We recently had the pleasure of welcoming a group from Bluewater Travel, for a underwater photo workshop at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa. Keep reading as trip leader Nirupam Nigam reports on an incredible week of diving and photography along the Dauin coast and at Apo Island.
Nirupam’s Underwater Camera Rig: Marelux Z8 housing with a Nikon Z8 camera, dual Sea & Sea YS-D3 Duo strobes, and a Marelux SOFT Pro Snoot
You might not consider spending hours underwater scouring a slope of black sand an adventure, but that’s exactly what it was to the group of 23 divers who joined me in Dumaguete, Philippines, on a Travel with Bluewater Underwater Photography Workshop at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa in June 2024.
Luxury and Comfort at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa
Located in the Central Visayas region, Atmosphere is a haven of luxury and worth the journey from North America. The most common route involves an international flight to Manila, followed by a domestic flight to Dumaguete and a 40-minute drive to the resort.
A quintessential view of the surprisingly large Atmosphere Resort grounds
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a welcome drink and spa voucher before settling into spacious, modern, air-conditioned villas, each featuring an outdoor shower and terrace. The sprawling resort grounds include beautiful gardens, an infinity pool, smaller pools, two gourmet restaurants, and a postcard-perfect beach.
One of our two dive boats
Throughout the week, we enjoyed massages, refreshing cocktails, and the other facilities at Atmosphere. Highlighting the trip were the incredible three-course meals at Atmosphere’s restaurants. The restaurants offer a wide selection of exquisite Filipino and Western dishes. I can confidently say the food at Atmosphere is among the finest I have enjoyed at any luxury resort I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.
The Bluewater Workshop Experience at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa
We gathered in the evening to tour the expansive camera room, which has individual stalls equipped with multiple power outlets. Atmosphere’s dive shop area boasts multiple camera cleaning stations and space for each diver’s equipment. An air-conditioned classroom hosted our nightly workshops, with me taking the lead on photography techniques and Paul Fierst leading video workshops. Topics ranged from creative macro photography to video editing techniques, while daily photo reviews encouraged students to push the limits of their creativity.
Andrew McCain, happy to be diving the prolific reefs of Apo Island during the “underwater” portion of our workshop. Photo by Nirupam Nigam
Diving Highlights along the Dauin coast and Apo Island
The Dumaguete region hosts a variety of macro sites and is home to some of the best diving in the Philippines. Much of the coastline features gently sloping sandy bottoms that house a wide variety of macro critters, some patches of coral, and artificial reefs. Nearby Apo Island boasts colorful coral reefs, walls, reef fish, and a healthy population of sea turtles. Diving is done from Atmosphere’s dive boats, which are spacious and comfortable vessels equipped with a roof to provide shade and a head for convenience.
A view of Apo Island from the Dive Boat
Day 1: Muck Diving at Masaplod North, Marina Point, and Atmosphere North
Our first critter encounter at Masaplod North was with a vibrant yellow frogfish, followed by other frogfish, nudibranchs, and anemone fish. At Marina Point, we spotted Coleman shrimp on fire urchins, which many of us had on our critter bucket lists. The day’s third dive was at Atmosphere North, home to mantis shrimp, sea kraits, and juvenile sweetlips.
Coleman shrimp photographed by Nirupam Nigam
Day 2: Apo Island South
No Bluewater trip to Atmosphere would be complete without at least one trip to Apo Island, so on day two, we explored three of the island’s dive sites: Rock East, Chapel, and Baluarte. We saw elkhorn, table, and lettuce corals, sponges, and a hawksbill turtle feasting on the reef. One dive produced at least 15 turtles, harlequin shrimp, and giant frogfish.
Stunning anthias on the reef at Apo Island by Nirupam Nigam
Day 3: Muck Diving at Guinsuan North and Basak South
We began our third day with an underwater lesson on creative macro photography, including the use of steel wool to produce a unique bokeh background. Throughout the dives, we encountered several juvenile frogfish, a mimic octopus, a leaf scorpionfish, a seahorse, cuttlefish, shrimp, orangutan crabs, nudibranchs, and an ornate ghost pipefish.
A swimming frogfish captured on the tire reef – a rare behavior – by Mel Moncrieff with a Canon 70D
Day 4: Muck Diving at Secret Corner and San Miguel
We spent another day of muck diving in Dauin, and it was filled with exceptional critter sightings. A blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, warty frogfish, Shaun the Sheep nudibranchs, and a zebra crab were among the highlights. An artificial reef provided refuge to peacock mantis shrimp, coral gobies, skeleton shrimp, and scorpionfish. Needless to say, we were all kept very busy adjusting our cameras to try to capture the perfect shot (and proof) of such outstanding subjects.
The coveted blue ringed octopus chosen by Priscella McCain
Day 5: Drift Diving at Apo Island North
After checking off such an extensive list of macro life, our group returned to the stunning reefs at Apo Island for some drift diving and wide-angle photography opportunities. Our first two dives were at Cogon and Coconut, where we enjoyed the spectacular colors of the reef while drifting with the currents. The third dive was a slower-paced drift along shallow reefs with at least a dozen sea turtles.
A green turtle under a coral overhang captured by Lance Fesler with a Canon R5 in an Ikelite housing
Day 6: Muck Diving and Other Adventures
Our group enjoyed various experiences during our final full day in Dumaguete. Those of us who chose to spend as much time as possible exploring the macro sites were not disappointed with sightings of a wonderpus, many Shaun the Sheep nudibranchs, emperor shrimp, and loads of other critters we’d seen throughout the week. Others elected to visit Oslob to snorkel with whale sharks, and some took the opportunity to sightsee in the areas around Dumaguete.
Wonderpus photographed by Jamie Siler with a Sony A6500
Farewell Dinner and Photo Contest
As we gathered to celebrate the end of another successful Photo Workshop at Atmosphere, we reviewed the photos taken throughout the week and selected the winners of our photo contest. Guillermo Viveros took home first place with a portrait of a ribbon eel, awarded for the superb technique of showcasing a black subject against a black background.
Black Ribbon Eel photographed by Guillermo Viveros with a Nikon D850 in an Isotta D860 housing
For our final evening, we shared stories and camaraderie at a traditional Filipino feast on the beach. The chefs at Atmosphere prepared a roasted pig and a cake decorated to celebrate our shared passion—scuba diving. I couldn’t imagine a more fitting end to an incredible week.
Author Bio
Nirupam Nigam is a dedicated underwater photographer and fisheries scientist. While growing up in Los Angeles, he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands. He received degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, at the University of Washington. After working as a fisheries observer on boats in the Bering Sea and North Pacific, Nirupam became the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the President of Bluewater Photo – the world’s top underwater photo & video retailer. Check out more of his photography at www.photosfromthesea.com!
To read the full trip report and see more of the amazing critters the Bluewater group photographed, click here
