Muck Diving or Yuck Diving?

If you are a new to diving, muck diving will be more like "yuck" diving as all you will see is sand, sediment, rubble and a bunch of debris that is definitely uninspiring. However, to the experienced diver who happens to be a photographer as well, muck diving is a very rewarding experience as you will find lots of weird and wonderful marine critters!

For our last day of diving Tubbataha, we actually spent it diving near the Puerto Princesa port and boy did we see so many weird critters!

The highlight was a large flambouyant cuttlefish where it showed off its flowing colors of yellow, maroon, brown, white and red in its body.

I also got to see a fish that at first glance looked like a blade of grass floating in water but upon photographing it with a macro lens, it turned out to be a type of fish with an antenna like fin called a juvenile razorfish peacock (Iniistius pavo). Very cool!

I also saw a white thorny seahorse,

a ghost pipefish and many more!

My favorite weird critter was the pegasus seamoth which looks like a cross between a scorpion fish and a lion fish. They usually are in pairs and walk the sand floor. This one had its mate beside it but I didn't notice until after.

Check out the various weird critters from the muck of Puerto Princesa.

Next stop, Anilao Batangas!