With 7,107 islands, the Philippines offers bodies of water, with highly diverse marine wildlife and seascape, for all kinds of divers and dive enthusiasts to explore. This is making the country a popular major diving hub in Asia.
The Philippines has countless diving spots suitable for divers of different skills from beginners who are simply looking for fun recreational activities, to intermediate divers seeking new underwater challenges to hone their skills and experts in search of new adventures.
At the top of the list are Anilao in Batangas and the Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan, with its impressive marine biodiversity and awe-inspiring vertical reef walls dropping to over 100 meters in depth. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park was declared in 1993 a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its high density of marine species and the different kinds of birds and marine turtles.
Anilao and Tubbataha Reefs diving spots, favorites of deep and open water divers, host different types of sharks, schools of fish, turtles and colorful corals.
For adventure-seekers and history junkies, the Philippines also has many exciting seafaring stories and countless sunken ships to explore such as World War II vessels, including Japanese freighters and gunboats that have now become homes to various marine species.
The country has ideal training spots to sharpen the skills of neophyte divers. Cebu has underwater caves, passageways and terrains teeming with marine life. Night diving is even possible in a few areas. The open water in El Nido in Palawan and in Cebu are favorite haunts of nocturnal creatures that look majestic in the moonlight.
The Philippines has the most number of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Heritage Parks and has been declared a Flyway Network Site, this refers to the network of important sites used by migratory waterbirds throughout the flyway.
The Philippines truly has so much to offer new and experienced divers, from Subic and Batangas in Luzon; to central Philippines – Cebu, Bohol, Negros Island and Palawan; and Mindanao – Davao and Camiguin, as well as points in-between.
Divers of varying skills will enjoy amazing underwater discoveries underneath the crystal clear waters of the Philippines. The Filipinos innate warmth and hospitality, as well as unique Filipino offerings, will make the experience more fun.