Scuba diving locations in Philippines:

• The Sulu Sea consists of numerous dive spots, the largest of which are the Tubbataha Reefs where visibility is good, and, with the right current, lots of sharks, tuna, manta rays and jacks come to visit.
• Cebu island has crystal clear water, endless variety of life, and huge drop-off walls.
• Busuanga has a number of islands and atolls where there are thirty Japanese shipwrecks from the Second World War.
• Apo Reef is a marine sanctuary, located west of Occidental Mindoro, where an extensive wealth of marine life can be found ranging from macro to schools of large pelagic fish including many species of shark, barracuda and manta rays.

When to scuba dive in Philippines:

The water is around 28°C all year, but the best visibility is from March to May, outside of the wet season. Whale sharks visit Dunsal Bay, off the southern shore of Luzon Islands, from February to May.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Philippines:

• Sabang Bay, Puerto Galera, has a variety of life, from microscopic critters to the odd turtle swimming in the sea grass, all at a depth of three to four metres.
• The Taiei Maru, near Palawan, is a largely intact, 180m long oil tanker sitting upright in 27m of water. There are schools of huge batfish present as well as fusliers, snappers and surgeon fish. You can access the boat through the relatively narrow propeller shaft, then swim up into the remains of the engine room, then make your way through the various holds and tanks of the boat all the way through to the twisted bow.
• Swimming along the wall of Yapak2, Boracay, at 32 meters, sharks and tuna rest in the current, but there is the occasional Mola or even pygmy sea horses.
• Monad Shoal, Cebu, is a sunken island at about 20 metres that is a well known cleaning station for thresher sharks.

The best spots to snorkel in Philippines:

• Sabang Bay, Puerto Galera, has a variety of life, from microscopic critters to the odd turtle swimming in the sea grass, all at a depth of three to four metres.

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: peso (PHP)
• Population: is about 94,000,000 (2010)
• Time Zone: PST (GMT+8)
• Main languages spoken: Filipino, English, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Pampango, Pangasinense, Tagalog, Waray ## Diveable overseas territories:

Philippine diving federations:

PHILIPPINE FEDERATION OF CMAS UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES INC (PCIA) is a member of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):