13 Best Spots for Diving in Philippines - The Complete Guide

The Philippines is considered one of the best diving destinations in the world. Scuba Diving in the Philippines is a diver’s paradise boasting extravagant aquatic life. You get to see a variety of fishes, luscious and colourful coral reefs and a crystal clear, splendid underwater view. The scuba diving instructors and management team here is very efficient in training and teaching first time divers with proper skills and good hospitality services.

Best Diving Spots in Philippines

1. Tubbataha Reefs, Palawan

This is one of the most secluded and visited spots for scuba diving in the Philippines. It is home to the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, which is Unesco World Heritage Site. It is accessible and open only from March to June. The untouched waters here make for a serene diving experience, with the reef boasting a variety of coral and marine life. The most attractive attraction here is Amos Rock, a gorgonian-covered wall covered with corals. With more than 600 species of fish and 360 species of coral, this place makes for the most exciting and wonderful diving experience one can hope for. Diving in the pristine water of Tubbataha, you will see different species of fish, corals, dolphins, whales, tiger sharks, white sharks, sea horses, green sea turtles, and much more.

Dive Type - Reef
Difficulty Level - Intermediate
Watch out for - Reef sharks and big schools of Reef fish.
Diving Visibility: 32 feet - 114 feet
Best dive site:
Amos Rock
Washing Machine, North Atoll
Black Rock, South Atoll

2. Anilao, Batangas

Anilao offers one of the best Muck Diving experiences in the Philippines. With exuberant marine life, this place boasts an exotic and diverse range of fishes and corals. The calm waters make for a comfortable diving experience. It offers a range of things to see, including wrecks, coral gardens, and coral patch muck sites. The region is the most biodiverse and is considered one of the more popular scuba diving spots in the Philippines. It is also located close to Manila's capital city, making it easily accessible for many tourists. You will find Frogfish, Seahorses, pipefish, jellyfish, Scorpionfish, occasional reef sharks, soft corals, etc.

Dive Type - Muck
Difficulty Level - Beginner to Intermediate
Watch out for - Mantis Shrimp, Octopus and SeaHorse
Diving Visibility: Average 40 - 50 ft
Best Dive Sites: Secret Bay (Manit Muck)
The Pier
Twin Rocks
Beatrice

3. Dauin, Dumaguete City

Dauin offers an all in one combo to its visitors with one of the best and affordable diving sites along with sea-facing resorts with a lovely view. You will find many healthy coral gardens, sea turtles, sea snakes, blue ring octopuses, mandarin fishes, crabs etc. here.

Diving Visibility: 30 - 40 ft
Best Dive Sites:
Apo Island (Visibility: 60 - 90 ft)
Coconut Point

4. Moalboal, Cebu

Scuba Diving in Moalboal is very well-known for its Sardine Run, where you can find millions of Sardines. The best part about diving in Moalboal is that you do not need to wear heavy diving equipment as you can dive freely or snorkel here. Moalboal has various vibrant fishes, frogfish, turtles, colourful soft corals, black corals, reef sharks, batfish and much more.

Diving Visibility: 30 - 100 ft
Best Dive Sites:
Pescador Island
Magic Point
Talisay Wall
Tuble Reef

5. Puerto Galera, Mindoro

One of the most easily accessible scuba diving spots in the Philippines is, Puerto Galera located close to Manila. Clear waters and exotic and diverse marine life characterize it. The increased visibility increases the chances to spot rare marine life and enjoy the beauty of the corals. Many species of fish and corals make for a diverse diving experience. The highlight of this place is the Canyons, where divers can explore three gorgeous canyons covered in various soft corals and sponges. This place has many beautiful photography locations, like the stunning soft and hard corals for those beginners and advanced photographers.

Dive Type - Drift
Difficulty Level - Beginner to Intermediate
Watch out for - Barracuda, Batfish, Snappers and Trevally
Diving Visibility: Average 50 - 80 ft, 100+ ft in certain regions
Best Dive Sites:
Canyons
Verde Island
Sabang Wrecks

6. Anda, Bahol

Located in the remote quiet of Bahol with a lush green environment, Anda is the most picturesque place for Scuba Diving anyone would want to be in. Anda, with white beaches and a crystal clear lagoon, is a must-visit place in the Philippines. You will find seahorses, skeleton shrimps, dragon sea moths and mating mandarin fish during night dives.

Diving Visibility: 50 - 65 ft
Other water sports: Snorkeling, surfing, Kayaking, etc.

7. Malapascua Island, Cebu

This is the best shark sighting dive site in the Philippines and is home to many Thresher sharks. In addition to these sharks, many Manta Rays can also be spotted in this area. The crystal clear waters make it easy to spot these creatures without diving. The diving experience is very peaceful, with the calm water and these magnificent creatures swirling around. The highlight of this diving site is the Monad Shoal, a flat-topped submerged seamount. A large number of sharks roam about this area. You will also see many seahorses, cuttlefish, mantis shrimp, and more.

Dive Type - Shoal
Difficulty Level - Advanced
Watch out for - Thresher sharks
Diving Visibility: 60 - 80 ft, sometimes less due to the high tides.
Best Dive Sites:
Monad Shoal
Gato Island

8. Coron Bay, Palawan

Coron Bay is considered to offer one of the best wreck diving experiences in the world, with a large number of wrecks packed in a relatively small area. Most of the wrecks are still intact and can be explored with ease. The visibility is slightly low due to the constant flow of plankton, but it still makes for a beautiful diving experience. In addition to the wrecks, a large variety of marine and coral life attracts divers from around the world. The most famous wreck of the lot is Okikawa Maru, a 160m tanker. Tourists can enjoy themselves getting lost in the stories while looking at them firsthand. Cuttlefish, Octopuses, occasional reef sharks and stingray are seen here.

Dive Type - Wreck
Difficulty Level - Beginner
Watch out for - Macro-critters hidden in the wrecks
Diving Visibility: Upto 80 ft ft
Best Dive Sites: 
Okikawa Maru- The largest Shipwreck in Coron.
Tangat Gunboat
El Nido

9. Apo Reef Natural Park

This is the second-largest coral reef in the world and is also a Unesco World Heritage Site. This is one of the most challenging dive sites, and prerequisites include at least 100 dives done before diving here. The clear water also enables beginner divers and tourists to watch the marine life from above. The most attractive attraction of this place is the Apo 29. Hammerheads, Reef Sharks and schools of Pelagic fish can be seen here. It is a popular liveaboard destination.

Dive Type - Seamount
Difficulty Level - Advanced
Watch out for - Thresher sharks, Manta rays, Reef Sharks and Hammerheads
Diving Visibility: Upto 82 ft
Best Dive Site: 
Apo 29
Apo Menor

10. Yapak, Boracay

Borocay, also known as the Philippines' beach capital, is one of the most visited tourist sites. Yapak in Borocay has white sandy beaches and many underwater creatures hovering along the Blue Lagoon. One can see the seahorses, tuna, and sharks here. If you are fortunate enough, you could glimpse the Mola Mola in the great depths here.

Dive Type - Wall
Difficulty Level - Advanced
Watch out for - Tuna, Pygmy Seahorses and Nudibranchs
Diving Visibility: 100+ ft

11. Balicasag Island

Balicasag is considered to be the Diver’s Heaven. This island offers divers a majestic view of the underwater soft Corals, anemones, Tuna fishes, Lobsters, Jacks and more. The tide here being low, proves to be the best site for beginners.

Diving Visibility: 30 - 130 ft
Best Dive Site:
Black Forest
Marine Sanctuary.

12. Dimakya Island

Dimakya island, located in the north of Palawan, has a Seagrass Bank. While diving, one can often spot the green turtles and gentle herbivores in the sandy waters. You can become friends with the cute and gentle Shy Dugong here. This place is said to be an underwater paradise for all those enthusiastic divers out there.

Diving Visibility: 70 - 100 ft

13. Donsol

This is one of the main migratory routes of the ocean and thus is a hotspot for exotic and rare marine life. The untouched waters make for a spectacular diving experience. A mild current flows through this site and thus is home to a large plankton life. It also boasts diverse aquatic life, with several plants growing in the area. The highlight of this diving site is a large number of Manta Rays in the area due to the large concentration of plankton. Another reason for it being famous is the presence of Whale Sharks, which are magnificent creatures to admire.

Dive Type - Drift 
Difficulty Level - Intermediate   
Watch out for - Manta Rays and Whale sharks

Cost and Training of Diving in Philippines

The average cost of a diving session is 4000 PHP, including transportation, a guide, and diving equipment. The divers can be trained by any local diving trainers available in every area where this is conducted. Usually, these schools accompany the tourists on their dives and arrange for all necessary equipment and items required.

Best time for Scuba Diving in Philippines

Usually, the Philippines' diving sites are open all year round, but not all the areas may have the best underwater creatures to see. However, the best time to dive is from November to May, a hot, humid, dry season. The wet season from May to October is mesmerizing with warm water, and the dive sites are also not crowded. Certain areas here are prone to typhoons and high tides during the rainy season, but at the same time, the Philippines being a tropical country, rains are more or less very unpredictable here.

Diving Safety and Permits

• If you wish to have a professional guide along with your dive, you can request one from the diving agency.
• Scuba diving requires a valid certificate and permit for diving. If you do not have the certificate, you can apply and get it in only two days.
• As a foreign tourist, your valid id, passport, photos, accommodation proofs, etc., would be required to apply for the permit.
• The Diving charges are from 800 Pesos (Philippine Currency) to 1800 Pesos per dive, depending on the location.

Get ready to have an unforgettable and Marvellous diving trip in the Philippines!

~This article is written by Laxmi Mishra and Naman Chindalia~