All archaeological training will be given to the expedition members, including ADMAT’s own Underwater Survey Diver course Pt 1&2, Proton Magnetometer Diver Course (both PADI SDC unique to ADMAT) and various relevant archaeological courses will also be run. These are very practical courses, with as much diving as we can do, this is not a beach holiday. Most of the survey site is approximately 10 metres deep, although some areas may go down to 30 metres.
 
Turtles, stingrays and sharks are common in the area and there is ample opportunity for underwater photography among the nearby rich corals. The expedition leader is Dr Simon Spooner, a well-known maritime archaeologist, founder of ADMAT, and Research Associate at the Centre for Maritime Archaeology and History, University of Bristol. The expedition will be based at the resort on Maricaban Island, three hours south of Manila.

The island is ten kilometres long and two kilometres wide, with no roads or vehicles, surrounded by gin clear blue waters and rich coral with an abundance of colourful marine life. The resort is a small, local style family run guesthouse. It is a two-storey building made of concrete and local bamboo right on the beach. The eight rooms are double or triple occupancy with single beds, wall fan, toilet and shower. The ocean is just a few meters away, with two small islands a few hundred meters away in the channel, making a superb relaxing view.
 
A special weekend trip to Coron Bay is planned, for those who want to do large wreck diving. This will be in the middle weekend of each trip. The WWII wrecks in Coron Bay have been one of the Philippines’ best-kept diving secrets. In September 1944, Admiral “Bull” Halsey stumbled on a camouflaged Japanese fleet ahead of the US landing on Leyte. Carrier-based bombers sank 24 vessels, leaving a ghost fleet of Japanese hulks