The Cathedral

Anilao's most storied dive is a natural amphitheater between two coral-covered mounds, floored at around 15-20 m, where a concrete cross, blessed by Pope John Paul II and lowered in the early 1980s, stands as the centerpiece. Generations of Filipino divers made their first descent here, and the bowl still gathers sergeant majors, wrasse, and snapper in expectant clouds, a habit left over from the feeding era that operators have since abandoned. Soft corals fringe the rims, moray eels tenant the crevices, and the site's history gives an otherwise modest reef a sense of occasion.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: The sunken cross, fish-filled amphitheater, a piece of Philippine diving history

التضاريس: Rocky amphitheater between two coral mounds

التيار: Usually gentle; occasional flow across the amphitheater mouth.

المخاطر: Depth creeps quickly below the bowl; watch no-deco time while composing photos.

الحفاظ على البيئة البحرية: Feeding the fish is discouraged today; let the amphitheater's residents find their own meals.

نيتروكس: يستحق الأمر هنا: الملفات الشخصية تقع في النطاق الذي يُمدّد فيه الهواء المدعّم (نيتروكس) وقت الغوص دون توقف تمديدًا ملموسًا، مع التدريب اللازم لاستخدامه.