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 on the south-eastern corner of the island and nearby is the pass between San Miguel and Bagababoy Islands. This site can be affected by very strong currents that apparently rip through the pass.

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 south-eastern corner 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. As mentioned, the dive site at the south-eastern corner of the island near the pass. The bancas anchor in the shallows in about five metres. You head down and head north, the gradual slope a mix of sand with some small walls and bommies. The walls are perhaps 1.5 metres high. We only ended up going to 22 metres at the most.

Phyllidiidae pustulosa, notice the bug top right	Closeup of the tiny bug on the Phyllidiidae pustulosa
A tiny bug on a sea whip	Possibly Aoelidiidae species

The first thing we find is a small cave which has three firefish in it. There is also a small eel nearby. There are lots of nudibranchs, including a few I have never seen before. This includes orange-pustuled nembrotha, Nembrotha guttata and a species of (I think) Aoelidiidae. There are also some blue garden eelsm a banded sea snal=ke, some pipefish and some pufferfish.

Eel	I think this is Nembrotha guttata - orange-pustuled nembrotha
Glass shrimp	Starfish partner shrimp

There really is an amazing amount of things to see on this dive. There are plenty of soft corals, starfish (turn them over to see their partner shrimp - put them back afterwards) and anemones. The anemones have glass shrimp and clownfish in them.

Clownfish in anemone	Pufferfish
Dancing shrimp	Some of the magnificent soft corals on the walls

We spent most of our time between 14 and 20 metres, with a few drops to 22 metres. The walls really are very nice. After 45 minutes we start a slow ascent to the reef top at five metres and spend another 10 minutes there. An excellent dive site. Visibility was 15 metres and water temperature in March 26.0�C.

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