Moalboal Sardine Dive July 4, 2025

Russ and Barbara couldn't dive on the 4th because they had an early morning flight to Manila on the 5th (this morning), so it was Phillip and I diving with Cian for these last three dives of the trip. Our first dive was the Sardine Dive, a very unique dive expreience and good fun. Some photos from it are below. To see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZYLTmS8L8E3G8mS79 Phillip is a long time friend of Tom Campbell's dating back to their Marine Reccanaissance days during the Vietnam War. This was Phillip's first diving trip for fun in many years. Phillip's 81, so nine years younger than me, if I hired a professional trainer and worked out deligently for the next nine years maybe I could match him, but doubt it! From the first minute we hit the water we were engulfed in a massive school of millions of sardines which came and went as we cruised the wall on the site. Below: Phillip descending in the mass of sardines, followed by several photos of the sardine school. Awesome!

Above: The individual sardines were 4-5 inches long. Some other encounters we had along the wall dive. Below:

Phillip with a Lionfish, below:

Phillip with another Lionfish followed by seeing three beautiful juvenile Batfish (aka Spadefish), below:

Cian used my camera to take some pictures of me with the sardines and then, later, did so again and took photos of Phillip and I with the shiny horde. Below:

A school of passing Trevally (jacks). Nothing was attacking the giant school of sardines while we were there. Below:

I took a few more shots of Phillip with the sardines as we wound up our very fun first dive on our last day of diving for the trip. Below: