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Diving The Philippines – A Guide

Diving The Philippines

World Class Diving

Diving the Philippines places divers at the very heart of the Coral Triangle, the global epicentre of marine biodiversity. With over 7,600 islands spread across warm tropical seas, the country offers extraordinary variety — from pristine coral reefs and vertical walls to black-sand muck sites and historic wrecks.

Consistently warm water, generally good visibility and year-round diving conditions make the country one of the most accessible and rewarding dive destinations in Southeast Asia

Diving the Philippines – Best Dive Destinations

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is widely regarded as the crown jewel of Philippines diving . Located in the remote Sulu Sea and accessible only by liveaboard, this UNESCO World Heritage site offers exceptional coral cover, strong currents and reliable encounters with reef sharks, pelagic fish and seasonal manta rays. It represents Philippine diving at its most pristine.

Anilao has earned an international reputation as one of the world’s premier macro destinations. With easy access to extraordinary critter life, from rare nudibranchs and frogfish to flamboyant cuttlefish. Anilao is also at the forefront of blackwater diving, offering unique pelagic encounters after dark that attract underwater photographers from around the globe.

Malapascua is synonymous with thresher sharks. Early-morning dives at Monad Shoal provide one of the most reliable opportunities anywhere in the world to encounter these elusive pelagic sharks, making Malapascua a highlight for anyone diving the Philippines. While Moalboal delivers one of the most accessible big-animal experiences in the Philippines. Massive schools of sardines swirl just offshore year-round, attracting predators and providing dramatic wide-angle photography opportunities directly from shore.

Exceptional Marine Life

One of the greatest rewards of Philippines’ diving is the sheer biodiversity. Macro life thrives alongside larger species, with frequent sightings of turtles, reef sharks, schooling fish, eagle rays and, seasonally, whale sharks and mantas. Few destinations offer such balance between small and large subjects.

When To Go?

Diving the Philippines is possible year-round, though conditions vary by region. Generally, the dry season from November to May offers calmer seas and better visibility, while certain areas peak at different times depending on weather patterns and marine life activity.

Diving the Philippines – A Guide

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

IntroductionTubbataha Reefs Natural Park… Rising from the deep waters of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha’s atolls and reefs are widely regarded as one of the finest and most pristine dive destinations on the planet.Located roughly 150 kilometres southeast of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, this remote marine …
Read moreTubbataha Reefs Natural Park

Conserving Tubbataha – Garden of Eden

Conserving Tubbataha is about far more than protecting a remote coral reef in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It is a rare and powerful example of how determined leadership, science-based management, and political will can work together to preserve a marine ecosystem almost exactly as nature intended. …
Read moreConserving Tubbataha – Garden of Eden

Blackwater Diving in Anilao

Blackwater diving in Anilao has rapidly become one of the most compelling night-time dive experiences in the Philippines.Conducted far from any reef or seabed reference, these dives offer a rare window into the pelagic world as deep-water organisms rise toward the surface under cover of darkness.Suspended in open …
Read moreBlackwater Diving in Anilao

 

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