Anilao Philippines Ultimate Photo Workshop December 2025

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Trip overview

Trip Overview

Our trips offer small 'dive guide to diver' ratios and extended dive times, allowing for an optimal diving experience. We prioritize visiting the best dive sites regularly, and many of them are just a short 10 - 20-minute boat ride away from the resort. Plus, we hold competitions that reward participants for capturing the most critters, nudibranch species, best video, macro, wide-angle, and behavior shots. Whether you're an experienced photographer or using a small point-and-shoot camera, our team makes everyone feel welcomed and comfortable, and you're guaranteed to take home some fantastic shots.

Check out this awesome video from one of our previous trips to Anilao:

Read about our trip to Anilao in December 2024.

Anilao boasts some of the richest reefs in the world. Whether at 10ft or 100ft beneath the surface, you will be inundated with photo subjects that will fill up your memory card before the day is over.

Images by Craig Wilhelm (L) & Erik Lukas (R)

Almost all species on our critter list can be found in Anilao - such as Rhinopias, blue-ring octopus, hairy frogfish, pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish & bobbit worms. Anilao is also the nudibranch capital of the world!

Sample Itinerary

Here's the schedule for this trip:

Day one of the trip: Arrival at the resort will be between 11am-1pm from Manila hotels. Rooms will be available for check-in between 12pm and 2pm. While waiting for rooms to become available, guests can have lunch (runs from 12-2), unpack their camera gear in the camera room, or relax in the common areas. There are 2 optional afternoon dives the day of arrival, which can take place as soon as 4 guests are ready for a dive (4 divers per boat).
Each subsequent day of the trip includes *up to* 4 dives per day, consisting of two in the morning and two in the afternoon (one afternoon dive is a night dive).
There will be underwater photo seminars and image reviews in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.
On the second to last day, there will be no afternoon dives. There will be 2 morning dives, a photo contest and group dinner.
Departure will be on the following day at 8 am back to MNL. Shuttle transfers take approx 3.5 hours between Anilao-Manila so book your departure flight sometime in the afternoon (we recommend any time after 2:30-3:00 PM to be safe).

*If your flight doesn't depart until the evening, you may want to consider getting a "day room" somewhere in Manila so you can be dropped off there instead of the airport too early!

To get a little insight as to what the workshop is like, read the report from our 2023 Anilao Spring Photography Workshop or see our guide to diving Anilao.

Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Anilao December, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).

Wetsuit: 5mm, water temperature is around 24C/75F on average - Bare Reactive 5mm Wetsuit
Hood: 3mm hood, since you will be doing up to 4 dives a day
Mask: Tusa Zensee Pro - Great for underwater photography
Snorkel: Oceanic pocket snorkel - Foldable and fits into your BCD pocket
Scuba boots: Mares 3mm Classic boot. Great for slippery surfaces
Fins: Mares X-Steam Fins - Accommodates a bootie and light, perfect for travel
BCD: Aqualung Pro HD Compact BCD - Designed for travel
Regulator: Aqualung Legend Elite Scuba Regulator - Ensures highest breathing comfort
Dive Computer: Shearwater Peregrine TX - Air integration and big display screen

Scuba Gear Accessories

Recommended Photo Gear

A macro divers heaven, so we suggest camera gear that allows you to get in close and photograph critters like nudibranchs and other interesting muck diving ocean animals:

Action Cam / Smartphone Options:

Action Camera housings for the GoPro hero 13 – newly released Weefine WFH-GP1 with a weefine tray and macro lens attachment

Compact Camera Options:

Sony RX100 VII Camera with a Nauticam RX100VII Housing with a CMC-1 or CMC-2 for macro work.

Full Frame Mirrorless Options:

Canon R5 II In an Ikelite Housing would be the best for light-weight travel, partnered with a Canon 100mm macro lens, and some Ikelite DS160II underwater strobes for macro

Trip Leader

Mike Bartick

Mike is a highly published, award-winning photographer, writer, international speaker, and Photo pro at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines. He is passionate about connecting people with marine life through photos and video. His love for critters has led him across the globe, landing him in Anilao more than a decade ago where he conducts a variety of different workshops each year.

He has pioneered blackwater diving in Anilao and other locations globally and is a dedicated dive professional who guides and consults on wildlife projects, scuba gear, camera gear, and lighting equipment.

At the end of the day, Mike considers himself just a guy with a camera that is lucky enough to do what he loves. "Do it for the love, Not the likes"

You can check out more of Mike's work at www.Saltwaterphoto.com and www.Divecbr.com.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith is a professional photographer currently living in Singapore. A British citizen, he was born in Africa and was brought up in Asia and South America while attending British boarding schools. Mike retired early from a corporate executive career to follow his long held dream to be a professional photographer. Around the same time Mike resumed his love of diving and it was a natural progression take his camera with him. Mike has dived extensively throughout South East Asia and always with his camera. Specialising in macro photography and specifically creative lighting techniques underwater, he has built up an extensive portfolio of images, some of which can be found on his website mjsphotostudios.com. Mike’s goal in leading workshops, first and foremost, is that everyone has a fun time and leave feeling they've learned something new and created images they are proud of.

Wayne Tarr

Wayne is the sales team leader at Bluewater Photo. As a project manager and PADI Assistant Instructor, he has worked and dived in various locations, including South Africa, the UAE, and the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. His deep love for nature and the ocean fuels his passion for diving and underwater photography.