Philippines
When it comes to great diving spots, a quick poll of most divers would reveal the Philippines to be one of the top choices for a diving vacation. Some might be tempted to dismiss these opinions as marketing hype but before you do, here’s a little factoid to chew on: If you limit yourself to just one day of diving to explore one island, it would take you more than 20 years (20 years and 341 days to be exact) to finish exploring all of the 7,641 islands that make up the Philippines.
With a rich diversity of marine life spread throughout so many islands, we have focused on the three most popular diving spots that have a bit of everything for everyone.
Cebu
A long, narrow island measuring 32 kilometres across and 196 kilometres from north to south, Cebu Island is one of the most beautiful places in the world. With clear waters and water temperature around 29 degrees Celsius, Cebu is a favourite spot for divers because of its beautiful and bountiful corals and diverse marine life. With beaches, coral atolls, islands, and rich fishing grounds surrounding the island, Cebu combines island life, historical sites and a bustling city seamlessly, making it one of the country’s must-visit islands.
Cebu Dive Sites
The tiny islands surrounding Cebu offer some of the best diving you can experience. The reef wall at Talima reef is a favourite spot for divers who like wall dives and fishes. Nalusuan Island and Pescador Island are two marine protected areas (MPAS) which offer great biodiversity, including barracudas, whitetip reef sharks and thresher sharks (at Pescador) and sea turtles (Nalusuan).
Malapascua Island
Malapascua is a standout diving destination in Cebu, and arguably one of the best in the world. Just a boat ride away from Maya Port on Cebu, this scenic island on the northern tip of Cebu is a favourite spot for divers who want to see thresher sharks in crystal-clear waters. There are also encounters with huge manta rays, devil rays, and marble rays. Occasionally, turtles and whale sharks can be spotted as well.
Monad Shoal
One of the most famous dive sites in Malapascua is Monad Shoal. Also known as Shark Point, Monad Shoal is a 30-minute boat ride from Malapascua. This underwater island is an area where you can find thresher sharks all year round. Considered one of the top 20 iconic dive sites in the Asia Pacific region, Monad Shoal attracts the threshers just before or during sunrise for their cleaning ritual. Home to cleaner fishes like the bluestreak and the moon cleaner wrasse, this cleaning station is also a good place to spot pelagic fishes like devil and eagle rays, who head here for some cleaning too. Hammerhead sharks can also be seen from December to April.
The shoal is 1.5 kilometres long with a 200-metre drop, and you’ll need an advanced dive certification to be able to encounter the sharks, which appear at depths of around 22 to 27 metres.
“Anilao is a mecca for divers who are fascinated with the enigmatic behaviours of tiny critters such as seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfishes, stargazers and Rhinopias.”
Anilao
Located in the Batangas region of the main island of Luzon, about two and half hours southwest of Manila, Anilao has been a favourite diving spot among the locals for more than half a century and is widely believed to be the place where diving first took off in the Philippines.
Located between Balayan Bay to the west and Batangas Bay to the east, Anilao is renowned for its incredible marine biodiversity. A favourite among “muck” divers, Anilao is a mecca for divers who are fascinated with the enigmatic behaviours of tiny critters such as seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfishes, stargazers and Rhinopias. More adventurous divers can also enjoy some incredible blackwater diving here.