Philippines

Malapascua Island offers the world's most reliable thresher shark encounters at Monad Shoal cleaning station with year-round sunrise dives at 20 to 28 metres.

Thresher Sharks

Whale sharks visit multiple sites seasonally including Donsol (November to June), Tubbataha (March to June), and Sombrero Island near Anilao (November to May).

Whale Sharks

Anilao's muck diving sites including Secret Bay and Basura are world-famous for mimic octopus, wonderpus, and blue-ringed octopus encounters.

Mimic Octopus

Manta rays visit cleaning stations at Tubbataha Reefs, Apo Reef, and various Visayas sites from December to May during plankton season.

Manta Rays

The Philippines is one of the world's most biodiverse diving destinations, an archipelago of over 7,600 islands stretching across the western Pacific Ocean at the heart of the Coral Triangle. Home to the highest concentration of marine species on Earth, the Philippines offers an extraordinary range of underwater environments from the legendary muck diving sites of Anilao and Dauin where rare critters like mimic octopus, rhinopias, and flamboyant cuttlefish thrive, to the pristine coral walls of Tubbataha Reefs UNESCO World Heritage Site teeming with sharks, rays, and pelagic species. The country's unique geography creates diverse diving conditions, from the WWII wreck capital of Coron in Palawan with over a dozen Japanese freighters, to the world-famous thresher shark cleaning stations of Malapascua Island, and the year-round sardine run of Moalboal where millions of sardines form massive baitballs just offshore. With warm water of 26 to 30 degrees, visibility of 10 to 40 metres, and over 500 recorded dive sites, the Philippines delivers exceptional diving for every certification level from beginners to technical divers.

The Philippines offers exceptional liveaboard diving, most notably at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site accessible only by liveaboard from March to June each year. Liveaboard vessels depart from Puerto Princesa in Palawan for 6 to 7 night trips covering both the North and South Atolls plus Jessie Beazley Reef. Apo Reef Natural Park in Mindoro Strait is also accessible by liveaboard with trips departing from Sablayan. Some operators run expedition liveaboards to the remote Tawi-Tawi atolls and southern Sulu Sea. Vessels range from comfortable converted fishing boats to purpose-built dive yachts with international dive staff. Most Tubbataha liveaboards offer 3 to 4 dives per day including night dives with excellent facilities for underwater photographers.

Atmosphere Resorts & Spa

Atlantis Dive Resort

Thresher Shark Divers

Apo Reef Natural Park is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system after Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a protected marine sanctuary spanning 34...

Apo Reef Natural Park (Mindoro Strait)

Batangas and Anilao represent the undisputed muck diving capital of the Philippines and arguably the world, located just three hours south of Manila along the V...

Batangas – Anilao (Southern Luzon)

Bohol is one of the Philippines' most complete diving destinations, offering the legendary Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary with its turtle-filled reefs, drama...

Bohol – Balicasag & Panglao (Visayas)

Camiguin Island off the northern coast of Mindanao is a volcanic island paradise offering unique diving experiences shaped by its active volcanic geology, with...

Camiguin Island (Mindanao)

Coron in northern Palawan is the undisputed wreck diving capital of the Philippines, home to one of the world's finest collections of World War II Japanese ship...

Coron (Palawan – Wreck Capital)

Dauin and Dumaguete on the southeastern coast of Negros Oriental form one of the Philippines' most diverse diving regions, combining legendary macro muck diving...

Dauin & Dumaguete (Negros Oriental)

Davao and Samal Island in southeastern Mindanao offer an emerging diving destination with diverse underwater environments including cavern systems, walls, wreck...

Davao & Samal Island (Mindanao)

El Nido and Bacuit Bay in northern Palawan represent one of the most visually spectacular diving destinations in the Philippines, where towering limestone karst...

El Nido & Bacuit Bay (Palawan)

Southern Leyte and Sogod Bay represent one of the Philippines' most underrated diving destinations, a sheltered bay along the eastern Visayas coastline offering...

Leyte – Southern Leyte & Sogod Bay (Visayas)

Malapascua Island off the northern tip of Cebu is one of the world's most important shark diving destinations, home to the legendary Monad Shoal cleaning statio...

Malapascua & Gato Island (Cebu)

Moalboal on the southwestern coast of Cebu is one of the Philippines' most iconic diving destinations, famous worldwide for its extraordinary sardine run where...

Moalboal & Pescador Island (Cebu)

Puerto Galera and Verde Island form one of the Philippines' most diverse and accessible diving regions, located on the northern tip of Mindoro Island just three...

Puerto Galera – Verde Island (Mindoro)

Sarangani Bay on the southern coast of Mindanao is an emerging diving frontier offering pristine coral reefs, strong-current drift diving with pelagic encounter...

Sarangani Bay (Mindanao)

Siquijor Island in the central Visayas is an emerging diving destination offering pristine walls, spectacular coral gardens, and excellent macro diving in a rel...

Siquijor Island (Visayas)

Subic Bay is the Philippines' premier wreck diving destination, a former United States Naval Base on the western coast of Luzon housing an extraordinary collect...

Subic Bay (Zambales, Luzon)

Tawi-Tawi and the Southern Sulu Sea represent the Philippines' ultimate frontier diving destination, a remote archipelago of coral atolls and seamounts at the s...

Tawi-Tawi & Southern Sulu Sea (Remote)

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Philippines' crown jewel of marine conservation, a remote pair of coral atolls rising from...

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (UNESCO)

Airplane Wreck

Akitsushima

Alma Jane Wreck

Angels Cove

Anilao Pier

Apo Island Marine Sanctuary

Apo Minor (Binangaan Island)

Apo Reef East Wall

Apo Reef South Wall

Arco Point

Aundanao Wreck

Balicasag Marine Sanctuary

Bantigue

Barracuda Lake

Basura

Beatrice Point

Black Forest (Balicasag)

Black Forest (Camiguin)

Bohol Marine Sanctuary

Cathedral Rock

Cathedral Wall (Balicasag)

Chapel Reef (Apo Island)

Chocolate Island

Coconut Point (Apo Island)

CYC Beach

Dauin North Muck

Dauin South Muck

Delsan Wreck

Dilumacad Tunnel

Divers Heaven (Balicasag)

Doljo Point

Dumaguete Pier

East Tangat Wreck

El Capitan (SS San Quentin)

Enriques Reef

Entalula Island

Gato Island

Glan Padidu Reef

Hole in the Wall

Hunters Rock

Irako Maru

Jessie Beazley Reef

Jigdup Reef

Kasai Wall

Katipanan (Apo Island)

Kemod Shoal

Koala Point

Kogyo Maru

Lighthouse Islet

Lighthouse (Malapascua)

Ligid Caves

Limawasa Island

LST (Landing Ship Tank)

Mainit Point

Maitum Caves

Malayan Wreck

Mamsa Point (Apo Island)

Manila Channel

Mapating Point

Mapun Atoll (Turtle Islands)

Merope Wreck

Monad Shoal

Monkey Beach

Mushroom Rock

Napaling Point (Panglao)

Napantao Marine Sanctuary

Natnat Reef

Okikawa Maru

Old Volcano Wall

Olympia Maru

Oryoku Maru (Hell Ship)

Padre Burgos Pier

Paliton Wall

Pamilacan Island

Panaon Island

Paradise Beach

Pearl Farm House Reef

Pescador Island

Sabang Wrecks

Salagdoong Beach

Sardine Run (Panagsama Beach)

Seafan Alley

Secret Bay

Seian Maru

Shark Airport

Shark Cave

Shark Point (Palawan)

Shark Ridge

Sibulan Wreck

Siete Pecados

Sipangkot Seamount

Siquijor Pier

Small and Big La Laguna

Sombrero Island

South Miniloc

South West Wall

Sun-ok Wreck

Sunken Cemetery

Talisa Point

Tampuan Point

Internal transport in the Philippines relies on domestic flights, ferries, and land transfers connecting the archipelago's major islands. Domestic flights operated by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia connect Manila and Cebu to regional airports. Fast ferries and roll-on roll-off vessels connect major islands in the Visayas. Local transport includes tricycles, jeepneys, and vans for transfers to dive sites. Remote islands like Malapascua and Tubbataha require boat transfers. Liveaboard vessels depart from Puerto Princesa for Tubbataha during the March to June season.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Puerto Princesa International Airport

Francisco Bangoy International Airport

Scuba Diving Resorts in Philippines

Hotels & Resorts in Philippines

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Hotels.com

Recommended Areas

Anilao, Batangas

Coron, Palawan

Moalboal, Cebu

Top Dive Resorts

Atmosphere Resorts & Spa

Atlantis Dive Resort

Thresher Shark Divers

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