Scuba Diving in Philippines

Thresher sharks circling at dawn in Malapascua. A wall of ten million sardines at Moalboal that moves like a single organism. Twelve Japanese warships sitting upright on the seabed in Coron. Philippines scuba diving is not short on headline moments, and the variety across 7,641 islands is genuinely hard to overstate.

The country sits within the Coral Triangle and ranks among the most biodiverse marine environments on earth. What sets it apart from neighbours like Indonesia or Malaysia is accessibility. English is widely spoken, dive training is affordable (some of the cheapest PADI courses in Asia), and the infrastructure for visiting divers is well established. You can be underwater within hours of landing at Manila or Cebu.

Dive types span the full range. Coron's WWII wrecks sit at recreational depths, perfect for wreck speciality courses. Anilao is a macro photography paradise, with nudibranch diversity that draws shooters from around the world. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is liveaboard-only and open just four months a year (March to June), offering pristine walls and open-water pelagics. Puerto Galera sits on the Verde Island Passage, sometimes called the centre of the centre of marine biodiversity.

Budget-wise, the Philippines remains one of the most affordable diving destinations in Southeast Asia. A fun dive typically costs between $25 and $40, and shore diving is common at several locations. Accommodation ranges from $15 backpacker rooms to proper resorts.

Seasons matter here. The northeast monsoon (November to February) affects visibility and access in some regions, while March to June is generally the sweet spot across most areas. Water temperatures hover around 27 to 29°C year-round.