Shoot and Dive: Practicing Underwater Photography at Kontiki

After weeks of planning, our dive tribe finally reunited for a long-awaited underwater escape. Originally meant to be a Friday night dive to practice our photography skills, plans shifted, and we set our course for Saturday afternoon at Kontiki—one of the go-to spots in Cebu for both macro critters and good vibes.

We arrived early at 2:00 PM, greeted by the dry, blistering heat of 30°C that felt like 35. The water was slightly wavy, but calm enough to get excited. Parking was easy—most freedivers were already heading home. Val, who had just wrapped up a Discover Scuba Diving session, had our table ready. While they finished lunch, the rest of us warmed up with land-based photos, tanks, and gear.

It felt good to be back in the water after more than two weeks. Even better—we were complete.
🫶 Sugbudiver: Ikuo and Keem
🐙 Aquanyox: Nino and Jhoan
🌿 Taga-Isla Outdoors: Chu and Grethel
💧 Dive Tah: Regie and Vanessa
🧜 Val and Cristy

🐸 First Dive – Frogfish, Nudibranchs, and the Pipefish Pair

We entered the water at 3:41 PM, heading out in a triangular route—from the east buoy of Kontiki, along the ledge toward J-Park, and back. Max depth: 20.5 meters. Average: 11.6 meters.

Then came the highlight: a warty frogfish—tiny, vibrant, and perfectly posed. We hadn’t seen one here in a while, so the excitement was real. Each of us took turns taking photos. As we continued, we found several nudibranch species, a pair of banded pipefish, and my personal favorite—a yellow harlequin ghost pipefish camouflaged against golden fan coral.

Aquanyox surfaced with a different story—they didn’t see the frogfish but got a turtle encounter. We didn’t mind. Every dive tells a different tale.

Back at the safety stop, we battled strong currents—likely due to the full moon. The water was a pleasant 29°C. After 66 beautiful minutes, we surfaced with big smiles.

🔥 Surface Interval – Stories, Food, and Plans

We shared stories, snacks, and sightings while prepping for the night dive. Dinner was a full dive tribe feast: lechon manok, lechon baka, liempo, and Taga-Isla’s signature hot coffee.

Two friends from Shangri-La Mactan joined us for the evening dive—Lloyd, a marine biologist, and Jolo, a new diver (40 dives since December!) We happily lent them gear to join the night dive.

🔦 Night Dive – The Missing Frogfish and New Finds

We geared up with fresh tanks and torches, descending at 7:08 PM. Depth: 15.4 meters max, averaging 8.2 meters. I swam straight to where we last saw the frogfish—she was gone. Cristy and Grethel helped search for 10 minutes, but no luck.

Still, the reef didn’t disappoint. I saw Chromodoris nudibranchs, a curious cuttlefish, and more macro gems hiding in the coral. At 50 bars, I met up with Ikuo—she had found a cute nudibranch, barely a few millimeters long.

We surfaced after 85 minutes, while Lloyd and Jolo had already wrapped up. Others stayed in for over 100 minutes! After washing up, we changed, shared more stories, and finally packed up around 10:30 PM.

💬 Final Thoughts

This dive wasn’t just about spotting rare critters—it was about coming together, sharing skills, and reconnecting with the sea and each other. Kontiki reminded us why we dive—not just for the photos, but for the friendships and the stories we create along the way.

📍 March 29, 2025 – Kontiki House Reef, Mactan, Cebu