Photography at Mike’s
The seas around Dauin are teeming with underwater life – perfect for underwater photography. It’s only natural to want to take pictures and video to share your experiences with family and friends, to identify and learn about new and unfamiliar species, to create some truly memorable images for your home, or simply to enjoy mastering a new skill underwater and seeing great results.
At Mike’s, we can cater for every level of photographer, from casual snapper to serious professional. You don’t even have to own your own equipment – you can try it all out for yourself by hiring ours for the day. Learn more below….
PADI Digital Underwater Photography Specialty Course
1 day, 2 dives, including equipment, Marine Park fees, PADI manual and certification fee.*
A one day PADI course aimed at introducing you to underwater digital cameras, how to get the best out of them, how to begin to take great looking pictures, rather than just “snaps”, and what to do with the images once you are back on dry land. A very informative and useful manual accompanies the course, and a PADI Specialty certification is included in the price. No tests or final exams, just reviewing knowledge learned during the day with your Instructor. Great for divers just beginning to take pictures underwater, and more experienced photographers looking to develop their skills.
Tailor-made Photo Workshops
1, 2 or 3 days, 2 dives per day, including equipment and Marine Park Fees.*
Designed around your requirements, Photo Workshops provide you with the opportunity to really focus (!) on developing your skills in Underwater Photography. These workshops are an eclectic mix of dives dedicated to photography, informal teaching and review sessions before and after dives, composition critique, image editing and enhancement guidance, equipment advice, publishing & presentation tips, and more. If you are new to underwater photography, why not start with the PADI Digital Underwater Photography Specialty (1 day), then add a further 1 or 2 days of workshops to really push your skills to even greater heights? Workshops are run on demand, have no minimum number of students, and are ideal for small groups, where there is an even greater opportunity to learn tips and skills from other divers, all whilst having fun!
Click here for an example itinerary of a 3 day workshop run recently for 3 students.
Camera Hire
We have a Canon S100 compact digital camera with dedicated underwater housing and a wide-angle lens, or an Olympus TG-5 compact camera that produces stunning macro images – both are easy to use and take great pictures and HD video. We will show you the basics of how to get good results with them from the very first dive, but if you want more extensive tuition, why not take this further by taking the PADI Digital Underwater Photography Specialty course with your hire?
Private Photography Guide
If you enjoy spending extended periods of time in one spot perfecting that image, then taking a Private Guide for the day provides this freedom to indulge yourself. Simply add the Private Guide fee to any diving day costs.
NEW! Turtle Spotting at Mike’s
While Apo Island has long been known as a hotspot for sea turtle activity, did you know that the coastline of Dauin is home to more than 360 Green Turtles, that can be seen all year round, sometimes in just a few feet of water?
In 2024-5, we were honored to receive a PADI AWARE Community Grant to kick-start Project Pawikan, a Citizen-science based survey of the Dauin turtle population.
Using phohographs and video footage of our turtles, we were able to identify individual turtles from the patterns of scales, or “scutes” on their heads. This allows us to learn about their habits, behaviour and distribution without having to tag or capture them. The data Project Pawikan collects contributes to the Philippines National Turtle Catagogue, maintained by the Large Marine Vertebrate Research Institute of the Philippines (LAMAVE).
Using our extensive experience documenting the turtles for years, we can now offer two UNIQUE opportunities to spend time with these enigmatic creatures in a safe and responsible way while contributing valuable data to marine research.
PADI Turtle Spotter Diver Specialty Course
A result of 10 years of diving with the enigmatic populations of Green and Hawksbill sea turtles of Dauin, the PADI Turtle Spotter Diver Specialty course is an unmissable opportunity to learn more about these fascinating creatures, and engage in a genuine Citizen Science project where your observations contribute directly to the National Turtle Catalogue of the Philippines. During the course, you’ll learn how to safely and responsibly approach turtle to take video or photographs that will help identify an individual turtle from Project Pawikan’s catalogue of 100’s of turtle faces. Even better, if you find a new one, you get to give it a name!
A truly unique experience, making two Dauin dives in the company of the Turtle Spotter Instructor in the Philippines (and of course, as many sea turtles as we can find!).
The course includes a fun and informative online manual with short video clips, or a PDF version for you to take away, and includes the coveted PADI Turtle Spotter Diver specialty certification – impress your diving friends with this RARE and exclusive rating! The course includes two Dauin dives, Marine Sanctuary fees, tuition and learning materials, PADI certification, and while stocks last, an exclusive Project Pawikan Turtle Spotter cap!
Prerequisites – PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
Turtle Spotter Experience
Suitable for divers not wishing to add to their list of diving certifications and just spend an enjoyable day learning about and diving with the turtles of Dauin, the Turtle Spotting Experience is for you.
After a short presentation where you learn the secrets of approaching turtles safely and responsibly to take good quality images and video for later identification, you do two dives in Dauin with our resident (and only) Turtle Spotting instructor!
Following the dives, we can see if any of the turtles you met are already known to us, or need naming to add to our growing catalogue of turtles in Dauin!
The Experience includes two dives in Dauin, with Marine Sanctuary Fees, tanks and weights. Equipment hire is additional.
Prerequisites – PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
*Additional fees may apply for third dives, night dives, Apo Island supplements and equipment (if not specified).
Contact Us for more details.
