Top 8 Best Diving Spots in the Philippines You Can't Miss

Thousands of divers worldwide flock to the country each year to experience its world-class dive sites. With over 7,000 islands scattered across warm tropical seas, the Philippines has long been a paradise for tourists and water sports enthusiasts—with technicolor coral gardens, mysterious underwater caves, and historic shipwrecks teeming with marine life.

But in case you still haven't planned where to dive in the Philippines, we can suggest the best places to you. Here, we've researched and handpicked the top eight must-visit diving spots in the Philippines you surely can't miss. 

Top 8: Dauin (Negros Occidental)

The Muck Diving Choice

If you are fascinated with the weird, the wonderful, and the tiny creatures of the ocean, Dauin should be on your diving bucket list. Known as the premier muck diving destination in the Philippines, this small town near Dumaguete is a hotspot for macro enthusiasts. Here, the black volcanic sand provides the perfect backdrop for spotting some of the ocean's most fascinating creatures—seahorses, octopuses, and a dazzling variety of nudibranchs. But the show's real stars are the elusive frogfish, including the hairy frogfish and the clown frogfish, which camouflage perfectly in their surroundings.

One of the best diving spots in the Philippines dive sites is El Dorado, which offers a mix of muck diving and artificial reef exploration. As you swim over the dark sandy bottom, watch for the adorable Costasiella kuroshimae—better known as "Shaun the Sheep" nudibranch—along with ornate ghost pipefish and colonies of seahorses. The artificial reef here is a spectacle, with artificial structures resembling an underwater garden teeming with reef fish, moray eels, and even a friendly school of batfish.

Diving Conditions:

Water temperatures hover around 28–29°C year-round but can drop to 26°C in March. A 3mm wetsuit is usually enough, though some divers opt for rash guards. Since most dives in Dauin are shore dives, sturdy neoprene booties are recommended for walking over sand and stones.

Best Time to Visit:

Dauin is a year-round diving destination, but the best conditions are from October to June, outside the typhoon season. If you want to witness the octopus mating season, plan your visit in October!

Top 7: Coron (Palawan) 

World-Class WWII Wreck Spot 

Spotted in the heart of the Philippines, Coron is a diver's paradise renowned for its exceptional World War II wreck diving sites. The area is home to several sunken Japanese warships, each offering a unique underwater adventure. These historical wrecks have become artificial reefs, attracting many marine life, including schools of barracudas, making them a haven for history enthusiasts and marine life lovers.

One of the most iconic dive sites is the Okinawa Maru, a 160-meter-long wreck encrusted with corals and teeming with critters like colorful nudibranchs. Divers can also encounter large schools of snapper, sweetlips, batfish, and barracuda surrounding the wreck. Another notable site is the Akitsushima, a seaplane tender lying on her port side, featuring a massive crane that attracts schools of baitfish and barracuda, offering excellent underwater photography opportunities. For those interested in deeper exploration, the Irako, a refrigeration supply ship between 30 to 45 meters, presents a thrilling dive with sightings of schooling jacks, snapper, groupers, and more.

Diving Conditions:

Coron offers year-round diving with water temperatures averaging 28 to 30°C, making a 3mm wetsuit sufficient for most divers. Visibility varies but is generally better before high tide, ranging from 7 to 20+ meters. It's advisable to plan dives around tidal movements to maximize visibility.

Best Time to Visit:

The optimal time to dive in Coron is during the dry season, from October to June. Within this period, December through March offers the best weather conditions, while March to May provides the most apparent visibility for wreck diving.

Top 6: Napaling (Bohol) 

The Sardine Spectacle

Napaling in Panglao, Bohol is a dream spot for divers looking for an up-close sardine run experience without the usual crowd. Unlike other sardine hotspots in the Philippines, Napaling offers a more intimate and less touristy encounter, letting you swim through shimmering, shape-shifting bait balls in crystal-clear waters. The scene gets even better when predators like trevallies and tunas dart through the schools, adding an extra thrill to the dive. Beyond the sardines, Napaling's dramatic underwater cliffs teem with vibrant corals, sponges, and tiny critters, making it a goldmine for macro lovers and underwater photographers.

Diving Conditions:

Napaling caters to all divers, with depths ranging from shallow waters to around 30 meters (98 feet). Visibility is generally 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet) but can change with the seasons. Water temperatures hover between 26°C to 30°C (79°F to 86°F), making a 3mm wetsuit ideal for comfort. Shore entry is easy, but divers should be mindful of the occasional strong currents. A dive light is handy for peeking into crevices where hidden marine gems await.

Best Time to Visit:

Napaling is diveable year-round, but the best conditions happen during the dry season from November to May. From December to April, expect the best visibility and calmer seas, making it prime time for witnessing massive sardine formations in all their glory.

Top 5: Siquijor Island

Island of Fire

Siquijor, often dubbed the "Island of Fire," is known for its mystical folklore and captivating diving sites that lure underwater enthusiasts seeking vibrant marine life and serene diving experiences. Situated in the Bohol Sea, this lesser-known gem offers a tranquil alternative to the more frequented dive spots in the Philippines. 

Several diving sites you can explore in Siquijor include:

• Coral Garden: Located between Maite and Tubod Marine Sanctuaries, Coral Garden is a shore-accessible dive site teeming with diverse coral formations. Divers can encounter many macro life, including various nudibranchs, flatworms, and mantis shrimp. The site also hosts ribbon eels, pipefish, frogfish, crocodile fish, pufferfish, and numerous sea turtles, making it a haven for underwater photographers.
• Sawang: Accessible by boat, Sawang offers intriguing coral formations, canyons, and small underwater tunnels suitable for divers with proficient buoyancy control. The area is rich in hard and soft corals, housing reef fish, sea snakes, and turtles. Macro enthusiasts will appreciate sightings of mantis shrimp, nudibranchs, and cuttlefish.
• Sunken Island: Reserved for advanced divers due to its strong currents, it is an underwater pinnacle starting at 10 meters and descending to 40 meters. The site is adorned with soft and hard corals, whip corals, and sponges. Marine life includes reef fishes, jackfish, sea snakes, turtles, and occasional sightings of pelagic species such as manta rays or even whale sharks.

Diving Conditions:

Siquijor offers year-round diving opportunities. Water temperatures range from 25°C to 29°C, with the warmest waters typically in October and the coolest in February. Most Philippine diving sites are beginner-friendly, featuring gentle slopes and minimal currents, making them suitable for divers of all experience levels. However, sites like Sunken Island present stronger currents and are recommended for advanced divers.

Best Time to Visit:

Plan your visit between December and May for optimal diving conditions, which corresponds to the dry season. During these months, the seas are calm, and visibility is at its peak, enhancing the overall diving experience. While diving is feasible year-round, the rainy season from June to November may bring increased rainfall and slightly rougher seas, though most dive sites remain accessible.

Top 4: El Nido (Palawan)

Diver's Limestone Paradise 

El Nido, located on the northwestern tip of Palawan, is celebrated for its dramatic limestone cliffs, crystal-clear lagoons, and pristine white-sand beaches. Beneath its turquoise waters lies a vibrant marine ecosystem, making it a haven for divers seeking diverse underwater experiences.

They offer multiple options for diving, but some of the best dive sites to see are the following:

• South Miniloc: Renowned as El Nido's premier dive site, it boasts a tapestry of colorful sponges, delicate cabbage corals, and intricate branching corals. This rich habitat attracts schools of snappers, mackerels, solitary great barracudas, and formidable tunas. Macro enthusiasts can spot frogfish, nudibranchs, and the striking electric blue ribbon eels among the corals.
• Nat-Nat: Situated off a limestone island near El Nido town, it offers a mix of sandy patches, rubble areas, and vibrant reefs. Divers can encounter a plethora of nudibranchs, grazing sea turtles, anemone fish, and unique species like gurnards. The site is also teeming with crustaceans, including various crabs, shrimps, and lobsters, making night dives particularly rewarding.
• North Rock: Located near Miniloc Island, this place is a magnet for larger marine life and pelagics. Divers might witness amberjacks, pompano, barracudas, big-eye trevallies, turtles, and stingrays. The occasional appearance of whale sharks adds to the site's allure.
• Helicopter Island (Dilumacad Island): Named for its helicopter-like silhouette, this island features dive sites adorned with vibrant corals and impressive bommies. Both hawksbill and green sea turtles are frequently observed, especially in summer when they feed on seagrass beds. The site's generally calm conditions suit divers of all levels.

Diving Conditions: 

El Nido offers favorable diving conditions with water temperatures ranging from 21°C to 30°C (70°F to 86°F) throughout the year. Visibility varies between 15 to 25 meters (49 to 82 feet), peaking during the dry season. Divers are advised to wear appropriate exposure protection, such as a 3mm wetsuit, especially during the cooler months from January to February when temperatures drop to 21°C.

Best Time to Visit: 

The optimal diving season in El Nido spans from March to May, characterized by sunny weather and excellent visibility. October and November shoulder months also offer favorable conditions with fewer tourists. While diving is possible year-round, the rainy season from June to September may bring reduced visibility and rougher seas.

If those spots haven’t caught your full interest yet and you’re still wondering where to dive in the Philippines this season, our top three picks might just have the adventure you’re looking for.

Top 3: Tablas Island (Romblon) 

The Rarest Blue Hole

Tablas Island in Romblon is home to one of the Philippines' rarest natural underwater sinkholes known as the Blue Hole. This vertical cavern starts at 6 meters (20 feet) and drops to an impressive 30 meters (98 feet), making it an exciting challenge for divers. The entrance may seem unassuming, but as you descend, the cavern expands into a vast chamber with a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.

Marine life thrives within and around the Blue Hole. Expect encounters with reef sharks, barracudas, lobsters, nudibranchs, and vibrant soft corals clinging to the cavern walls. Schools of fish circle the entrance, while macro lovers can spot critters hiding within crevices. There have even been encounters with wild, migrating whale shark here at Blue Hole as well. Beyond the Blue Hole, Cobrador Island and Lunas Reef can offer incredible macro diving, where rare finds like rhinopias, blue-ringed octopuses, and frogfish await.

Diving Conditions: 

The Blue Hole is best suited for intermediate to advanced divers due to its depth and vertical structure. Strong currents and crashing waves are common in Blue Hole, so it’s best to check the conditions, and try to plan your trip in the afternoon. Water temperatures range between 26°C to 30°C (78°F to 86°F), with visibility averaging 5 to 20 meters (15 to 65 feet). A dive torch is recommended to navigate the cavern's darker areas.

Best Time to Visit:

The best Romblon freediving season runs from March to June when the seas are calm and visibility is at its best. While diving is possible year-round, the rainy season from July to September may bring rougher waters and reduced visibility.

Top 2: Malapascua Island (Cebu) 

Thresher Shark's Pick

Malapascua Island is a diver's paradise, famous for its rare thresher shark encounters. Located off the northern tip of Cebu, this small island attracts diving enthusiasts worldwide. Aside from the iconic threshers, Malapascua boasts diverse marine life, wreck dives, and vibrant coral gardens—making it an essential stop for underwater explorers.

Some of the best diving spots that you should try there are:

• Kimud Shoal – Once overshadowed by Monad Shoal, Kimud is now the prime spot for thresher shark sightings at a shallower depth (15-20m). The site's compact size increases your chances of spotting these elusive predators. Expect stunning soft corals, sea fans, octopuses, and reef fish, with occasional devil rays and hammerheads appearing from the depths.
• Gato Island – This marine reserve and sea snake sanctuary is teeming with life. The site features spectacular purple and dusty rose soft corals, tunnels, and caverns, making for an exciting dive. The long boat ride (1–1.5 hours) offers the chance to see macro critters, reef sharks, and schooling fish.
• Mandarin Fish Dive – Watch mandarin fish perform their intricate mating dance at sunset at Lighthouse Reef or Evolution's House Reef. The shallow 15m depth allows for long dives, but patience and good buoyancy are key, especially when navigating among other divers.

Diving Conditions: 

The water temperature at Malapascua ranges from 25°C (77°F) in January to 29°C (84°F) in May—typically between 15 to 25 meters (50-82 feet). Dive sites vary from shallow 5 meters (16 feet) to deeper areas reaching 40 meters (131 feet). It is suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced divers.

Best Time to Visit: 

Malapascua offers year-round diving, but January to May brings the best conditions. April-May is the peak season for hammerhead sightings. Water temperatures range from 29-30°C, dipping to 26°C in winter (until January). Avoid peak crowds during Chinese New Year and National Day holidays.

Top 1: Apo Reef (Mindoro Occidental) 

The Best in Sheer Beauty

Only a few places can rival the sheer beauty and scale of Apo Reef—the largest atoll-like reef in the Philippines and the second-largest contiguous coral reef system. This UNESCO tentative site is an unspoiled marine sanctuary stretching over 34 square kilometers of stunning underwater topography. Vibrant coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, and exhilarating drift dives make it a dream destination for both seasoned and aspiring divers.

Descending into Apo Reef is like entering the top diving locations in the Philippines—with a living, breathing aquatic metropolis. Schools of barracudas, snappers, and fusiliers swirl through the blue while reef sharks, turtles, and manta rays effortlessly glide through the currents. The coral formations are a spectacle of color and diversity, providing a thriving habitat for over 500 species of marine life. With crystal-clear waters offering exceptional visibility, every dive here is a front-row seat to one of the world's most spectacular marine ecosystems.

Diving Conditions:

Apo Reef caters to divers of all skill levels, with depths ranging from 10 meters (33 feet) to over 40 meters (131 feet). The water temperature stays warm year-round, averaging 27°C to 30°C (81°F to 86°F), making a 3mm wetsuit ideal. Visibility can reach an astonishing 30 meters (98 feet) or more, offering pristine views of the reef. While currents are generally moderate, some areas can have strong drifts, making it an exciting challenge for advanced divers.

Best Time to Visit:

The best time to explore Apo Reef is from November to May, during the dry season when the waters are calm and visibility is at its peak. Though diving is possible year-round, the wet season (June to October) brings occasional rough seas and decreased visibility. For the ultimate experience, plan your dive when the sun is high, the waters are still, and the reef is alive with marine life at its most vibrant.

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