When did diving along the bottom in sand or patch coral become such a popular thing. I remember back in the 90’s that people got excited about the Lembeh strait and Twilight Zone in Indonesia, and years later people were raving about Anilao in the Philippines.
Going slow and looking for small things is not every divers favorite thing to do. In fact most divers prefer beautiful coral gardens, steep walls, submerged bommies, underwater canyons, and wrecks. In fact, I have a preference for soft coral grottos, schools of fish, and large animals.
That being said, I recently went to Dauin Philippines, and had a great time thinking small. I forgot how fun it was to find and photograph little critters. I saw everything from Clown Fish to a Wonderpus, which is a special kind of octopus.
Taking the time to really look gives divers a chance to see different animals in their natural habitat. For example when swimming by a stand of wire coral or a crinoid there might be an Ornate Ghost pipe fish hiding next to it, using it as a type of camouflage.
I had such a good time I am hoping to return as soon as possible.