Anilao Philippines Ultimate Photo Workshop April 2027

Anilao Philippines Ultimate Photo Workshop April 2027

Dive into one of the best critter destinations in the world on the first of Bluewater Travel's Spring 2027 macro photo workshops.

Why Join This Trip?

• Attend our most popular 10-night underwater photo trip
• Chance to see every underwater critter, nudibranch, and fish on your bucket list, and then some
• Free intensive macro photography tutorials, training, and workshops
• Diver to Guide ratio is 2:1
• Amazing dive guides, only 4 divers per private boat with 2 guides, most dive sites are just minutes away
• 25% discount on rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
• Fully refundable deposit until 12 months from departure

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Trip Overview

Bluewater Travel’s Anilao workshops are designed for photographers who want more time, more subjects, and better results. With small guide-to-diver ratios, extended dive times, and top sites just 10–20 minutes from the resort, you’ll spend less time traveling and more time capturing incredible images.

Our trips go beyond standard diving, offering free underwater photography training and support from three experienced macro instructors. Guests can enjoy fun competitions rewarding everything from rare critters and nudibranch species to standout macro, wide-angle, video, and behavior shots. Whether you’re shooting on a compact camera or a full professional setup, our expert team ensures a relaxed, supportive environment where everyone improves and comes home with portfolio-worthy images.

Check out our complete guide to our Anilao Photo Workshops!

Check out this awesome video from one of our previous trips to Anilao:

Read about our latest Anilao Spring Trip.

Anilao is widely regarded as one of the richest macro reefs in the world. From just a few meters below the surface down to deeper slopes, you’ll be surrounded by an astonishing variety of subjects, from rhinopias and blue-ring octopus to hairy frogfish, pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, and even bobbit worms.

Images by Craig Wilhelm (L) & Erik Lukas (R)

Often called the nudibranch capital of the world, Anilao delivers an endless stream of unique encounters, meaning your memory cards will fill up fast and every dive offers something new to discover.

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Sample Itinerary

Here's the schedule for this trip:

• Day 1: Arrival at the resort will be between 11am-1pm from Manila hotels. Rooms will be available for check-in between 12pm and 2pm. While waiting for rooms to become available, guests can have lunch (runs from 12-2), unpack their camera gear in the camera room, or relax in the common areas. There are 2 optional afternoon dives the day of arrival, which can take place as soon as 4 guests are ready for a dive (4 divers per boat).
• Day 2-9: Each subsequent day of the trip includes either 3 or 4 dives per day, consisting of 2 in the morning and 1 or 2 in the afternoon (on the 4 dive days, the fourth dive will be a night dive). There will be underwater photo seminars and image reviews in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.
• Day 10: On the second to last day, there will be no afternoon dives. There will be 2 morning dives, a photo contest and group dinner.
• Day 11: Check-out and departure back to Manila Airport or hotels. Shuttle transfers take approx 3.5 hours between Anilao-Manila so book your departure flight after lunch if you prefer to avoid an early start.

To get a little insight as to what the workshop is like, read the report from our 2023 Anilao Photo Workshop.

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Diving Conditions

Spring time offers the best diving conditions in Anilao, with calm conditions and little rain.

• Water Temperature: 79 - 80°F (26 - 27°C)
• Visibility: 40 - 50ft
• Depth Range: 5 - 30 m (16 - 100 feet)

Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Anilao, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).

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Trip Type

This trip is a PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP. Led by one of our photo instructors and will include daily underwater photography tutorials, in-water photography support, and one-to-one advice and guidance as required.

What to Expect From Our Photo Workshops

• Daily photo workshops - Your photo instructor will schedule seminars each day on topics including, but not limited to, equipment type and selection, the concept of underwater photography, lighting and composition techniques, and post-processing. They will also include additional topics relevant to the location and your experience.
• In-water support - Where possible, each dive group will spend time underwater with the photo instructor, receiving in-water support and guidance on their shooting techniques. Participants can also request in-water assistance during the workshop and the photo instructor will do his or her best to accommodate all requests.
• Consecutive days of practice & review - Each day you will have the opportunity to practice the techniques and skills learned in the previous day’s tutorials. If you are new to underwater photography you will likely see a vast improvement in just a few days.
• Daily photo image reviews - You are strongly encouraged to bring your laptop, a thumb drive, edit your photos, and submit your shots for review from both the instructor and your peers. These are fun and interactive sessions encouraging you to improve throughout the trip.
• Quality time with fellow photographers - Both new and experienced photographers from past workshops have expressed the advantages of joining a trip with like-minded divers with a passion for underwater photography.
• Suitable for everyone - New and experienced photographers are welcome on all our trips. Gain the necessary skills to start shooting great photos, increase your confidence in finding the best underwater shots, or hone specific skills. We also encourage non-photographers to join, as many of them really enjoy the daily photo reviews, learning about underwater photography, and some have even returned to a photo workshop with an underwater camera setup!

Enjoy free, unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge and advice from your photo instructor.

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Inclusions

• 10 nights of deluxe accommodations in sealed rooms with air-conditioning
• All meals included (breakfast/lunch/dinner)
• Free-flow coffee/drinking water and snacks
• Free WiFi
• Daily photo workshops to help you improve your photography
• 3 or 4 dives per day inc. night dives (32 dives total)
• Diver to guide ratio of 2:1
• Nitrox for EANx certified divers
• All dive ticket (park fee for dive sites)
• Round-trip transfers from/to Manila Airport or hotels in the Metro Manila area on trip arrival/departure days only

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Exclusions

• Transfers for early arrival or late departure days ($25 one way)
• Hotel stays/ day rooms before or after the workshop
• Extra dives ($45 per dive, paid on site)
• Private dive spotter ($35 per dive, $45 if you request a specific guide, paid on site)
• Blackwater dive surcharge (in place of night dive) ($45 per dive, paid on site)
• Equipment rental ($100 per stay, paid on site)
• Dive insurance (mandatory)
• Travel Insurance - ask us about our preferred partner plan

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About the Crystal Blue Resort

The resort is on a hill and involves climbing stairs

Crystal Blue offers spectacular diving, amazing macro photography, knowledgeable guides, incredible cuisine, and comfortable ocean-view accommodations. The resort has a bar, restaurant, spa, jacuzzi, awesome food and offers 17 rooms that consist of deluxe rooms, superior rooms, and a large family villa.

Read the reviews of Crystal Blue Resort here.

Connectivity

At Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, complimentary Wi-Fi is available for guests throughout the property, including in common areas and most rooms. The connection is generally reliable for everyday use such as email, messaging and light browsing, but it can be slower or less stable when the resort is busy or during peak evening hours, so heavy streaming or large downloads may be limited.

If you need faster or more consistent connectivity, local Philippine SIM cards are a good option: major providers like Globe and Smart both offer prepaid data plans with 4G/LTE coverage in the Anilao area. You can purchase a SIM and data package at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) kiosks or convenience stores as soon as you arrive. Just ensure your phone is unlocked before travel.

Most major US mobile phone providers offer international “bolt-on” or add-on packages that let you use your phone abroad without changing SIMs. The details vary by carrier and plan.

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Anilao Trip Extensions

Want to extend your trip? We can help with that! See more of the Philippines before or after your workshop in Anilao with Bluewater. Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your reservation.

Read More.

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Trip Leaders

Mark Hatter

Mark Hatter is an international award-winning photojournalist who has had over one hundred feature articles with many hundreds of images published in more than three dozen diving publications and fly fishing publications over the last three decades. His most recent destination features have appeared in Ocean Geographic and Asian Diver (UK) magazines.

Mark has traveled the world in pursuit of new underwater photography challenges, including cold-water destinations such as British Columbia and even Antarctica.

“Of course, I love shooting in tropical locations but I think cold water diving is a great forcing function to hone one’s photography skills as the environment and equipment are much more demanding of a diver. Good image capture in cold water is particularly rewarding.” Mark tells us.

Mark has been shooting underwater since the early 1980s and has worked in both film and digital mediums in his photojournalism pursuits. In 35 years of diving, Mark has logged over 2,500 hours, much of it doing underwater photography. Currently, he teaches underwater photography classes locally at Seminole Scuba in Lake Mary, Florida and works for Aggressor Adventures as a commercial photographer and writer.

Read more about Mark Hatter.

Mike Bartick

Mike is a highly published, award-winning photographer, writer, international speaker, and Photo pro at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines. He is passionate about connecting people with marine life through photos and video. His love for critters has led him across the globe, landing him in Anilao more than a decade ago where he conducts a variety of different workshops each year.

He has pioneered blackwater diving in Anilao and other locations globally and is a dedicated dive professional who guides and consults on wildlife projects, scuba gear, camera gear, and lighting equipment.

At the end of the day, Mike considers himself just a guy with a camera that is lucky enough to do what he loves. "Do it for the love, Not the likes"

You can check out more of Mike's work at www.Saltwaterphoto.com

Read more about Mike Bartick.

Douglas Klug

Douglas Klug is an underwater photographer, diving industry writer, SCUBA instructor, and diving guide based in Santa Barbara, California. Since taking his first underwater breaths on certification dives at the Monterey Breakwater over 40 years ago, "Diver" Doug has continued to explore California's waters as well as many tropical destinations. His favorite diving destinations are the kelp forests of Southern California's Channel Islands, where he enjoys photographing the majestic kelp forests, curious marine mammals, and tiny colorful nudibranchs.

Doug's photo essays have been published worldwide in print by major diving industry publications, including California Diving News, DAN Alert Diver, and Dive Training. Doug primarily shoots stock imagery, and his photographs have been used in numerous print and digital formats by organizations including the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. National Marine Sanctuary, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Forbes, The Guardian, Yahoo News, National Geographic, Google, and MSN News.

Doug also has extensive experience training divers in underwater skills, holding professional-level certifications from NAUI, SSI, PADI, NASDS, and TDI. When he's not taking underwater photographs, Doug is active as an underwater guide for divers unfamiliar with Southern California diving. He also teaches recreational SCUBA lessons through the University of California, Santa Barbara, and conducts underwater photography workshops focused on kelp forest diving and photography.

You can view Doug's underwater work on Instagram at @divindk, and prints are available on his website at www.rightplacetime.com.

Read more about Douglas Klug.

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How To Get There

Flight Information

ARRIVAL

We recommend guests plan to arrive in Manila (MNL) one day before the workshop begins (April 20th) and stay overnight in a hotel near the airport. Our transfer will pick you up from your hotel the following morning. We have 3 hotel recommendations for guests:

• Manila Marriott
• Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City
• The Belmont Hotel

Alternatively, you can arrive at Manila Airport on the morning of the first day of the workshop (April 21st) any time before 10 am and the shuttle will pick you up directly from the airport.

DEPARTURE

Guests will be transferred back to the airport or their next hotel on the last day of the workshop (May 1st). The transfer time is around 3.5 hours, and we recommend arriving at the airport 3 hours before your flight. Transfers will depart throughout the day, based on flight times. Booking an afternoon/evening flight would be advised for those who do not want an early start.

Flight Package

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed.

If you would like us to book flights and transit hotels for domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Contact Us for more information.

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Payment Schedule

• Deposit: $500 to book your spot
• Payment 2: $800 due 1 July 2026
• Balance: Due 1 December 2026

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