kearneys - Bluewater Dive Travel

kearneys

kearneys

My Dive Map

Reviews (6)

Coron

5
5
5
5

We booked a very extensive trip with Blue Water Travel and the results were amazing. We started out in Coron at Sangat Island. When I saw the pictures online of the resort, I was very impressed and couldn't wait to get there. A boat picked us up in Coron and drove us through the beautiful islands to get to Sangat. We were welcomed by Ester, and then by JoJo at the dive center. We were given frozen mango drinks and escorted to our bungalows. The bungalows are up on supports and each one has an amazing view of the sunrise. The wreck diving was very manageable for me as a beginner wreck diver, and yet the more experienced scuba divers were just as happy. They try to organize small dive groups and have many divemasters so you get a very individual experience. The reef diving was just as spectacular as the Philippines does not disappoint underwater. The macro here is absolutely spectacular.

The resort was all-inclusive, the food was amazing. I have many food allergies and am a vegan and they were very accommodating. The staff at Sangat island are all very happy and very attentive. We did a few excursions while we were there, we went to Barracuda Lake which was amazing, the entry was a little crowded but it was fun to dive in the thermoclines that got hotter, the deeper you went. I would definitely make this the beginning of your journey to the Philippines to ease your jet lag and then move on from here to your dive liveaboard, or next adventure. We went to Tubbataha next and the experience was equally amazing.

Visited on 05/2020 - Submitted on 05/08/2020
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Oceanic III (All Star Liveaboards)

5
2
5
5

We booked a trip on the Oceanic III which was just out of renovation and we were the second group on the boat. I knew this would be a budget trip but was not prepared for what we were about to experience. First of all, let me say that the staff on this boat are amazing, the food was out of this world. This ended up being one of the best dive trips I have ever been on despite the condition of the boat.

This boat has a stack that spews dark gray smoke and asbestos from the stack, so sitting up on the top deck was impossible if you were heading into the wind. The furniture in the rooms broke apart the first day and we were unable to store anything in the dressers, we had to just live out of our suitcases. The lock on the bathroom door was sticking and frequently my roommate or I would get locked in the tiny bathroom for 30 minutes or more until someone noticed us missing, or heard us banging on the wall. If one of us didn't show up for a dive or for a meal, they knew we were locked in the bathroom. The lock was eventually fixed but it took a few days. The door slammed shut so it was almost impossible to keep it open to avoid this. On one dive the bilge pump failed on the tender we were on and started sinking, we had to bail out of the boat and another tender had to come over to transfer our tanks so we could suit up for our dive. Luckily the seas were calm for most of our trip. The last three days of our trip the seas were very rough and water splashed over the sides of the boat to the point that you couldn't get to the staterooms on the main or lower deck without getting completely soaked with seawater.

But the diving made up for any inequities on the boat. We saw a large variety of sharks, and a whale shark. Some of the dives were sort of repetitive, but Tubbataha is a very beautiful place to dive. Just go on a different boat haha.

Visited on 04/2019 - Submitted on 05/08/2020
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Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard

5
5
5
5

Diving the Sea of Cortez with the Rocio Del Mar photo workshop was one of the most amazing experiences I have had underwater. The crew on this boat is very professional and safety is the number one priority. Finding fun dive sites is the second. Julio was the captain and he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. A very competent captain, we had some pretty rough seas, but he kept us informed and we felt safe. Peter and Louis always made sure we saw the best of each dive site. The macro in the sea of Cortez is very unique, we got some amazing shots and were able to learn how to edit them for the best presentation.

The sea lions are the highlight of the trip, very playful and animated. I would go again just to dive with them. We went to Bahai de Los Angeles and swam with juvenile whale sharks, they were very curious. I think there were more than 6 or 7 at a time, we got some really awesome pics. The boat is set up perfectly for a photography workshop. The dive deck and camera tables were very well equipped and very spacious. The dive times were very well organized. Everyone had enough space to store what they needed in the baskets and also on the camera table.

The rooms were actually pretty spacious compared to other liveaboards. Plenty of drawers and space under the bed for storage. Did I mention the food? Joshua was our cook, I have food allergies and am a vegan. He was able to accommodate with amazing 5-star meals and snacks.

Visited on 05/2020 - Submitted on 05/08/2020
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Quino El Guardian

5
5
5
5

We did the shark expedition aboard the Quino El Guardian in November 2019 with shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla. If I could give 10 stars to the boat and crew I would, in every category. The boat is amazing, it isn't a luxury liveaboard, but has everything you need for an amazing trip. The dive deck and camera tables are more than adequate. The crew was very attentive, fun and safe. Our captain was Julio, safety is his number one priority. He was always available for questions, and kept us very informed on our itinerary based on the weather conditions. Dori and Joshua put out 5-star meals during the entire trip, they worked tirelessly to make sure everyone had a wonderful dining experience. I have food allergies and they were very careful to make sure I got an amazing meal each and every time. There were always plenty of snacks and drinks available.
The divemasters were very professional, Lois and Gabby know how to get the most out of Socorro so you will have an amazing experience.

The rooms on this boat are very small so don't bring a lot of extras. There is a place for you to store your luggage after you unpack so it doesn't have to stay in the room.

The diving in Socorro is second to none if you are looking for pelagics. The mantas made an appearance on every dive, they were so curious and seemed to hang around for the entire dive. We had fun playing with dolphins, swam with huge schools of tiger sharks, the Galapagos, silver tips, silkies, white tip sharks were always present. I don't think we had a dive without all of the above mentioned. We were at the beginning of whale shark season and the last day of the dive a huge pregnant female made an appearance and we dove with her for at least 30 minutes.

I would suggest going early in the season, there were only 3 boats in the area when we were there so the captains coordinated our locations so we were guaranteed to be the only boat at each dive site.

Visited on 05/2020 - Submitted on 05/08/2020
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Dumaguete Diving

5
5
5
5

Dumaguete is the perfect place to experience what the Philippines has to offer. Most of the dive resorts in the area visit all of the most popular dive sites, the house reefs have everything imaginable, seahorses, octopus, clownfish, etc. There is so much to see at every dive site it was hard to pick a favorite. Apo Island is a different experience every time you go. There are plenty of sharks, and sea turtles on every dive along with the most spectacular coral you will ever see. We stayed at a dive resort that was beautiful and the food was delicious. There are several small bars that you can safely walk to and most resorts will drive you into the city of Dumaguete. There are a lot of nice restaurants to try. We went to Oslob to swim with whale sharks, it was a fun experience and a very controlled environment. Not the same as seeing them come out of the blue, but still fun to get very close to them. The people who manage the dive resort were very familiar with photography and willing to help you fine tune your skills.

Visited on 05/2020 - Submitted on 05/12/2020
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MANTA Scuba Cabo

5
5
5
5

We dove with Manta Scuba in December 2018. I was afraid the water would be really cold so I wore my 5/4 wetsuit and I was glad I did. We dove all around Cabo in the protected parks. There are so many fish it is like swimming in an aquarium. There are resident sea lions that live on the point and they are frequent visitors to your dives, prepare for a sea lion cameo at any time. Manta also took us out to Gordo Banks, our boat saw a gray whale on the trip out it was magnificent. I would recommend going out to Gordo Banks, there is not much coral, but you will see lots of sharks and bigger schools, along with some smaller rays.

Visited on 05/2020 - Submitted on 05/12/2020
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