Kirby's Rock
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
A partly submerged rock off Maricaban's shore, Kirby's pairs a proper mini-wall with macro shelves that keep both lens choices honest. The wall face, dropping to the mid-20s, is upholstered in crinoids, tubastrea, and sea fans that hide pygmy seahorses for guides with sharp eyes, while nudibranchs and flatworms crawl the ledges in improbable colors. Off the rock, a sand channel sometimes delivers a passing turtle or school of snapper when the current runs. Cooler, greener days here feel almost temperate; on clear ones it is among Anilao's most photogenic straight-ahead reef dives.
The moment you come for: Crinoid-covered wall, pygmy seahorse fans, dual macro-and-wide character
Topography: Submerged rock with a short wall and sand channel
Current: Exposed enough to catch Verde Island Passage water; operators check conditions before committing.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Current on exchanges; boat traffic in the passage.
Conservation: Fan corals hosting pygmies are brittle; one careless strobe arm does lasting damage.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Hawksbill Turtle
Leaf Scorpionfish
Lionfish
Nudibranchs
Pygmy Seahorse
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★★★ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting