If deep waters attract you with their unknown and you want to get a closer look at marine life – enjoy scuba diving in the Philippines. Underwater world is so diverse there and worth discovering.
Here is the list of TOP 4 diving spots in the Philippines – that are must-try; keep reading this post to get more details about sites to check for beginners and advanced divers, day tours and diving season.
Diving in Palawan – Tubbataha Reefs
These reefs are the undisputed leader of the best dive sites in the Philippines. The Tubbataha National Reef Park is 97 thousand hectares of area with three coral reefs (North and South Attols and Jessie Beazley reef) and an 8-kilometer canal that separates them.
This park is located in the heart of the Sulu Sea, so it will not work to come there for the sake of one dive. Divers travel for several days at once, because it is impossible to explore such a huge area in a couple of hours.
And there is something to see here: more than 80 percent of all marine inhabitants of the island nation live in these reefs. 26 years ago, the Tubbataha reefs were recognized as a national treasure and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Best season: early spring to early summer.
- Cost: diving tour for 4-5 days will cost 60 thousand pesos.
Diving in Malapascua
This is a small island located near the northern part of Cebu. If you’re a beginner diver and would like to encounter sharks in the Philippines, make sure to check this scuba divign location. The variety of these marine species that you can meet there are really impressive.
You are guaranteed to encounter a thresher shark, and you can also see a reef shark, a hammerhead shark and a huge whale shark. In addition to them, stingrays and hundreds of species of colorful fish live here.
Malapascua is connected to Cebu by a shallow strait, so those who have never dived can learn to dive here.
- Best season: mid-winter to summer.
- Cost: from 1000 pesos per dive.
Diving in Coron Island
Here they dive not for the sake of fish or turtles, but for the sake of sunken ships. In the surrounding waters of Coron island there are at least ten ships left over from the Second World War. Many of them are well preserved. Scuba diving in Coron is a visit to the underwater history museum.
Of course, there are abundance of marine life here, look for schools of colorful fish, octopuses, jellyfish and corals. In addition to the ships, Coron is famous for its caves.
- Best season: early winter to mid-spring.
- Cost: about 1400 pesos per dive + lunch.
Scuba Diving in Mindoro – Apo Reef
Not far from Sablayan there is another Philippines national reef park – Apo island. This is a huge coral reef, the largest one in the Philippines, which area exceeds 30 square kilometers. It has become home for almost four hundred species of marine life: sharks, turtles, rays, octopuses, corals, crabs, schools of small fish and many species of invertebrates. Apo reef is the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef and is protected by the Philippine authorities.
- Best season: all year round, but the water can be cloudy during summer.
- Cost: about 2500 pesos per dive.
