20 Best Scuba Diving Destinations in the Philippines - Where to Go Diving in the Philippines?
Because of its rich natural resources, the Philippines has a lot of opportunities to offer when it comes to exploring the beauty of nature. And the best one to do that is through scuba diving. Having clear blue waters, this country is boasting of awesome marine life. If you’re not afraid to explore what kind of life is beneath our ocean, then prepare yourself as we offer you the list of best scuba diving destinations in the Philippines. These diving spots will absolutely stun you.
1. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Photo by q phia
Located in the heart of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also one of the most remote diving destinations in the Philippines. Boasting with 600 species of fish, 13 whale and dolphin species, 11 species of shark, and 360 species of corals, Tubbataha is considered one of the world’s most biodiverse diving spots.
Exploring the site will require you a lot of time, but don’t forget the Amos Rock. It’s often cited as one of the best dive sites in Tubbataha. With colorful corals, large reef sharks, massive schools of fish, and a gorgonian-covered wall. Everything you will see is truly paradise. The diving season in Tubbataha Reef is only possible between the months of March and June.
2. Anilao, Batangas
Photo by Pascal van de Vendel
Diving anywhere in the Philippines made it easier as the birth of scuba diving in the country is just an hour away from Manila. Anilao in Batangas is one of the first choices of divers when we talk about diving. Beginners, experts, or macro photographers would love everything they will see here. Manit Muck, also known as the Secret Bay is one of the best dive sites in Anilao. Here, you’ll find ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp, scorpionfish, wonderous octopus, nudibranchs, sea goblins, catfish eels, sea hares, snake eels, mandarin fish, and a lot more. Just don’t forget to dive at night, as these creatures come to life at this time.
3. Monad Shoal, Malapascua
Known as the best thresher sharks dive in the Philippines, Malapascua offers you the chance to see the friendly thresher sharks. Monad Shoal is the perfect site to dive in Malapascua, thresher sharks usually wander in the deep water most of the day. But most especially, they can be seen from early sunrise until 9 in the morning. Of course, thresher sharks are not the only species to see here, there are also other species of sharks and rays (like manta rays and devil rays) that are found in Monad Shoal.
4. Puerto Galera
Boasting with over 35 dive sites, Puerto Galera has diverse species of fish. It’s the reason why it’s one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the Philippines. Beautiful dive spots combined with stunning beaches, Puerto Galera has that! If you’re ready for a challenging dive, Canyons is recommended as it has a strong current. If you want to see underwater wrecks, the sunken boats of Sabang Wrecks are the go-to place. And at Verde Island, it’s the ideal dive spot for perfect wide-angle photography. The species that you can find here include frogfish, reef octopuses, nudibranchs, seahorses, barracuda, batfish, trevally, snappers, and some soft and hard corals.
5. Moalboal, Cebu
Photo by Olga Tsai
Famous for its sardine run, Moalboal in Cebu is one of the best diving destinations in the Philippines. Can you imagine over 7 million sardines are living in this area? An what’s more exciting? You can either, snorkel, scuba dive, or freedive to see this enchanting scenery! Yes, you can dive without using any equipment. The walls that’s covered with sponges, canyons and caves, macro life, and massive schools of fish. You will see all these wonders in Moalboal.
6. Wreck Dives, Coron
Want to see more than just coral reefs and fish? Then head to Coron, Palawan! Known as the best wreck diving in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, you’ll find Japanese Imperial Navy Vessel in Coron. For a quick historical fact: Coron Bay was once the harbor for World War II Japanese Warships. Then on September 24, 1944, an air attack from the squadron of 24 US bombers made 11 of these ships sink. Today, these wrecks serve as a reef system that supports numerous marine life including nudibranchs, cuttlefish, octopuses, and scorpionfish. Okikawa Maru is the biggest shipwreck in Coron and is also the most accessible. The ship’s top sits only at 32 feet (10 meters) below the surface. This 525-foot (160-meter) tanker is an absolute beginner-friendly dive.
7. Sarangani Bay, Sarangani
When you think about scuba diving destinations in the Philippines, Sarangani won’t come to your mind. But honestly, this one should be on your list. Since Sarangani Bay is not so popular and underrated, you will not have a hard time booking a diving schedule and you’ll get to enjoy the fresh and untouched underwater paradise. For a beginner’s dive, you can dive in Rocky Beach, Tuka Marine Park, or Lemunay House Reef. These diving spots have shallow parts. But on the deeper areas, you’ll find a group of large Bumphead Parrotfish. But if you want more challenging dive, you can go to Maasim Reef which is also the famous one. It offers an awesome view of stunning coral reef gardens at the bottom. However, remember that Maasim Reef has strong currents so it is not recommended for beginners.
8. Enchanted River, Surigao del Sur
Photo by Bro. Jeffrey Pioquinto, SJ
Because of its undeniably clean water, Enchanted River is one of the best scuba diving destinations in the Philippines. Its aquamarine to dark blue waters is absolutely alluring. However, despite its beauty, diving here is really challenging. The deep part of the Enchanted River is home to lots of huge fish. You will also find an underwater cave that has a very small entry point so only one diver can swim at a time. But when you enter the cave, it’s equal the size of two basketball courts, which gives professional and advanced divers a lot of spots to explore. Going out of the cave is, however, difficult especially if there is a strong current as the water will pull you back. So diving in Enchanted River is not advisable for beginners.
9. Dauin, Dumaguete
For world-class macro photography, Dauin in Dumaguete is the best diving destination to be. Diving in Dauin is reasonably affordable compared to other diving destinations in the Philippines. It is also popular for the stunning coral reefs nearby, luxurious beachfront dive resorts, and magnificent muck diving. What’s the best part is most Dumaguete dive resorts also offer a trip to Oslob so you swim and snorkel with whale sharks. Various marine creatures can be found in Dauin including dragonets, pipefish,blue-ring octopuses, bobtail squids, seahorses, cardinalfish, frogfish, various shrimps, and crabs.
10. Tablas Island, Romblon
If ever you’ve never been to this diving site in the Philippines, then we recommend you to go here. Here, you’ll find the breathtaking underwater feature called the Blue Hole. Although there isn’t so much news about it, this is a must-see in the world of diving. For those adrenaline junkies out there, you’d definitely enjoy dicing here. But for those who want to cure their thalassophobia though diving, we’re afraid that it isn’t the place for you. However, there are nearby diving sites, as well. Here, you can see large schools of fish and turtles swimming around.
11. Yapak, Boracay
Photo by Ree Dexter
We’ve known Boracay for having a fine white sand beach and clear blue waters. But there’s more than that. It is also one of the best scuba diving destinations in the Philippines. And the best spot is the Yapak. Underwater, you might find tuna, pygmy seahorse, and nudibranchs. And if you just drift along the 106-foot wall, you might as well look for macro life and the strange mola-mola which is rare to see. So consider yourself lucky if you find one!
12. Diver’s Heaven, Balicasag Island
Photo by q phia
Having one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the Philippines, Balicasag Island should be one of your diving destinations. And there is this one diver’s paradise that is called the Diver’s Heaven. The diver’s heaven is home to various marine species such as Big-mouth Mackerels, Bucket Sponges, Midnight Snappers, Brown Daisy Coral, and Barracudas. It’s also an easy dive so even beginners can enjoy their time here. The island is small but the underwater paradise is surely majestic and picturesque.
13. Manta Bowl - Ticao Pass, Donsol
A huge underwater shoal that covers 7 hectares of the flat reef is known as the Manta Bowl. It’s in between the plankton-rich waters of the Ticao and Burias Passes. Because of its constantly flowing current, it attracts Manta rays for both a cleaning and feeding station. For the best viewing of these wonderful creatures, it is recommended to dive here between December and May. You can also find whale sharks, tiger sharks, or hammerheads.
14. Anda, Bohol
Anda is the perfect place for a secluded dive vacation in the Philippines. Its 17 kilometers coastline has a good mix of a slope, wall, and sandy muck dive sites plus coral gardens. The underwater topography is also a sight to see. You can find anemone shrimps, mantis shrimps, Napoleon snake eels, pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, mating mandarin fish, skeleton shrimps, dragon sea moths, and a lot more.
15. Verde Island, off Batangas
For excellent visibility and rich biodiversity dive experience, Verde Island is a great option. In Verde Island, it will let you enjoy the hot volcanic water that attracts tons of fish. If you want a quite easy dive, The Pinnacle is recommended. It is a huge vertical reef that drops to 80 meters. Here, you’ll find jacks, bannerfish, basslets, gorgonian fans, frogfish, and occasional sea snakes. For a more challenging dive, try the Washing Machine. It has strong, churning currents. Expect to see tuna, trevallies, and black- and white-tip sharks plus thousands of anthias.
16. Subic Bay
Subic Bay is home to a collection of ship and aircraft wrecks. So it’s a must for any wreck diving enthusiast. But of course, its marine life is also boasting. Schooling sweet lips, jacks, groupers, trevally, and glassfish are just some of the awesome species that you can find here. A huge group of critters also stay on many of the wrecks, especially lionfish, scorpionfish, nudibranchs, cleaner shrimps, small crustaceans, and moray and ribbon eels.
17. Apo Reef Natural Park
Photo by Giachen's World
Being known as the second-largest contiguous coral reef system, Apo Reef Natural Park sits between the island of Mindoro and Coron. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apo Reef Natural Park is best to dive from a liveaboard. For the best yet challenging dive in the area, never forget the Apo 29. The seamount rises to 82 feet or 25 meters below sea level, so it is quite deep and has strong currents. Here, you’ll find numerous reef sharks, thresher sharks, hammerheads, manta rays and schools of pelagic fish. Please remember that diving in the Apo Reef Natural Park is only for the experienced and most dive operators require you to have at least 100 dives. The best time to go is between November and May.
18. Dimakya Island
Green turtles are the main attraction in Dimakya Island, north of Palawan. Although it is a not so popular scuba diving destination in the Philippines, diving here might be one of your most memorable ones. Why? Because you might get the chance to encounter the more wary dugong. These cute and gentle herbivores of the ocean will make your diving experience unforgettable.
19. Danjugan Island, Negros Occidental
Danjugan Island is a marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary that’s managed by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation. And because of its sustainable and ethical tourism, you will see how beautiful the site is. According to some scientists and researchers, there are about 244 species of corals and 572 species of fish that can be found in the island’s waters. Turtles, giant clams, and small sharks can be found in the site.
20. Mactan, Cebu
Photo by Olga Tsai
Mactan, Cebu is not only popular for its rich historical past, but it’s also one of the go-to destinations of professional divers or aspiring divers. Caves and caverns, coral mounts and plateaus, deep walls, and steep slopes or wrecks, those are some of the few reasons why diving in Mactan is a must. And if you want to see massive overhanging walls and coral reefs, you should go to Cabilao Island. You can also find barracudas here. While in Hilutungan Island, you can see ribbon sweetlips, snappers, jackfish, surgeonfish, and drummers. But if you’re interested to swim with big groupers, and blue-spotted stingrays, you should dive in Nalusuan Island.
The Philippines is a popular destination for Koreans. Due to this Covid-19 situation now there are new travel requirements for travel from Korea to the Philippines. Check the latest information before you travel.
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