Dive Sites

Diving Philippines, Dive Sites, Diving Organiztions, Manufacturer

Here you will find a more detailed description of the main diving areas of the Philippines. The diving maps are done by myself, if there are any mistakes or I missed any dive sites, just let me know.

As already written above, I did my PADI Divemaster in Puerto Galera / Sabang Beach at Octopus Divers. Puerto Galera is one of the main diving areas in the Philippines. Puerto Galera is located on the island of Mindoro and can be reached from Manila in about 3-5 hours, depending on whether you take a taxi, bus, speedboat or ferry. The diving sites are located in a marine protected area and offer visitors a fantastic insight into the underwater world of the South China Sea. All dive sites can be easily reached by boat and the day trips to Verde Island (overhanging cliff up to 60 m) are unique. My favorite diving spot are the canyons, usually a lot of current and numerous schools of fish. Resorts and diving schools can be found on the link page.

Dive Sites Puerto Galera

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

The Tubbataha Natural Park, also known as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Filipino: Bahurang Tubbataha), is a protected area of the Philippines located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The marine and bird sanctuary consists of two huge atolls (named the North Atoll and South Atoll) and the smaller Jessie Beazley Reef covering a total area of 97,030 hectares (239,800 acres; 374.6 sq mi). It is located 150 kilometers (93 mi) southeast of Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. The uninhabited islands and reefs are part of the island municipality of Cagayancillo, located roughly 130 kilometers (81 mi) to the northeast of the reef.

Tubbataha is considered one of the best dive sites in the world according to CNN Travel. Trips to Tubbataha National Marine Park from Puerto Princesa operate during the diving season from mid-March to mid-June, the period where the waves are calmest, skies clear and water visibility of about 30 to 45 metres (98 to 148 ft). The park is about ten hours by boat from the city. All trips are vessel-based or "liveaboard" as there are no accommodation facilities.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reef

Dive Sites Tubbataha Reef:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines situated in the western waters of Occidental Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait. Encompassing 34 square kilometers (13 sq mi), it is considered the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and is the largest in the country. The reef and its surrounding waters are protected areas administered as the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular diving regions in the country.

The main activity of the reef relates to its underwater quality. Scuba diving and snorkeling in Apo Reef area are exceptional due to the quality of the flora, the fauna and the clarity of the water and white sand. Many species can be observed in deep or shallow waters in particular, sharks, giant napoleons and manta rays.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apo_Reef

Dive Sites Apo Reef:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Coron Bay is a well-known recreational diving region in the Sulu Sea in the western Philippines, between the islands of Coron and Busuanga in the Calamian Islands. Most of Coron Bay is in the Coron Island Protected Area and is a traditional fishing area of the indigenous Tagbanwa tribe.

Coron Bay is famous for diving on ten Japanese shipwrecks. The ships Teru Kaze Maru, Olympia Maru, Irako, Kogyo Maru, Morazan Maru, Lusong Gunboat, Akitsushima, Okinawa Maru, Nanshin Maru and Kyokuzan Maru were sunk on September 24, 1944, by the third air fleet of US Task Force 38. The wrecks can be reached in a one-hour drive from Coron by dive boat. Except for the Lusong Island Gunboat, which partially breaks through the water surface and is therefore suitable for snorkelers, and the East Tangat Gunboat, which is suitable for beginners at a depth of 5 to 20 m, all other wrecks lie at depths of 20 to 45 m. Some of the wrecks are over 100 m long and have decks, corridors, galleys, and other sights that can be dived. Some equipment has been salvaged from some of the wrecks (e.g. the engine blocks removed), but there are still various equipment and some grenades there. Because of the depth and size of the sunk ships, nitrox is usually used for diving because of the longer no-stop time and shorter decompression stops.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coron_Bay

Dive Sites Coron Bay:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Since the South Highway now goes to Batangas, you can get to Anilao from Manila in about 3 hours. Diving in the Philippines has its origins in Anilao in the south of Luzon. Expats and Filipinos, mostly from nearby Manila, explore the underwater world on weekends.

Dive Sites Anilao:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Malapascua is a Philippine island situated in the Visayan Sea, 6.8 kilometers (4.2 mi) across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the peninsular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a small island, only about 2.5 by 1 kilometer (1.55 by 0.62 mi) and has eight hamlets. According to the latest 2020 census, the island has an estimated population of 6,257.

Malapascua has been popular as a dive destination since the early 1990s. Prior to this, the island was known primarily for its wide white sand beach, Bounty Beach. It features coral gardens, coral walls and excellent local dive spots, as well as further-out sites including Gato Island, Monad Shoal, and Kemod Shoal. Monad Shoal is an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can regularly be sighted. Most of the islanders derive their livelihood from tourism, while some still rely on subsistence fishing and farming.

Similar to other islands, natives were dependent on fishing as a source of livelihood. Agricultural products such as corn and rice were supplied from neighboring islands, such as Cebu and Leyte. With the population increasing and fish stocks dwindling, tourism came to the rescue. Nowadays, most islanders either directly or indirectly make a living out of tourism, which is developing rapidly. The growth of tourism has also increased local immigration to the island, thus the demand for housing. The lack of a pier for bigger boats – due to financial constraints – is keeping a brake on construction growth.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malapascua

Dive Sites Malapascua:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Since the 1970s, Moalboal has developed a tourism industry based on recreational diving and beaches. Panagsama Beach (Basdiot) is where most resorts and restaurants are established, while further north on the peninsula, in Saavedra, is White Beach (Basdako), a two-kilometre (1.2 mi) beach. This beach used to be mostly frequented by locals, but has since developed an international tourist trade. In Moalboal, most tourists stay at either Panagsama Beach (Basdiot) or White Beach (Basdako), both located 3–5 kilometres (1.9–3.1 mi) away from the main bus stop in Moalboal.

Recreational diving is the main tourist activity in Moalboal, and reefs along the west coast of the Copton peninsula are home to a great variety of marine life. Pescador Island, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) off the coast, is the most popular dive spot with an underwater cave known as "the Cathedral". Indeed a breath-taking view of the underwater world as some of the country’s best diving sites in Moalboal as the terrain of the reef follows the entire coast line, making the place ideal for scuba-diving, snorkeling and freediving, with a drop-off close to shore descending to more than 40 metres (130 ft). The area is also known to be a home for sea turtles, as well as a vast school of sardines. Whale sharks, dolphins and thresher sharks are also seen.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moalboal

Dive Sites Moalboal:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines. Panglao is a popular tourist destination in the Philippines and includes several small islands, such as Gak-ang, Pontod, and Balicasag and is close to Pamalican island. Panglao island is one of the main tourist destinations on the Philippines. Alona Beach is the most popular tourist spot on the island, noted for its white sand and clear water. There are also a lot of attractions to do for tourists such as scuba diving, island hopping, dolphin watching, snorkeling, kitesurfing and fishing.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panglao_Island

Dive Sites Panglao:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Anda has white sandy beaches and good diving spots. Also worth mentioning are the shrine of the local saint Potenciana “Inday” Saranza and some of the few rock paintings in the Philippines, at Lamanok Peak, which, together with the petroglyphs in the Philippines, have been on the list of proposals for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anda,_Bohol

Dive Sites Anda:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

Dauin, officially the Municipality of Dauin is a municipality in the province of Negros Oriental.

Scuba diving is a principal industry in Dauin. Several marine reserves and dive sites are situated along the coast. Apo Island, which is included in the territory of Dauin, is a 72-hectare volcanic outcrop several kilometers off the coast that attracts large numbers of scuba and snorkel enthusiasts.

Apo Island is a volcanic island covering 74 hectares in land area, 7 kilometers off the southeastern tip of Negros Island and 30 kilometers south of the Negros Oriental capital of Dumaguete in the Philippines. The name "Apo" means "elder" or "respected ancestor" in the Visayan languages.

The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve, protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (NIPA) and under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, each with a dive center: Apo Island Beach Resort and Liberty's Lodge. There is also a ranger station and a lighthouse.

The island is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dauin, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apo_Island

Dive Sites Dauin and Apo Island:

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

The main attraction in Donsol is diving or snorkeling with whale sharks. This gigantic fish ("whale sharks are not whales") can grow to over 10 m tall and weigh over 10 tons. Between February and May you have the best chance of seeing these animals in larger numbers. Otherwise, there isn't much going on with diving. You can take the boat to Ticao (1.5-2 hours one way), there are some diving spots there, but in my opinion it's not worth it.

Source Picture: Own Work based on: https://tracesmap.com/

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