Mactan
In Central Visayas, you will find Mactan Island, that has many dive sites on the east side, all reachable by a short 15-minute boat ride.
Explore Cebu
Cebu is a large island located in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is an up and coming island with one of the densest populations in the country. Much of this population relies on the busy tourist industry, of which scuba diving is a major part.
Diving in Cebu is big business, with high profile diving towns like Malapascua, Moalboal and Mactan bringing in thousands of tourists each year. Malapascua is known for its thresher shark sightings, Moalboal for its infamous sardine run and Mactan for its stunning corals. Near the southernmost province of Santander lies Oslob - a town famous for its regular whale shark encounters, encouraged by feedings from the local fishermen. Off the coast of Oslob also lies Sumilon island, the first marine sanctuary in the Philippines which has some untouched marine biodiversity.
Places to explore
Courses and Events
Dive Activity
Diving in Cebu
Cebu is a very large island and has many different types of diving to choose from. From deep shoal dives in Malapascua, to caves on Monad, to walls on Moalboal and drift and reef dives everywhere - there will be something to keep everyone happy.
The islands popularity mean that there are plenty of dive resorts and dive centers to choose from. Some dive resorts offer dive and stay options, which can range from backpacker to luxury. Every dive center will offer dive courses up to professional levels, it’s just a challenge choosing between them all. It is a popular place to learn to dive because of the fantastic, relatively easy diving, ease of travel and pleasant atmosphere. There are many different areas to stay in so be sure to check which dive sites you would prefer before booking anywhere. Another option, if you wish to dive in multiple locations, is to book a liveaboard. There are several that depart from Cebu and visit most of the major dive sites.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Cebu
Diving in Cebu will delight you, whether you prefer macro filled muck dives or pelagic filled dives out in the blue.
Malapascua offers one of the best chances in the world to see thresher sharks all year round. The cleaning station filled with moon wrasse draws them up from the deep and often has eagle rays and oceanic manta rays too. A different dive site offers the chance to see schooling hammerheads.
Moalboal sardine run is a spectacular site, and if you dive to see fish - this is the dive for you. Millions of sardines congregate in a ball of fish that is dense enough to block out the sun. Other fish life in the area is typical of the reefs in the coral triangle - healthy coral with brightly coloured fish. The macro critters of Mactan Island are any photographers dream. You can even see the very rare mandarin fish.
One of the sights most associated with Cebu is the whale shark. Though they can be seen organically at certain dive sites, especially during their migration, the whale shark sightings close to Oslob are now, sadly, artificial. As local fishermen began to feed the animals, more and more started to congregate and ignore their natural migration cycles as the food was so plentiful. It is one of the best chances to see them, but bear in mind that with all the snorkel boats and tours, it may not be the natural or peaceful encounter you are looking for.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
2.5k Sightings
J
292
F
223
M
256
A
173
M
199
J
167
J
137
A
164
S
136
O
165
N
300
D
298
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
2.3k Sightings
J
309
F
233
M
202
A
161
M
156
J
132
J
100
A
145
S
153
O
157
N
280
D
256
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 3
Alamy/imageBROKER
Thresher Shark
2k Sightings
J
210
F
267
M
283
A
200
M
158
J
100
J
72
A
165
S
65
O
73
N
197
D
185
Alamy/Fiona Ayerst
Tiger Shark
979 Sightings
J
97
F
111
M
132
A
155
M
71
J
71
J
50
A
54
S
39
O
53
N
73
D
73
iStock/Extreme Photographer
Whale Shark
970 Sightings
J
132
F
97
M
85
A
74
M
82
J
49
J
61
A
43
S
39
O
63
N
131
D
114
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
930 Sightings
J
53
F
88
M
54
A
71
M
121
J
72
J
33
A
93
S
75
O
75
N
94
D
101
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
677 Sightings
J
34
F
44
M
29
A
15
M
87
J
50
J
26
A
83
S
78
O
73
N
54
D
104
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
616 Sightings
J
80
F
49
M
44
A
62
M
53
J
36
J
27
A
48
S
11
O
26
N
92
D
88
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle
522 Sightings
J
54
F
72
M
30
A
25
M
24
J
44
J
22
A
63
S
46
O
23
N
41
D
78
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
7.4k Sightings
J
782
F
725
M
697
A
573
M
705
J
490
J
368
A
586
S
528
O
469
N
717
D
756
The best Months to dive in Cebu
Cebu diving is possible all year round due to its generally warm climate. The dry season, and the best time for diving, is from February to early June as it has the most reliably dry and calm weather with water temperatures of about 29°C/84°F. From June to November, there is a higher chance of rain and bad weather, especially in September/October. The waters in December and January are the coldest they will be, at around 26°C/79°F. The north of Cebu tends to get more rainfall and typhoons than southern Cebu.
