Marco Vincent Dive Resort

My wife and I just got back from a one week stay at Marco Vincent Dive Resort. It was without a doubt one of the best dive experiences I have ever had. I am a former Scuba Instructor and have done a considerable amount of dive travel. Even though resort and dive boat are land based the entire operation is run more like a liveaboard. The dive boat is a large 84” outrigger design, that comes complete with a sun deck, dining room, full kitchen and ample dive deck space for up to 20 divers (we only had 5 divers during our stay). Entry was done via giant stride. Despite the boat’s size it had no issue getting to any of the local sites, or drift diving we were doing and was particularly comfortable for the longer transit to Verde island. The schedule would be a morning dive on a reef or wall, followed by a tea service between the first and second dive. After the second dive there would be a three course hot lunch, cooked on board, followed by another hour surface interval, finally the third dive of the day would typically be a “muck dive” in the harbor area. The diving in the Puerto Galera area is interesting. We came in the off season, early January. Water temperature varied between 78-80 degrees, and the visibility was on the low side, about 30-50 ft. However the biodiversity on the reefs is off the charts. The corals are very healthy with very dense patches of soft corals, and large table corals in the shallows. Fish are everywhere, and the area is a macro enthusiasts dream. There are cuttlefish, octopi, sea horses, frogfish, small coral shrimps, and dozens of species of nudibranchs in every color and pattern imaginable. As far as bigger animals go we saw plenty of turtles, sea snakes, clownfish and anemones, giant clams and large schools of fish. The afternoon muck dives were some of the most interesting. These dives would be done almost entirely over the sandy bottom, while the dive guides looked for some of the more unusual and well camouflaged critters. This is more exciting than it sounds. Our dive guide Warren was excellent, and frequently I would need to choose between photographing the ghost pipefish, stargazer, and flamboyant cuttlefish that were all sitting in the sand within 4 ft of each other. Tough choices. The other highlight was diving the coral pinnacle at Verde Island. This was a longer boat ride, about 1.5 hours from the dock, but was definitely worth the trip. Visibility here was the best we had during the trip, closer to 100 ft, and the reef itself was spectacular, with giant sea fans and corals swarmed by schools of Anthias and triggerfish, as well as large schools of Jacks and snappers swimming in the blue. As a word of warning though this is not the place to go if you are looking for large pelagics like shark or rays. The hotel itself was comfortable, but not luxurious. We were happy with the room, and the resort is kept very clean, but some of the furnishings and electronics are getting dated. The resort is not directly on

From the first moment to the last...an absolutely incredible experience. I have never felt so welcomed and appreciated. The hotel staff anticipated ever need, the dive masters were attentive and informative. The owners, Mel and Mercy, were on site and led by example. It is the only Philippino owned dive shop in the area and they take great pride in sharing their culture of warmth and hospitality. The diving will be hard to beat! There really aren't enough great things to say. Loved every second of my stay and look forward to seeing their new hotel in 2026. Salamat, Tina

I signed up for PADI open water dive course Marco Vicent Dive Resort provides. This is my first time staying at Marco Vincent and I was worried because I didn't know how to get there.....So I tried to contact MV and I could receive a lot of help from them over the phone two days before I went there!!! I could easily realize that they provide top quality dive experience by joining the program. Apol is a great instructor, I'm lucky to meet him there. I could feel the joy of Diving thanks to his passionate instruction. Every member of the MV staff was polite, friendly and professional. I can say they are the best staff in the world!!! I went back to Korea but I already miss the time and people of MV Diving Resort. Thank you guys again, You made my vacation twice more beautiful :)