South-East Asia
FOCUS ON PHILIPPINES: SOGOD BAY with ALEX TATTERSALL
Creative and relaxed shooting in the Philippines epicentre of biodiversity
Dates: Sunday 14th April - Thursday 25th April 2013 (12 days)
Leader: Alex Tattersall
Group Size Limit: 12 plus leader
Butterfly Kisses! (Alex Tattersall)
Alex Tattersall is a relative newcomer to the world of underwater photography making his photographic achievements during this short time ‘in the industry’ all the more impressive. He learned to dive in 2001 in Venezuela and worked as a dive master on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia for one year. It was not until 2006 after some 500+ dives that he first picked up an underwater camera whilst living in Taiwan. His infectious passion was instant and he went on to set up an underwater photographic retail outlet in Taiwan. During this period he traveled extensively in South East Asia and picked up a number of photographic prizes for his underwater life portraiture. Returning to the UK in 2009, he went on to set up a photographic outlet, Underwater Visions Ltd. and is responsible for the innovative Nauticam product range in the UK. The philosophy behind this business venture is quite simply to be able to share his passion for underwater photography. He has much experience in leading photo trips and prides himself on promoting a relaxed, non-competitive and creative environment for all in order to learn through maximum hands-on underwater photographic opportunities and the sharing of ideas and experiences between the group whilst not under the water. Through his principals of creativity and simplicity in underwater photography, you will learn many insights into the thought and technique behind the award-winning photos for which Alex is becoming increasingly well-known.
The focus of this trip is to maximize our time underwater where the real practical learning can take place. As such, formal, directed teaching will mostly give way to a more informal hands-on approach to improving our photography together in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. Although Alex will be available to share his technical and creative experience and provide feedback and suggestions for developing your individual photographic style, the expectation is for all guests to contribute to a constructive and enjoyable peer-learning experience for all. For his first Divequest expedition Alex has chosen to return to one of his favourite diving locations; Sogod Bay in The Philippines. This trip promises photographers some of South-East Asia's finest and most diverse photographic dive opportunities. Far from the beaten track, Sogod Bay offers world class diving within easy reach of the resort.
Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte offers wonderful scuba diving with spectacular dive sites in one of The Philippines most recently discovered diving regions. The prolific marine life ranges from pygmy seahorses through to whale sharks and there is also an incredible variety of extremely healthy and undamaged hard and soft coral. Sogod Bay offers a plethora of pristine reefs and when diving with Sogod Bay Dive Resort will probably be the only divers at any given site dived during your stay. Much of the Sogod Bay area is relatively unexplored and as a result new dive sites are discovered often. You can experience all this in a beautiful and peaceful tropical setting without fighting with hoards of other divers!
Visitors will be treated to a variety of different diving experiences ranging from the pristine to the 'mucky'. Within several kilometers of the resort are a number of marine conservation sites offering magnificent reef scenes and frequent encounters with larger schooling fish. Whale Sharks are known to visit this area each March and April and we will time our trip to coincide with Whale Shark season. Resident schools of highly photogenic species such as oriental sweetlips, midnight snapper and humphead wrasse make for some excellent photographic opportunities at sites such as Lungsodaan (also known as Max Climax!), Napantao and Whip City. We will also get plenty of opportunity to visit the local muck sites such as Ghost Town and Padre Burgos Pier (a fabulous night dive) to spend time with some of the more weird and wonderful critters characteristic of the muck diving in this region. Wonderpus, numerous frogfish, snake-eels, seahorses, nudibranchs and stargazers are all waiting for you!?
Sogod Bay Dive Resort is the sole sponsor of four recently established marine sanctuaries, three of which are within either walking distance or a ten minute boat ride of the resort. Sogod Bay now has 11 marine sanctuaries within the Bay. Limasawa is the latest marine sanctuary in the bay and is one of the largest in The Philippines and includes two popular dive sites; Adrians Cove and Zack’s Wall where plunging walls festooned with gorgonians harbour nudibranchs galore and occasionally a Scalloped Hammerhead Shark!
There are a few new discoveries in Sogod bay. In the marine sanctuary in Santa Sofia
flamboyant cuttlefish have been sighted. In the Lungsodaan marine sanctuary are at least three varieties of pygmy seahorses and in Napantau marine sanctuary resides at least one Warty Frogfish.
Five excellent sites lie immediately outside the resort, so it could be said that there were five house reefs! The sites offer a great variation of walls where currents bring larger scooling fish, and sheltered areas where you can hope to find pygmy seahorses and frogfish amongst the corals.
Other dive sites are within a 10 to 30 minute boat ride from the resort and whether you seek macro subjects or some more thrilling drift dives, there will be a site to suit your tastes and photographic requirements.
The resort can accommodate 22 divers in 11 rooms. There are five Ocean Front rooms offering excellent views of Sogod Bay. Four deluxe rooms are a newer build just a little way back from the beach and two budget rooms have no views of the bay. All rooms have air conditioning, a fan, tea and coffee making facilities and en-suite bathrooms. Deluxe rooms have cable TV, a mini bar and a large terrace from which you can enjoy the sea vistas.
Outline Itinerary
Sunday 14th April: Arrival into Manila and overnight at The Heritage Hotel.
Monday 15th April: Early morning flight to Tacloban and transfer to Sogod Bay Scuba Resort for a 10 nights stay.
Tuesday 16th April – Wednesday 24th April: Nine days of diving in Sogod Bay.
Thursday 25th April: Morning departure from Tacloban to Manila for an early evening flight (subject to your final destination).
PRICE: $1800 (provisional price, to be confirmed)
Includes:
• 1 night room and breakfast accommodation at the Heritage Hotel, Manila, on a twin/share basis.
• Scheduled flights Manila/Tacloban/Manila with Air Philippines
• Transfers in Tacloban
• 10 nights room only accommodation on a twin/share basis in an Apartment room at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
• 9 days diving including three dives per day on air
• Services of Alex Tattersall as leader
Single occupancy supplement: $98 at the Heritage Hotel, Manila, and $165 in an Apartment room at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort (provisional prices, to be confirmed).
Upgrade to an Ocean View Cottage: $17 (provisional price, to be confirmed)
Rebate to stay in a Cottage room (these have no views): $41 (provisional price, to be confirmed)
Nitrox supplement: $32 (provisional price, to be confirmed).
Please note: A marine park fee of PHP100 per day is due each time you enter the marine park, of which there are 6 accessible from Sogod Bay Scuba Resort. As we wish to maintain total flexibility on the dive programme these will be due locally as and when you dive the marine park.
Flights: Please contact us.