Scientists call this the centre of the centre of marine shorefish biodiversity on earth, more species per square metre than…Scientists call this the centre of the centre of marine shorefish biodiversity on earth, more species per square metre than anywhere measured. Blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, every nudibranch you have seen photographed, plus a genuine wall at Verde Island with soft coral and pelagics. A 2005 Smithsonian-led study identified the Verde Island Passage as the global peak of shorefish biodiversity. It is also one of the busiest shipping lanes in the Philippines and the site of a serious 2023 oil spill, the conservation fight over it is live and worth knowing about. Anchorage: Sheltered anchorages along the Batangas coast; 3 hours by road from Manila, which makes it the most accessible world-class diving in Asia. Hazards: No site-specific hazards noted, brief normally. Plus