Scuba divers name PH, Malaysia best destinations in Pacific, Indian Oceans
By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Frolicking among the
fishes beneath the waves is one of the many pleasures that await visitors of
what has been considered as among the best diving destinations in the world.
INQUIRER PHOTO
As summer sizzles, the Philippines has
been named the best diving destination in the Pacific and Indian Oceans together
with Malaysia, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Tuesday.
A survey by Scuba Diving Magazine, through
its website www.scubadiving.com, showed that scuba divers considered the
Philippines and Malaysia the best diving destinations in this part of the world.
“The website is host to the most
knowledgeable and honest community of real divers from all over the world on the
Internet,” said Karen Chan, executive director of the DOT’s Philippine
Commission on Sports Scuba Diving.
Chan said the Philippines was also named
the “second best” for shore diving, second for best macro photo, third best for
marine life, fourth in healthiest marine environment and fifth for wreck diving.
“Likewise, we placed third as best
destination overall for diving, topside, adventure, nightlife and others, also
in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions,” she said.
Chan also pointed out that Atlantis Beach
Resort in Dumaguete City was named among the best dive resorts in the world.
“We have a lot of dive sites from
Tubbataha; the whole island of Cebu from Malapascua in the north to Moalboal in
the south; and of course, Anilao in Batangas,” she said.
“In fact, 15 percent of foreign tourists
who arrive in the country come here for diving,” she added.
The Philippines still has 500 “mostly
unexplored dive sites,” said Benedict Reyes, president of the Philippine
Association on Underwater Activities and a board member of the Asian Underwater
Federation.
“If developed, [these dive sites] may give
the country the distinction of being Asia’s dive capital,” Reyes said.
‘Center of the center’
“In fact, the Philippines is already being
regarded by many foreign divers as the ‘center of the center’ of diving in the
world,” he added.
Reyes is the main proponent of the World
Underwater Federation General Assembly, which will be held at Shangri-La Mactan
Resort and Spa from April 17 to 23.
The assembly will gather around 150
federation leaders who are key movers in underwater activities throughout the
world.
To take advantage of this gathering, the
DOT is holding the country’s first international dive expo, also at Shangri-La
Mactan from April 18 to 21.
Dubbed World DEEP (Dive Expo and
Exhibition Philippines), the expo aims to make world-class diving destinations
in the country known to the world.
One
big dive site
“The Philippines is one big dive site,”
Reyes said.
The DOT said World DEEP would also put in
the limelight alternative underwater sports not yet booming in the country.
It said the expo would have seminars on
fin swimming, underwater photography, underwater wrestling or aquathlon, and
breath-hold diving, or apnoea diving.
No comments:
Post a Comment