The Philippines
Atlantis Dumaguete
February 6-13, 2027
Join us in the lush, beachfront setting of Atlantis Dumaguete Resort as we dive in search of amazing creatures such as flamboyant cuttlefish, ornate ghostpipefish, frogfish, several species of octopus, seahorses, and so much more! Our trip also includes a day's excursion to dive the incredible reefs of Apo Island. With up to 5 dives per day available, you'll feel like you're diving on a liveaboard, but land-based!
Dive Package
Our dive package includes unlimited boat diving. You can begin diving the same day that we fly to Dumaguete on the short flight from Manila.
The resort offers 4 daytime dives plus a night dive every day. We will go to Apo Island for one day (3 dives) and you'll be back in time for the night dive.
We will dive in small groups of 6 or less per guide (typically less), and the guides are experts at finding the amazing small creatures unique to this area.
Specialty night dives are available for an additional fee. These include a mandarinfish dive, a blackwater dive, and a fluorescent dive. Unlimited Nitrox packages are available and highly recommended.
Atlantis Dumaguete
Resort
While you'll be blown away by the world-class diving, the service and amenities at Atlantis Dumaguete Resort are also top notch! The resort features 44 rooms in a lush tropical garden setting, along with a pool and spa. This is a quiet, dive-focused resort where the staff will quickly greet you by name.
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Toko's Restaurant, the resort's open-air beachfront restaurant. Breakfast is a-la-carte, and for lunch and dinner you will select 3 courses from their daily menu.
A spacious camera room is available for photographers, equipped with storage space, air guns, 110-v chargers with surge protection, and more.
The dive center offers each diver a storage cubby and hanging racks, although guides will gladly bring all of your gear to the boat each day.
The diving in Dauin, Philippines is regarded as some of the most fascinating diving in the world. Here are more details on what to expect from the diving on this trip:
-
"Critter diving" also known as "muck diving": we will search an area of black volcanic sand for the weird and wonderful creatures that call this area home. This includes flamboyant cuttlefish, a multitude of nudibranch species, frogfish of all sizes, an array of scorpionfish species, at least 4 species of octopus (including the wunderpus and blue ring octopus) and much more.
-
There are some areas of artificial reef which attract huge schools of tropical fish, along with the "critters"
-
We'll dive natural reef areas in a protected sanctuary, where common sightings include peacock mantis shrimp, ribbon eels, and huge sea turtles.
-
We'll take an outrigger boat to Apo Island, which is a protected area about 45 minutes from the resort. We'll find a beautiful, healthy reef where sea kraits and giant frogfish are commonly spotted.
-
Every dive is an adventure here!
Below are photos from a 2025 trip to Atlantis Dumaguete taken by a SELA SCUBA leader:
Travel Package
Inclusions:
-
7 nights' stay at Atlantis Dumaguete
-
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Atlantis
-
Coffee, tea, filtered water (+ specialty coffees at breakfast)
-
Round-trip ground transfers between Dumaguete airport and resort
-
Unlimited scheduled boat diving (up to 4 dives per day and one night dive per day)
-
One trip to Apo Island or similar
-
Unlimited Internet access
Exclusions:
-
Gratuity
-
Flights
-
Nitrox
-
Alcohol, beverages other than coffee/tea/filtered water
-
Marine park fees (~$15/day)
-
Tourist tax (~$8/day)
To allow travelers to select their own airline upgrades/seats, guests will be responsible for booking their own flights, with guidance from trip leaders. Trip leaders will send details of the recommended flights. Philippine Airlines offers a daily direct flight from LAX to Manila, and then we will take a one-hour flight from Manila to Dumaguete. Atlantis will pick us up from the airport in Dumaguete for a 30-minute transfer to the resort. Depending on the flight schedule from the U.S. to Manila, we may arrive in Manila on February 5, stay overnight, and take a morning flight to Dumaguete on February 6. Trip leaders are happy to help you with flight plans; please check with us before you book your flights to ensure transfer times.
Pricing
$3200 per diver, double occupancy
Deluxe Garden Room - Choose from king bed or 2 twin beds
$500 deposit per person to reserve your space, with balance due by November 15, 2026
Single divers: Contact us for single occupancy pricing, or contact us if you are willing to share with another diver of the same gender. We can attempt to place you in a shared room for double occupancy pricing.
Current and former SELA Aquatics employees in good standing (including seasonal employees):
We are offering a discounted rate; contact Robyn@selaaquatics.com for details.
