13 Best Diving Spots In The Philippines

Last Updated on 24th July 2023

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Are you looking for the best diving spots in the Philippines to enjoy some magical marine life? Check out this ultimate guide to the top diving spots in the Philippines!

Home to more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is one of the best hotspots for all things water-based. From pristine oceans teeming with vibrant coral and an abundance of spectacular marine life such as manta rays, schools of fish, and sometimes even whale sharks, the Philippines is one of the best places in the world if you’re looking for epic scuba diving opportunities and breathtaking snorkelling spots.

With the help of the incredible Philippines diving holidays offered by Original Diving and my experience of spending a month in the beautiful Southeast Asian country back in 2019, I’ve put together an inspirational list of the most amazing scuba diving spots in the Philippines, plus some recommendations for the top places to go snorkelling!

Please note that the list of the top diving spots in the Philippines below isn’t in any particular order and it’s not entirely exhaustive! The Philippines is home to so many incredible places to dive, so you’ll definitely find even more spots around the beautiful island country! Also, note that the pictures below don’t accurately represent each destination as I haven’t taken pictures of each snorkelling/diving spot in the Philippines!

Best Philippines diving spots summary

Siquijor
Boracay
Moalboal/Pescador Island
Oslob
Coron
El Nido
Bohol
Malapascua
Anilao
Batangas
Puerto Galera
Dumaguete & Dauin
Tubbataha Reef

Best diving spots in the Philippines

The Philippines is one of the best and most sought-after diving destinations in the world. With pristine blue waters, an exciting array of vibrant coral and plenty of spectacular marine life to discover, it’s fair to say that diving in the Philippines is a true bucket list experience!

If you’re wondering “Where is the best place to dive in the Philippines?” or you’re just looking for inspiration for your next Philippines diving holiday, I’ve got you covered with this list of the top diving spots in the Philippines below!

Remember, this list is in no particular order!

1. Siquijor – best diving spots in the Philippines

There are over 20 dive sites to enjoy around Siquijor Island, including Sunken Island, Sawang, Coral Garden, Tulapos Marine Sanctuary and many others.

Teeming with thriving coral and abundant marine life, scuba diving opportunities in and around Siquijor are plentiful. Paliton Wall is a great spot to add to your Philippines diving bucket list as this stunning underwater wall drops from 7m to as much as 50m in some parts and you’ll find various creatures such as soft corals, Gorgonian Seafans and giant frogfish.

Diving can be enjoyed around Siquijor Island almost all year round as it’s largely unaffected by extreme monsoons, but December to May are typically the driest months, whereas June to November can see rough seas and intense rain.

2. Boracay

Despite being a relatively small island, Boracay is famous for its pristine beaches and spectacular ocean waters and, of course, plentiful diving opportunities. It’s even been voted the best island in the world!

Yapak is one of the best places around the island for scuba diving as you’ll likely see swarms of tuna, seahorses, angelfish, lionfish and mola molas. You may even see the occasional whale shark and stingray. This diving site is also famous for its plunging wall that reaches depths of 70m in some places.

Once you’ve experienced the wonderful underwater life in the north of the island, head to White Beach on the southwest coast for stunning sandy beaches and excellent snorkelling experiences.

January to May are the best times to go scuba diving around Boracay as this is when you’re likely to see the most marine life.

3. Moalboal

Moalboal is the diving spot in the Philippines if you want to see the world-famous sardine run!

Lying on the west coast of the island, Moalboal is just a short 3-hour drive from Cebu City and just a 15-minute boat ride from the coast takes you to Pescador Island where you’ll find extraordinary marine life such as barracuda, frogfish and large reef sharks.

Underwater caves are also a common occurrence in this part of the Philippines and it’s where you’ll find The Cathedral; a world-renowned underwater cave that makes for an excellent photo backdrop!

Steep walls support biodiverse marine life such as snappers, jacks, turtles, tuna and even the occasional thresher shark. It’s no wonder that Pescador Island is voted as one of the top 50 dive sites in the world!

Similarly to most of the top diving places in the Philippines featured on this list, Moalboal/Pescador Island can be visited for diving opportunities almost all year round, with the best months being between January and May.

4. Oslob – best diving spots in the Philippines

Situated on the south coast of Cebu Island, just two and a half hours from Moalboal, Oslob is another top diving spot in the Philippines, particularly if you want to see spectacular whale sharks as the waters surrounding Oslob are teeming with them!

If diving isn’t for you right now, you can still take advantage of plenty of snorkelling opportunities from Oslob and you can even see whale sharks when snorkelling, so it’s a great alternative for non-divers!

Snorkelling/diving is possible in Oslob all year round.

5. Coron

Coron - best diving spots in the Philippines

Located north of Palawan Island, Coron Island/Coron Bay offers some of the best diving in the Philippines, especially if you’re looking for some of the best wreck dives in the world!

Coron Bay is famous for its numerous World War 2 shipwrecks as the harbour hosted several Japanese warships during the war. Today, it’s the perfect underwater playground for divers looking to explore shipwrecks, beautiful lagoons, underwater caves and, of course, plentiful marine life.

Located on the northwest of Coron Island, Barracuda Lake is arguably one of the most famous swimming spots in the world as it’s composed of both freshwater and saltwater, providing it with layers of cold, warm, and hot water. There isn’t much marine life to be discovered within the lake, but the crystal-clear water, hidden caves and mysterious underwater rock formations are sights you’ll never forget!

The Okikawa Maru is another unmissable diving spot in Coron if you want to see the wreckage of this famous 160m-long Japanese war tanker. Expert divers will definitely want to add this to their Philippines diving bucket list as it’s one of the most notorious wreck diving locations in the world!

Of course, as well as numerous wreckages around Coron Island/Bay, there is also plenty of snorkelling opportunities where you’ll see vibrant coral and colourful schools of fish.

6. El Nido – best diving spots in the Philippines

El Nido was on my bucket list for so many years and when I finally visited in 2019, I couldn’t believe just how beautiful it was!

Located on the very northern tip of Palawan Island, El Nido is another excellent diving spot in the Philippines for spotting marine life such as turtles, reef sharks, marble rays, barracuda, seahorses and more.

It’s also another great place for snorkelling if you don’t want to commit to scuba diving just yet and the snorkelling tour I did in 2019 was one of the best I’ve ever done! The tropical island vibes of El Nido itself are also great, so it’s definitely a place to add to your Philippines itinerary!

7. Bohol

Bohol, particularly the island of Panglao, was another one of my favourite places in the Philippines, largely because of its astonishingly beautiful beaches and incredible diving/snorkelling opportunities.

Just a short boat ride from Panglao, you’ll find the tiny island of Balicasag which is renowned for being a coral reef paradise.

Large schools of fish, turtles, jacks and barracuda frequent this body of water and the aptly named “Diver’s Heaven” is a wall dive that reaches depths of 40m where you might even spot the occasional eel or shark!

Diving is possible around Bohol pretty much all throughout the year, but the months of January to June are usually the best.

8. Malapascua

If you’re looking for the best shark dive in the Philippines, look no further than Malapascua!

Malapascua Island, located north of Cebu Island and west of Samar Island is renowned for being one of the best (and only!) places in the world where you are almost guaranteed to see the elusive thresher shark.

Diving in Malapascua is an absolute joy if you’re looking to see thresher sharks up close as these long-tailed swimmers are known to make a sunrise appearance near Monad Shoal.

At over 30m deep, Monad Shoal is the best place to spot thresher sharks and as they frequent this body of water so often, sightings of these magnificent creatures are almost guaranteed!

It’s not just thresher sharks that you’ll find in Malapascua either, as reef sharks, tuna, barracuda, sea snakes, frogfish, flatworms, pygmy seahorses, cuttlefish, crustaceans and even octopus are known to hide in the waters here.

The best time to scuba dive around Malapascua Island is between March and May, but you’re almost guaranteed to experience formidable marine life all year round.

9. Anilao – best diving spots in the Philippines

For some of the best muck diving in the Philippines, you need to add Anilao to your diving bucket list.

More than 75 dive sites await divers of all experiences just a short boat ride from the shore of Anilao village and Manit Muck is perhaps the best place for muck diving in the country.

During the day, you’ll spy octopus, mantis shrimp and scorpion fish and if you’re confident enough to brave the waters at night, you’ll be rewarded with astonishing views of the marine life in the dark.

If you love weird and wonderful water creatures, Anilao is also the perfect place to spot hawksbill turtles, hairy frogfish, blue-ringed octopuses, bobbit worms, eagle rays, as well as the occasional manta ray.

Anilao is a great diving spot in the Philippines all year round, but head there between December and May for the best chance to spot the most marine life.

10. Batangas

Situated in the very south of Luzon Island, just over two hours’ drive from Manila, resides the city of Batangas.

There are plenty of fun and exciting diving spots located around Batangas Bay, including Bauan where you’ll find large schools of jacks, brightly coloured fish and coral and enormous underwater rocks that have created plunging sea walls.

In San Luis, you’ll find a collection of hard coral, plus a handful of turtles who shyly welcome you into their habitat.

From Mabini, you can see some of the fun, manmade diving attractions in the area such as The Tables, The Jeep Wreck and The Motorcycle Wreck.

Diving is possible all year round in the Batangas province, but the best time to visit is between December and May, during the dry season.

11. Puerto Galera – best diving spots in the Philippines

On the opposite side of Batangas Bay, on the island of Mindoro, Puerto Galera is one of the Philippines’ crowning jewels for divers from all over the world.

Approximately 40 dive sites await both inexperienced and expert divers in the waters around Puerto Galera. Huge turtles can be seen in the waters from Sabang Beach on the north coast of Puerto Galera and it’s a particularly popular spot for night diving.

Canyons is arguably the most sought-after dive site in the area thanks to its crystal clear waters and huge schools of marine life such as barracuda, octopus and reef fish. Expert divers can enjoy manoeuvring through three stunning canyons that are covered with soft coral and barrel sponges.

There are also numerous wrecks to explore due to the sunken boats of the Sabang Wrecks, so it’s yet another extraordinary site to add to your list of the best places to dive in the Philippines.

Similarly to most of the other Philippines diving spots on this list, Puerto Galera can be dived pretty much all year round.

12. Dumaguete & Dauin

Dumaguete and Dauin are located within just a 30-minute drive of each other on the southeast coast of Negros Island, just a stone’s throw from other popular Philippines diving sites such as Moalboal and Oslob.

Dauin is a great area to explore for macro photographers who want to snap epic underwater shots. Dumaguete is another hotspot for muck diving and many dive resorts in the area also offer an excursion to nearby Oslob to spot whale sharks.

Apo Island, located just off the shore of Dauin, is a diver’s paradise if you enjoy swimming with turtles, tuna and colourful coral. Nicknamed by locals “The Washing Machine”, this area is better suited to more experienced divers as currents can be strong and often unpredictable, so it’s important to only head out if you know the currents are safe.

Dumaguete and Dauin offer some of the best year-round diving opportunities, so be sure to add it to your Philippines diving itinerary!

13. Tubbataha Reef – best diving spots in the Philippines

I think I’ve saved arguably the best diving spot in the Philippines for last!

Comprising almost 100,000 hectares of Marine Protected Area, Tubbataha Reef is one of the most prestigious diving spots in the Philippines, but due to its isolated location approximately 170km off the coast of Palawan Island, it can only be experienced by a liveaboard diving excursion.

As a result of its extreme remoteness, Tubbataha Reef is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved diving locations and this fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site boasts more than 600 species of fish, 360 species of coral and even numerous dolphin, whale and shark species.

It’s situated in the heart of the Sulu Sea, in the middle of one of the highest marine biodiversity on Earth, known as the Coral Triangle. It’s here that you’ll find some of the most pristine coral in the world and some of the most epic marine life in the whole of the Philippines.

Amos Rock is one of the most popular spots in Tubbataha Reef to scuba dive thanks to the vast amount of biodiverse marine life you’ll experience, but there really isn’t a bad spot on the whole reef! Keep your eyes peeled for whitetip sharks, dolphins, mackerel, turtles, tuna, barracuda, manta rays, sting rays and so much more!

With it only being accessible via a liveaboard experience, diving at Tubbataha Reef doesn’t come cheap, with some liveaboards costing well over $1,000, plus extra fees for entry into the National Marine Park.

The best time to visit Tubbataha Reef via liveaboard boat is between March and June.

FAQs about diving in the Philippines

If you still have a few questions about going scuba diving in the Philippines, I’ve put together a brief FAQ section below which should help you!

What are the best diving months in the Philippines?

While it is possible to go diving in the Philippines almost all year round thanks to the 7,000+ islands and their unique climates and weather, the best time to go diving in the Philippines is usually between December and April during the dry season.

Is scuba diving expensive in the Philippines?

It’s no secret that scuba diving is a pretty expensive hobby, especially if you want to become fully PADI certified, but if you just want to take one-off scuba diving lessons in the Philippines, you can usually expect to pay around $50 to $100 USD for a single lesson.

A 3-day scuba diving course usually costs around $350 to $450 USD and an intensive open-water diving course can cost between $300 and $500+.

Of course, the price of scuba diving in the Philippines also depends on the location, the diver’s experience and whether you’ll need to pay for scuba rental equipment, but the above costs are approximately what you can expect to pay for diving in most places in the Philippines.

Is Indonesia or the Philippines better for diving?

Both Indonesia and the Philippines are renowned for having some of the best diving spots in the world. The Philippines is known for having better wreck diving opportunities, but diving in Indonesia is often a little cheaper, so it depends on the kind of diving experience you’re looking for.

Is scuba diving in the Philippines safe?

Safety is always the number one priority of scuba diving, regardless of where you are in the world and thankfully, the Philippines is known to be a safe place for diving.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should never attempt to go scuba diving without a proper instructor if you’ve never done it before and even if you are PADI certified, it’s imperative that you’re aware of your diving surroundings and you know the safest spots to go diving.

I hope you found this guide about the best places to go scuba diving in the Philippines useful and I hope it helps you to plan an epic diving/snorkelling adventure!

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