The prime diving sites in the Ticao Island/Donsol area are around the San Miguel Island and the other islands near it. This island is at the northern end of Ticao Island. This dive site is, as you can see from the name, near the small lighthouse which is on the northern tip of the island. This site can be affected by currents and so can only be done when they are not too strong.

San Miguel Island is located at the top left of chart. Ticao Island Resort is near bottom right of island.	An enlarged section of the chart at left. Dive site is at tip of San Miguel Island.

It is about 45 to 50 minutes run from Ticao Island Resort and probably an hour or so from Donsol in a large banca. The dive actually starts a little to the east of the northern-most point. The bancas anchor in the shallows in about eight metres. You head down and drop over the top down a very steep slope. Heading north, the wall gradually gets less steep the further you go. You drop to the depth you want wall and head down to the depth you want to achieve.

I think this is Hypselodoris variobranchia	I think this are Doto ussi, feeding on a hydroid and laying eggs

The reef has a lot of hydroids and sea whips. The sea whips are home to gobies, but they are hard to photograph as they move around a lot. In the end I get some nice photos.

Nembrotha millieri - Miller's Nembrotha	Sea whip gobie

As we go along we see plenty of interesting things. This includes anemones with clownfish, porcelain crabs and glass shrimps in them. There are also banded shrimp and lots of nudibranchs. One of these was a Miller's Nembrotha (Nembrotha millieri), very large and one I have never seen before. Also there were a number of Doto ussi (I think), a very strange looking nudibranch. This was also the first time I have seen this species (see photos). Some of them were laying eggs as well.

Porcelain crab in anemone	"Dancing" shrimp

Apart from one short drop to 28 metres, we spend the first part of the dive (20 minutes) at just under 20 metres. We then ascent a little to 15 metres for the next 18 minutes and then a gradual ascent to five metres where we do an extended safety stop.

This was a very nice dive, very colourful reef with lots to see. Visibility was 15 metres or so and water temperature in March 26.0�C.

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