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Diving Philippines is impressive, varied and spectacular.

Scuba diving Philippines does not get any diverse, anywhere in the world! No matter what level of diver you are, diving in the Philippines has something to offer you. In fact I can just about guarantee that the scuba diving you do in the Philippines will blow your mind and make you think twice about diving when you get home. You will literally be spoilt when diving Philippines.

The water temperature diving in the Philippines, is similar to diving in your warm bath at home! It is absolutely divine.

A balmy 22 C to 25 C during the cooler months of December to March and 25 C to 28 C during the warmer months of April to November.

Water temperatures like these gives you the opportunity of diving in the comfort of lycra skin suits or 3mm wetsuits. When you are use to diving in 5mm and 7mm steamers or even dry suits, this type of diving is pure heaven.

 Action Asia Adventure Travel Guide says "The Philippines is to scuba divers what Switzerland is to skiers, Hawaii to surfers, and Nepal to mountaineers.

The Philippine coastline stretches over 35,000km and includes more than 27,000 sq. km of coral reefs, supporting a rich and diverse marine environment."

Divers visiting the Philippines return for an average of 10 trips each. There are presently 60 registered dive resorts all over the Philippines, with the best coral formations, marine life specimens ranging from turtles to whales and dolphins, and some of the best wreck dive sites in Asia, featuring World War II vessels, Spanish galleons and Chinese junks.

Scuba Diving Philippines - What Sort of Diving?

Philippines diving has everything to satisfy the most fussy diver. All you have to do is put your wetsuit on and put your tank together, even then there is someone there to assist you. From here it gets easier. Someone will carry your gear on and off the dive boat for you, help you put your scuba tank and gear onto your back and help you out of the water when you have finished. Sound easy? You bet it is.

Now, what type of diving should you expect? Well pretty much everything you can think of is covered.

Pristine reef diving.
Exhilarating drift diving.
Big pelagic fish action.
World War II wrecks to be discovered.
Fantastic wall diving.
Muck diving for those who like macro photography.
Deep diving.
Coral Gardens.
Night Diving.
Swim throughs and caves.
Technical diving.
Soft coral spectaculars.

The majority of dives are conducted by boat, usually a very short trip from your resort. If you are not diving from a boat you can generally find fantastic reefs right in front of your resort, nice and easy shore diving. For the ultimate experience, live aboard dive vessels can also take you to areas seldom is ever visited by scuba divers, this is the ultimate experience.

The Philippines has the most number of discovered and undiscovered dive sites in Asia Pacific.

Diving in the Philippines leaves you asking only one question:
"When can I come back?"

Top Ten Dive Sites

Anilao in Batangas has outstanding corals and reef life with one of the highest diversity of small marine creatures.

Subic Bay in Olongapo is one of the best wreck diving sites in Asia.

Puerto Galera in Mindoro is situated on a beautiful nature harbor with many fine beaches, sheltered coves and lush green hills.

Busuanga in Palawan is one of Philippine diving's best kept secrets that boasts of a dozen wreck sites

Cabilao Island in Bohol offers some of the best diving in the country and is particularly noted for sightings of hammerhead sharks in its deep waters.

Balicasag Island in Bohol is a microcosm of all that is great in Philippine diving.

Moalboal in Cebu is beautiful and picturesque. Pescador Island is a favorite of underwater photographers and snorkelers.

Apo Island in Negros Oriental, the most populous and diverse aquatic ecosystem in the world, will be recreated at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on a 27,000 sq. ft. area costing US$47 million. This interactive state-of-the-art project called The Philippine Wild Reef Exhibit shall open on April 9, 2003

Malapascua in Cebu which means "Unfortunate Christmas" is a paradise where time stands still.

Tubbataha Reef National Park in the Sulu Sea boasts of coral cover of 70-80% and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

        

ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES	BEST SHIP WRECK SITES
Close to 60 registered dive sites	Ex-USS New York - the best preserved dread nough in Subic Bay
Coral reefs have grown since the Ice Age.	Oryoku Maru - also known as the hell ship because of the death of thousands of prisoners of war and their families when it sunk in 1945 at Subic.
Close to 25 shipwreck dive sites	Seian Maru - a cargo ship with approximately 30,000 tons on board in Subic Bay
Over a thousand species of marine life	Black Island Wreck - Coron Palawan
Over 100 reef slopes.	Taei Maru - this auxiliary oil tanker offer the perfect site for wreck penetration courses.
Over 800 classes of corals	Akitsushima - offer an adventure filled dive because of the depth where it lies.
Over 400 fish species and over 500 fish families	Olympia Maru- a small freighter located on the north end of Lusong Island and Tangat Island.
34,000 Square Kilometers (13,124 sq. m.) of coral reefs.	Irako- is a Japanese refrigerated ship that is home to groupers and other fish families.
Most populous and diverse aquatic ecosystem.

OTHER EQUALLY RECOMMENDED DIVE SITES

Tonga Point - in Moalboal, Cebu has lots of good soft corals, some gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges and mixed fish life.

Sumilon Island - the first Marine Sanctuary in the Philippines, developed and preserved by Siliman University in Negros.

Danjugan Island - It is situated in Sulu Sea surrounded by coral reefs retaining most of its original forest cover on hills.

Apo Reef National Marine Park - 20 miles west of Mindoro an island covered by mangrove trees while waters surrounding it abound with marine fauna and luxuriant coral growth.

El Nido-Palawan

Panglao Island - in Bohol is a small coraline limestone island with some of the best dive sites in the country.