suite:
$2,578 per person, double occupancy
$3,638 per person for single occupancy
Premium Pool Suite: (this suite is the best!! Private pool!)
$2,864 per person, double occupancy
$4,223 per person for single occupancy
Optional Add-Ons:
Snorkeling with whale sharks in Oslob*: $170 per person (must be booked in advance)
Travel Insurance not included, click here to learn more about our preferred plan
*Optional excursion on the last day, which is a non-diving day (July 6)
Why Join This Trip?
- Ultra-luxury dive resort in Dumaguete, Philippines. This place will WOW anyone you bring. The suites with private pools are to die for, as is the food, service, lodging and amazing infinity pools right in front of the ocean.
- The diving trifecta - one of the world’s best whale shark encounters, Some of SE asia’s best macro and critter diving, plus great coral reefs, walls packaged with turtles, jacks and info-pacific reef life.
- Amazing snorkeling literally 15 feet from the resort in calm shallow water.
- 25% off rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
Dive Overview
The resort's instructors and guides are highly trained and know how to get you to fantastic dives. They offer small group diving and the guests' requests are accommodated within safety limits. They also offer flexible dive options.
At Dumaguete, you can take full advantage of some of the world’s best scuba diving. The world-renowned Apo Island with its walls, stunning coral, and schooling fish is a short boat ride away. Some of the world’s rarest critters compete for the underwater photographer’s attention along the Dauin coastline near Dumaguete in the Philippines. The area is often frequented by underwater photographers in search of exquisitely rare shots.
The night dives are also stunning, as are the mandarin fish dives at dusk and the fluoro dives where you can see the underwater world in a completely new light.
Bluewater owner, Scott Gietler, says: 'July is a great time to visit Dumaguete. I've done Dumaguete twice in July and weather has been very nice - calm and not windy. You get some rain but only a brief shower which freshens the air.'
See our Guide to diving Dumaguete.
Inclusions
- 7 nights / 8 days accommodation, double/twin share in a Deluxe Suite
- Private round trip transfers between Dumaguete airport/ferry terminal and Atmosphere
- 7 days diver’s full board meals (breakfast, 1-course lunch, and 3-course dinner including one beach barbeque night and one BBQ lunch on the boat on an Apo Island trip)
- 15 dive package (daytime dives including Apo Island trips, tanks, weights, dive guide services, and all daytime marine park and underwater camera fees) *Night dive/Mandarin dive surcharge and night marine park fees not included
- Complimentary Nitrox fills for Nitrox certified divers
- Complimentary checkout dive (guided daytime dive with shore entry/exit, including tanks, weights, dive guide, and sanctuary fees)
- Complimentary Group Wine Tasting
- Complimentary 30 Minute Executive Back Massage
- Complimentary Marine Life Presentation
- Complimentary Wi-Fi, filtered drinking water throughout the resort, and in room tea and coffee, use of our 24 hour outdoor gym
- Optional complimentary visit to Atmosphere Soup Kitchen (Mon-Fri)
- Includes all government taxes (excluding airport fees)
Read about out previous Dumaguete Photo Workshops here:
Dumaguete 2024 Trip Report by Nirupam Nigam
Trip Type
This trip is a PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP. It will be led by one of our photo instructors and will include daily underwater photography tutorials, in-water photography support, and one-to-one advice and guidance as required.
What to expect from our Photo Workshops
- Daily photo workshops - Your photo instructor will schedule seminars each day on topics including, but not limited to, equipment type and selection, the concept of underwater photography, lighting and composition techniques, and post-processing. They will also include additional topics relevant to the location and your experience.
- In-water support - Where possible, each dive group will spend time underwater with the photo instructor, receiving in-water support and guidance on their shooting techniques. Participants can also request in-water assistance during the workshop and the photo instructor will do his or her best to accommodate all requests.
- Consecutive days of practice & review - Each day you will have the opportunity to practice the techniques and skills learned in the previous day’s tutorials. If you are new to underwater photography you will likely see a vast improvement in just a few days.
- Daily photo image reviews - You are strongly encouraged to bring your laptop, a thumb drive, edit your photos, and submit your shots for review from both the instructor and your peers. These are fun and interactive sessions encouraging you to improve throughout the trip.
- Quality time with fellow photographers - Both new and experienced photographers from past workshops have expressed the advantages of joining a trip with like-minded divers with a passion for underwater photography.
- Suitable for everyone - New and experienced photographers are welcome on all our trips. Gain the necessary skills to start shooting great photos, increase your confidence in finding the best underwater shots, or hone specific skills. We also encourage non-photographers to join, as many of them really enjoy the daily photo reviews, learning about underwater photography, and some have even returned to a photo workshop with an underwater camera setup!
Enjoy free, unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge and advice from your photo instructor.
Trip Syllabus
Dumaguete offers an amazing range of underwater photo opportunities, and this workshop will be a great chance to improve your knowledge and skills while getting in some great diving. Our program is designed to take advantage of this area’s rich photographic potential by interspersing our dives with daily presentations and discussions, providing an ideal opportunity for learning. Reinforcing lessons covered in our daily classroom sessions, we’ll be doing several dives each day, followed on some days by a review of the previous day’s images. This combination of day-in, day-out shooting, while regularly evaluating and discussing our images is an unbeatable way to quickly improve your results, learn new techniques, gain inspiration, and come home with images you are proud of. It’s also a lot of fun!
Subjects Covered
Our time in Dumaguete will undoubtedly fly by, and even with daily classes, it’s unrealistic to think that we can do justice to every aspect of underwater photography in a single one-week workshop. So my goal will be to provide you with as much quality instruction as possible on a variety of topics, while maintaining a balance of activities that also includes 3-4 dives a day, snacks, meals, camera setup and maintenance, and maybe a bit of relax time as well.
Workshop topics will include special considerations for shooting underwater, exposure, reciprocity, choosing appropriate settings, histograms, lighting, composition, subject selection, lens perspectives, shooting angles, marine life behavior, working with models, over/under “splits”, equipment configuration and maintenance, environmental considerations, photo etiquette, and digital editing techniques and considerations. Since Dumaguete is primarily known as a “critter” destination, we’ll be spending considerable time talking about macro. That said, between Apo Island and the optional whale shark excursion, we’ll also have 1-2 days with great reef scenery and big animals, so we’ll also include an in-depth discussion of wide-angle techniques.
Typical Daily Routine
While we’ll probably do a bit of fine-tuning the schedule as the week unfolds, this sample should give you an idea of what to expect in terms of organized class activities. This is in addition to 3-4 dives each day and any individualized, hands-on help you may need or desire, which I am happy to provide as time permits… just ask!
- Day 1 (Sunday June 29): Introduction to diving in Dumaguete, equipment preparation, avoiding floods
- Day 2: (Monday June 30): Presentation: Introduction / review of how light behaves underwater, special considerations for shooting u/w, choosing appropriate exposure settings
- Day 3 (Tuesday July 1):
- Afternoon / Evening - Presentation: Maximizing Your Macro
- Choose a couple images for next day’s image review.
- Day 4 – (Wednesday July 2): Presentation: Composition for Underwater Photography, including lens perspectives, working with models, visual storytelling.
- After dinner: Image Review - Friendly critique and discussion about participants’ images from previous day.
- Day 5 - (Thursday July 3): Presentation: Wide-angle Underwater Photography, including a review of appropriate camera, lens and strobe settings, exposure strategy, utilizing histograms and equipment considerations.
- Day 6 – (Friday July 4): Apo Island: All day on larger boat, 3 dives – Mini-session between dives 1 & 2: Demonstration on strobe positioning and edge lighting. Individual instruction on request.
- Afternoon / evening: Choose 2 images for Saturday’s photo contest and maximum 10 images for guest slide show. Videographers are welcome to submit short clips as well. This is always a very popular aspect of the trip, and showcases how much each participant’s images tend to improve over the course of the workshop. In addition, we’ll also have a little photo contest, where everyone is welcome to submit a favorite photo or two to share with the group. Winners will not only be recognized, but may even be rewarded with a cool prize!
- For anyone not doing the night dive: Basics of digital workflow and image editing with Lightroom Classic
- Day 7 – (Saturday July 5): Optional whale shark snorkeling and photography at Oslob
- Evening: Photo contest and guest slide show
- Day 8 – (Sunday July 6): Departure day for many; others may continue diving depending on individual plans
About Atmosphere Resort & Spa
Atmosphere Resort & Spa in Dauin, Dumaguete, is one of the best luxury dive resorts in the Philippines, offering excellent diving, impeccable service as you would expect from a 5-star hotel, luxurious and comfortable rooms and a wide array of amenities to please the discerning diver and traveler.
The maximum capacity at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa is around 100 guests. Guests choose from suites, premium suites, apartments, penthouses, or private pool suites, all boasting luxurious linens and 5 amenities.
All rooms come with complimentary breakfast, California king-size beds with luxurious Egyptian cotton linens, solar-heated water, eco-friendly cosmetics, coffee and tea, tropical fruit, energy reduction air-conditioners, flat-screen TVs, WiFi, minibar, rain showers, and a luxury turndown service.
Read the reviews of the Atmosphere Resort & Spa here.
How To Get There
Trip attendees should fly in and out of Dumaguete through Dumaguete Airport (airport code DGT). Flights may arrive any time on June 29. Return flights should be made at any time on the last day of the trip (July 6). Airport transfers are included and travel time is about 20 minutes each way.
About The Trip Leader
Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as a lifeguard, boat captain, and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura county, California.
An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is the co-author and principal photographer for Lonely Planet’s award-winning book, “Diving and Snorkeling Thailand”, and his work appears in many magazines, books and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book.
Recommended Scuba Gear
- Dive light or torch for night dives. We suggest Kraken NR-2000 Dive Light
- 5mm wetsuit or a 7mm. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
- Hood or hooded vest. Check out scuba hoods.
- Travel BCD. Read our Best Travel BCD Article
- Travel regulator. We suggest Mares Ultra 62X Dive Regulator
Payment Schedule
Deposit: $700
Payment 2: $700 due May 1, 2024
Payment 3: $700 due Oct 1, 2024
Balance due: Feb 15, 2025
Want to Extend Your Trip?
We can help with that! See more of the Philippines before or after your workshop in Anilao with Bluewater. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your workshop reservation:
*Rates are subject to change at any time; please contact us for the most updated pricing.
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Oslob
Price: Starting at $170 per person*(must be booked in advance)
*Optional excursion on the last day, which is a non-diving day (July 6)
Fishermen in the province of Oslob started feeding whale sharks in 2011. Since then the sharks have become regular visitors to the area and sightings are almost guaranteed on a daily basis. Over the last 10 years, the local Oslob community have developed a carefully monitored whale shark snorkelling experience which is sufficiently managed to allow for safe whale shark interactions, both for the whale sharks and for visitors.
- Example schedule for the day:
- 05:00am Breakfast available at the resort
- 06:00am Depart from the resort
- 07:30am Ferry from Dumaguete to Oslob
- 08:30am Beach set-up for snorkel
- 09:30am Snorkel with the whale sharks
- 11:00am Lunch break at the beach (BBQ)
- 13:30pm Ferry from Oslob to Dumaguete
- 15:00pm Arrival back at the resort
You will be given a detailed briefing before your trip, but please be aware that you will be asked to leave the water if you touch the whale sharks and that flash photography, the wearing of sunscreen, or the use of gloves is strictly prohibited.
Got Questions? Ready to Book?
Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us trips@bluewaterdivetravel.com
And let us book your dream vacation!
Photo Gallery
Photos courtesy of Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete