Philippines Diving

Scuba diving in the Philippines

The Philippines offers one of the broadest mixes of tropical diving in a single country. A diver can build completely different trips around Anilao macro and blackwater diving, thresher sharks around Malapascua, the sardine run at Moalboal, historic wrecks around Coron, or coral and turtle diving around Bohol and the Central Visayas.

That variety is the main reason to plan the Philippines by region rather than treating it as one uniform diving destination. Conditions, transfer times, marine life and the best style of accommodation can change substantially from one island group to another.

How to choose a Philippines dive region

• Macro and underwater photography: start with Anilao, Dauin and Romblon.
• Sharks and pelagic encounters: Malapascua is known for thresher shark diving, while Ticao and Southern Leyte add seasonal or opportunistic big-animal potential.
• Wreck diving: Coron is the strongest dedicated wreck destination in our current land-based portfolio.
• Easy reef diving and mixed groups: Bohol, Moalboal, Siquijor and Camiguin can combine diving with a broader island holiday.
• Remote, lower-crowd diving: Southern Leyte, Ticao, Sipalay and Cabilao are useful alternatives to the busiest resort hubs.

When to dive in the Philippines

There is useful diving somewhere in the Philippines throughout the year, but weather patterns are regional. Dry-season conditions are often most reliable from roughly November to April in many areas, while individual islands can have different wind, rain and visibility patterns. Liveaboard-only areas can be much more seasonal: Tubbataha, for example, has a short operating window rather than year-round access.

For a multi-region trip, the best approach is to choose the wildlife or diving style first, then match the route to seasonal conditions and realistic domestic transfers.

Resort-based diving or liveaboard?

Most of the destinations linked below work well as resort-based stays, which gives more flexibility for non-divers, photography-focused programmes and longer stays in one area. Liveaboards are particularly useful for remote marine parks and multi-island routes. Our site lists both dive resorts and liveaboard options, so the two styles can be compared separately rather than bundled automatically.

Planning a Philippines dive trip

International access is normally through Manila or Cebu, followed by domestic flights, ferries or road transfers depending on the destination. For combinations, leave realistic transfer margins and avoid compressing too many islands into one itinerary. Divers should also preserve the required no-fly interval after diving before any onward flight.