Vessels
Atlantis Azores
Atlantis Azores (Atlantis Azores)
The Atlantis Azores is a very comfortable liveaboard that carries a maximum of 16 passengers in 8 cabins. Each air-conditioned cabin has a private head and shower. Seven of the cabins are on the lower deck and the suite is on the upper deck. Between dives guests can relax on the sundeck (either in or out of the shade) or try the amazing hot tub! The salon has an excellent collection of books, videos and music to enjoy.
The dive deck covers the aft third of the main deck. Large gear lockers double as seats and line the rails and centre. Two tanks are mounted at the back of each locker, so it is easy to don your equipment at your seat or ask for the tank to be taken to the dive platform. A large three-tiered camera table has plenty of space for camera assembly or preparation and separate rinse tanks are kept for cameras and videos. The photography department provides rental cameras and accessories as well as the services of the photo pro if you require a model or expert advice. A range of PADI and NAUI speciality courses are offered, including Nitrox training. A full range of diving equipment is available for rental by pre-arrangement.
For after the dive there is a freshwater shower and clean towels awaiting, as well as the chef’s freshly prepared snacks to appease the after-dive hunger pangs! The chef on Atlantis Azores likes to prepare food especially for you, starting with freshly brewed coffee and boat-baked bread. Ripe seasonal fruit from Atlantis’s farms will be juiced and served before the first dive. Lunches are usually fresh garden salads, omelettes or soups with yoghurt and fruits served as desert. Dinners might be ‘Filipino Suppers’, Seafood Specials, or perhaps an ‘Asian Fusion Night’. Homemade biscuits, cakes and fresh fruit are served between dives.
Most diving is done from one of two zodiacs, which means that travel times to and from the dive sites are very short. Nitrox is available on all cruises and technical diving and re-breathers are possible by pre-arrangement. All divers are required to have their own dive computer and surface signalling device.
Example cruise itineraries:
TUBBATAHA (7 nights trips from March-June)
Day 1: Board Atlantis Azores in Puerto Princessa and begin the journey to Tubbataha. Day 2: Wall diving at the northern tip of North Atoll can be quite exciting with visits from reef sharks as well as Manta Rays a possibility. The walls here are replete with hard and soft corals. Day 3: After moving ‘around the corner’ you’ll be on the southern end of North Atoll. A dusk dive to see the fish feeding is a must and everything from the very small the very big pays a visit to this area, from nudibranchs to Manta Rays and from flatworms to Trevally. Day 4: After steaming further south to the southern tip of South Atoll, you’ll be in the best place for Manta Ray sightings, and when they come they have been known to spend quite a while with the divers! This area features a good selection of large schooling fish such as Great Barracuda and many a tuna! Day 5: The sheltered Lighthouse area is home to colourful reefs boasting soft corals and plenty of anemone. Day 6: The cruise ends at the southern end of North Atoll where the diving offers a superb cross section of everything Tubbataha has to offer. Those with keener eyes might spot the pygmy seahorse when not distracted by the reef sharks. Day 7: Disembark Atlantis Azores after returning to Puerto Princessa.
BOHOL (7 nights trips between June and September)
Day 1: Board Atlantis Azores at Dumaguete. Day 2: Enjoy an easy start to the trip with some gentle diving at Sumilon, a very picturesque location above and below the waves. Whale Sharks and Hammerheads have been known to visit here! Day 3: At Cabilao Island you will find some of the best diving in The Philippines. The walls here will entertain divers all day long and divers can enjoy healthy reefs with excellent biodiversity. Day 4: At Balicasag the drop-offs can distract you so keep an eye on your depth! The overhangs attract napoleon wrasse, grouper and snapper as well as an abundance of smaller fish. Day 5: At Panglao Island, right in the middle of the Visayas you should look out for reef sharks, schooling barracuda, ghost pipefish and pygmy seahorses. Day 6: The wonderful array of hard and soft corals at Pamilican make for some very picturesque diving. Manta Rays have been known to visit this area and bring their Eagle Ray friends along too! Day 7: Known as the ‘Island of Fire’ by many Filipinos, Siquijor is thought to be home to witches! It seems they have cast their spells on the walls around Siquijor as they are very enticing to all the divers who dive here! Day 8: Disembark Atlantis Azores after returning to Dumaguete.
SOUTHERN LEYTE (7 nights trips from January-March)
Day 1: After arriving in Tacloban and transferring by road to Padre Burgos, you will board Atlantis Azores. Day 2: The current swept reefs of Max’s Climax and Voltaire’s Rock set the pace for this thrilling trip. Expect plenty of big fish action when the current is moving. A night dive at Malibog is a more relaxed affair with octopi, frogfish and Slipper crabs for company. Day 3: Explore the walls of Sogod Bay to discover the nudibranchs and ribbon eels that reside here. Look out for pygmy seahorses too! Day 4: A visit to the marine sanctuary of Liloan Channel affords the chance to marvel at the giant gorgonian fans and soft corals. Day 5: In the southern part of Sogod Bay the fish life becomes denser with the ever cooperative Batfish and anthias present. Look out for Mandarinfish especially at dusk! Day 6: Follow in the footsteps of world-famous explorer Magellan and check out the caves at Adrian’s Cove and Zack’s Cove. The deeper you go, look out for hammerheads! Day 7: Between November and May San Francisco Bay and Sonok is a Whale Shark sanctuary. More often than not during this period you can snorkel with them! Day 8: Disembark Atlantis Azores at Tacloban.
ANILAO (7 nights trips between November and January, and October to December)
Day 1: Board Atlantis Azores in Puerto Galera. Day 2: Your first day diving at Maricaban is a gentle reintroduction to the underwater world on colourful and busy reefs with plenty of smaller fish and corals galore. Day 3: At Sombrero Island (so named for its shape) the ridges and caverns of the reef make for some picturesque reef scenes. Day 4: A day spent a Lipgo Island allows a full exploration of this seamount that can be circumnavigated in one dive. Night diving affords chances to see the critters coming out to party. Day 5: At Anilao, widely regarded as the home of Philippine diving you can enjoy the best macro diving in The Philippines and rich coral life. Day 6: Diving at Bonito Island and Chicken Feather Island are a fishy affair! Observe the parrotfish, grouper and batfish and look out for the underwater Hot Spring created by the Taal volcano. Day 7: The final day of diving on this trip at Verde Island may well be the best. Fabulous visibility, excellent topography and stunning fish life at this pinnacle will make this a day to remember!