DiverInterCom section
Future guides, dive areas, maps and practical notes for Philippine diving. This section is prepared as a clean placeholder and will be filled step by step.
DiverInterCom local notes
Starter list for divers looking for gear, service and advice in Metro Manila. Always confirm opening hours, availability and service times directly before visiting.
Image courtesy/reference: Aquaventure Whitetip Dive Supply official website.
Long-running Philippines dive supplier with a broad scuba, freedive and technical gear range. Useful for masks, computers, regulators, Ocean Reef products and service-oriented shopping.
Official Website
Image courtesy/reference: Pacifica Dive via Philippine Primer.
City dive shop known for major equipment brands, service support and practical access in Makati. A good stop for travel spares, accessories and equipment checks.
Official Website
Image courtesy/reference: Nautilus Dive and Sports Center official website.
Makati dive shop and equipment source for recreational divers, freedivers and travelers who need practical gear, accessories, rental or service options.
Official WebsiteA DiverInterCom video stop for Manila/Philippines diving inspiration.
Diving on YouTubeOpen the video on YouTube and follow the dive story from there.Watch on YouTube →
From easy weekend escapes near Manila to remote liveaboard expeditions, the Philippines offers macro life, wrecks, reef walls and big-animal encounters across the archipelago. The map below now uses a more accurate Philippines base outline and marks some of the best-known dive regions for trip planning and future DiverInterCom field notes.
The Philippines is a world-class dive destination because it combines easy access, extraordinary biodiversity and a huge range of underwater styles. In one country you can move from weekend macro diving to deep wrecks, drift dives, sardine runs and remote reef systems.
This updated map keeps the country shape much closer to the real archipelago while still matching the DiverInterCom visual style. It highlights the major island groups and the famous dive areas most divers recognize first.
Classic Manila weekender and macro hotspot with nudibranchs, frogfish and rich reefs — a favorite for underwater photographers.
Fast access from Manila and known for drift dives, reef walls, nightlife and the biodiversity of the Verde Island Passage.
Huge reef system with blue water, drop-offs and pelagic potential — ideal for divers who want bigger scenery and a more expedition feel.
One of the world’s best wreck-diving destinations, famous for dramatic Japanese WWII wrecks, caverns of steel and fish life.
UNESCO-listed liveaboard dream destination in the Sulu Sea, celebrated for pristine reefs, sharks, strong walls and big marine life.
Globally famous for early-morning thresher shark encounters, with extra reef and macro diving around the island.
Known worldwide for the sardine run, colorful reef slopes and frequent turtle encounters in clear, diver-friendly conditions.
Dauin offers superb black-sand macro diving, while nearby Apo Island adds coral gardens, drift dives and healthy turtle populations.
Beloved for bright walls, schooling jacks, turtles and clean visibility — one of the best-known Bohol dive day trips.
A quieter volcanic-island option with reefs, slopes and photo-friendly life — ideal for divers who want a calmer, less crowded atmosphere.
From Manila weekends to remote island expeditions, the Philippines is not one single dive destination. Each region has its own underwater character, travel rhythm and level of accessibility — from macro and wreck diving close to major cities to remote blue-water reef systems reached only by longer transfers or liveaboard.
Easy access from Manila — macro, wrecks and weekend diving.
For visitors arriving in Metro Manila, Luzon provides some of the easiest access to serious scuba diving in the country.
One of the classic Philippine dive destinations, particularly famous for macro life, nudibranchs, frogfish, unusual critters and underwater photography. The area also offers reefs, walls and relaxed recreational diving, making it a favorite for weekend trips, training and short dive holidays.
The broader Batangas coastline provides several coastal diving areas south of Manila and forms an important gateway toward the Verde Island Passage.
Northwest of Manila, Subic offers a very different experience. It is known primarily for wreck diving and is especially interesting for divers who enjoy ships, machinery and history.
Farther south, parts of the Bicol region and Ticao area offer a more expedition-oriented style of diving with less emphasis on large resort infrastructure.
Puerto Galera, Verde Island and Apo Reef.
Mindoro deserves to be considered a diving region in its own right.
On the northeastern side of the island, Puerto Galera has been one of the Philippines’ best-known diving destinations for decades. Reefs, walls, drift diving, macro life and easy access to the biologically rich Verde Island Passage make it suitable for relaxed recreational diving as well as more advanced current diving.
Nearby Verde Island is known for dramatic underwater scenery, dense fish populations and stronger currents.
On the opposite side of Mindoro lies Apo Reef, one of the major offshore reef systems of the Philippines. Trips commonly operate from the Sablayan area and offer blue-water diving, walls, large reef structures and the chance of pelagic encounters.
Another useful western-Mindoro diving base, often associated with trips toward Apo Reef and local reef diving.
Travel note: Puerto Galera lies in northeastern Mindoro, while Apo Reef lies west of Occidental Mindoro. They are both associated with Mindoro, but they are very different diving trips.
Wrecks, limestone islands and remote reef expeditions.
Palawan offers some of the most dramatic travel-and-diving combinations in the Philippines.
Internationally famous for its Japanese WWII shipwrecks. Several large wrecks provide opportunities ranging from recreational external exploration to more advanced penetration diving, with surrounding reefs and limestone scenery adding variety.
An important travel hub and the principal departure point for many expeditions to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
Far offshore in the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha is fundamentally different from resort-based Philippine diving. It is primarily a liveaboard destination known for extensive reef systems, walls, sharks, pelagic life and remote blue-water diving.
El Nido is best known for spectacular limestone landscapes and island hopping, with reef diving also available around the area. Port Barton offers a quieter coastal alternative for travelers moving through Palawan.
Some of the densest and most varied diving in the country.
For many traveling divers, the Visayas are the heart of Philippine resort diving. One of their biggest advantages is accessibility.
Cebu City has a major international airport, and diving begins almost immediately around Mactan Island.
Internationally associated with thresher shark encounters and supported by additional reef and macro diving around the island.
Famous for its enormous sardine schools, turtles and steep reef walls.
Walls, turtles, schooling fish and clear tropical reef diving with easy resort access.
Dauin’s dark volcanic sand is famous for unusual small marine life and macro photography, while nearby Apo Island offers coral reefs, turtles and current-assisted diving.
A quieter island option with reef walls and a relaxed tourism atmosphere.
Volcanic islands and less-traveled diving.
Mindanao and its surrounding islands receive less international dive-tourism attention than Cebu, Bohol or Palawan, but there is still plenty to explore.
A volcanic island north of Mindanao with reefs, slopes and a quieter atmosphere than many of the country’s major resort areas.
Samal Island and the Davao Gulf provide one of the clearest examples of diving close to a major Philippine city, making the area especially interesting for travelers visiting Mindanao for reasons beyond diving.
Southern Mindanao diving with reefs and a less heavily developed international tourism scene.
One of the most practical ways to plan a Philippines diving trip is to start with the city or gateway where you arrive.
| Major gateway | Nearby diving |
|---|---|
| Manila | Anilao, Batangas, Subic Bay; Puerto Galera with additional land/sea transfer. |
| Cebu City | Mactan immediately; Moalboal and Malapascua by road and transfer. |
| Dumaguete | Dauin and Apo Island. |
| Puerto Princesa | Local Palawan diving and major gateway for Tubbataha liveaboards. |
| Davao City | Samal Island and Davao Gulf. |
| General Santos | Sarangani Bay region. |
| Cagayan de Oro | Gateway toward northern Mindanao and Camiguin. |
The Philippines is famous for reefs, macro life and tropical islands, but it also holds an exceptional range of diveable wrecks. From the Japanese fleet sunk around Coron in 1944 to Subic Bay's layered naval history, shallow landing craft, passenger ferries and deep technical targets, wreck diving here reaches far beyond the usual tourist highlights.
Coron is the country's internationally famous wreck destination, but it is only part of the story. Subic Bay combines Spanish-American War, Second World War and later U.S. naval history. Malapascua hides several surprisingly serious wrecks beneath its thresher-shark reputation, while Puerto Galera mixes artificial reefs, historical remains and technical-depth wrecks into one of the Philippines' most varied dive regions.
0–18 m Recreational 18–30 m Advanced 30–40 m Deep / Advanced 40 m+ Technical
On 24 September 1944 U.S. carrier aircraft attacked Japanese shipping around Coron and Busuanga. The result is one of the world's great concentrations of diveable WWII wrecks.
Large Japanese refrigeration and supply ship, roughly 147 m long. Upright, imposing and one of Coron's premier advanced wreck dives, with extensive machinery, holds and penetration possibilities for properly trained teams.
About 168 m long and the largest of the commonly dived Coron wrecks by overall size. The deck begins around 10–16 m, giving recreational divers access to a huge coral-covered tanker while advanced wreck divers have much more to explore.
118 m Japanese seaplane tender. The giant aircraft-handling crane and military fittings make it one of the most distinctive wrecks in the bay.
Japanese auxiliary supply ship carrying construction material and equipment. Cargo areas and machinery give the wreck a strong historical character beyond simply swimming around the hull.
Large Japanese cargo vessel resting upright. Spacious holds, deck structures and marine life make it one of the classic Coron wreck dives.
Large freighter lying away from the central Coron cluster on the northeast side of Busuanga. Its more remote position can reward divers with a different atmosphere and often clearer water.
A much shallower Japanese wreck and a good introduction to the area's wartime history. Upper sections are accessible at recreational depths and the site supports abundant reef life.
Very shallow wreck heavily colonised by coral. It can be enjoyed by scuba divers and, in good conditions, even snorkellers — a striking contrast to Coron's deeper technical-style wrecks.
Subic is different from Coron: instead of one concentrated wartime strike, it contains wrecks from several historical periods, plus aircraft and technical-depth military targets.
The famous U.S. armored cruiser was scuttled in 1941 to prevent capture by advancing Japanese forces. Resting on her port side, she still carries massive gun turrets and an enormous propeller.
One of the Philippines' most historically significant regularly dived wrecks.Originally SS Meriden and later USS Majaba, this large vessel offers relatively shallow wreck diving with open holds and substantial remaining structure.
Remains of a Spanish vessel deliberately sunk in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Much of the wooden hull is gone, but machinery and structural remains turn the site into a reef with genuine nineteenth-century history.
A Japanese transport associated with the tragic WWII 'hell ship' story and Allied prisoners of war. The site was later heavily demolished and deserves to be approached primarily as a historical and memorial location.
Imperial Japanese Navy auxiliary minesweeper sunk by a mine in January 1942 near Grande Island. Upright at technical depth and a serious extended-range wreck dive.
Former whaling vessel converted for Japanese anti-submarine service. The wreck lies in two sections at trimix depth and is one of Subic's major technical targets.
Malapascua is marketed mostly for thresher sharks, but it quietly offers a very interesting progression from shallow WWII remains to deep technical wrecks.
Japanese WWII landing craft reportedly bombed while carrying cement. Broken into two main sections in very shallow water, it is an unusual entry-level historical wreck.
Approximately 100 m passenger ferry that sank during Typhoon Ruby in 1988. It lies on its starboard side and is now heavily colonised by marine life.
A loss-of-life site — dive with the same respect given to other maritime graves.Unidentified Japanese WWII cargo vessel, broken into several sections but still recognisable. Black coral and abundant marine life now cover much of the structure.
Unidentified 60 m Japanese WWII wreck, often suggested to be either Oakita Maru or Mogami Maru. Upright, largely intact and only suitable when tides and technical dive planning permit.
Puerto Galera is known above all for reefs, currents and biodiversity, but it also carries a useful wreck collection for training, local exploration and historical interest.
Cargo ship intentionally scuttled in 2003 as an artificial reef. Upright on the sand, rich with fish life and widely used for advanced, wreck, deep and nitrox training.
Artificial-reef wreck near the Sabang / Small La Laguna area. A moderate-depth wreck site that adds structure and fish shelter to the local reef system.
Reported remains of a wooden WWII Japanese patrol boat. Much of the timber has disappeared, leaving the engine, shaft and propeller as the key historical features at technical depth.
Several smaller intentionally sunk or broken vessels around Sabang have become excellent fish habitat, macro sites and night dives — less about military history, more about how wreckage becomes reef.
Not a major wreck destination in the Coron or Subic sense, but the shallow wreck at Apo Reef adds a photogenic historical feature to one of the Philippines' great reef systems.
Remains of an unidentified freighter now largely incorporated into the reef. It is best thought of as a coral-covered reef wreck rather than a penetration site.
Beneath the country's famous reefs and islands is a much less visible world of submerged limestone systems. Philippine cave diving has a strong exploration, survey, conservation and scientific tradition — and some systems have played an important role in the development of technical cave diving in the country.
The brilliant blue river is the surface window into a substantial underwater cave system. Alex Santos made the first recorded cave exploration in 1999. Systematic exploration followed from 2010 with Dr. Alfonso “Doc” Amores, Bernil Gastardo and other Filipino cave divers. After Amores died during an exploration dive in 2014, work continued through controlled research and scientific survey. Today cave diving here is restricted to authorized study and research.
Pawod is one of the foundations of modern Philippine cave diving. The established cave has permanent lines, low visibility and heavy silt in places, and has been used for specialist cave training. It is a genuine overhead environment — not an ordinary recreational dive.
Philippine explorers have documented systems including Mapating Deep in Batangas, Bababu Lake in Dinagat, caves in Surigao del Sur, cenotes and caves around Siargao, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Leyte. Much of this work combines exploration with mapping, biology, hydrology and conservation.
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