Explore Dauin

Diving in Dauin, located on the southern coast of Negros Island in the Visayas region of the Philippines, offers a unique and captivating experience for divers of all levels. Known for its distinctive black volcanic sand, Dauin's underwater world is a paradise for macro photographers and critter enthusiasts. The area's "muck diving" sites reveal a treasure trove of rare and colorful marine life, including flamboyant cuttlefish, frogfish, blue ring octopus, and the elusive ghost pipefish. These fascinating creatures, often hidden in the sandy sea beds, provide endless opportunities for discovery and photography.

Beyond its famed critter life, Dauin also boasts stunning sloping reefs and artificial structures that create a vibrant marine habitat. The coastline is dotted with dive resorts and independent dive centers, offering easy access to nearby hotspots like Dumaguete and Apo Island. Here, divers can explore dramatic walls, caves, and coral gardens teeming with life. Seasonal visitors such as turtles, barracuda, and schooling snappers enhance the thrill of each dive. Whether you're enjoying a shore dive or joining a liveaboard, the diverse underwater landscapes of Dauin promise an unforgettable adventure.

Upcoming Events

  • Dive Activity

    Diving in Dauin

    The most famous diving around Dauin is muck diving. The silty ocean floor has a plethora of macro critters to investigate. Though these dives are suitable for all levels of diver, good buoyancy will help you (and your fellow divers!) enjoy the dive much more. Excess hand movement and flutter kicking can stir up the sand, which makes finding tiny animals or focusing your camera much harder!

    As stated, dive resorts and dive centres offer plenty of choice for all manners of budgets. Most options allow you to stay where you like, which can help the more thrifty travellers. It is a popular location for dive courses - the gradual slopes make it perfect for newbie divers.

    Top Wildlife Sightings in Dauin

    Weird and wonderful critters await you underneath the “mucky” silt floor of most dives.

    Nudibranch are revered by many divers, and it’s easy to see why here, with diverse individuals jostling for your attention. Cephalopod lovers will not be disappointed; with coconut, mimic and deadly blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, bobtail squid and wonderpus. The comical frogfish make excellent creatures to look for, as they come in so many shapes and sizes. Lobsters, shrimps and crabs come in many types such as the hard-to-spot orangutan crab which hides in flowing anemones. Among the seagrass and corals, there are also ghost pipefish and seahorses.

    The reef fish are here in abundance as well. Schools of jacks, barracuda, snapper and fusiliers are typical sights along with the bigger fish in the blue like trevally, reef sharks, turtles and tuna. Along the reef bed, you may see moray and ribbon eels and undulating black and white striped sea snakes. One particular treat is the vibrant mandarin fish.

    Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

    Green Turtle

    Green Turtle

    1.8k Sightings
    J
    244
    F
    216
    M
    224
    A
    163
    M
    167
    J
    79
    J
    136
    A
    109
    S
    99
    O
    114
    N
    109
    D
    165
    Hawksbill Turtle

    Hawksbill Turtle

    475 Sightings
    J
    78
    F
    78
    M
    55
    A
    59
    M
    33
    J
    22
    J
    30
    A
    18
    S
    27
    O
    27
    N
    14
    D
    34

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 200

    Moray Eel

    Moray Eel

    474 Sightings
    J
    82
    F
    28
    M
    48
    A
    32
    M
    47
    J
    18
    J
    46
    A
    46
    S
    24
    O
    42
    N
    17
    D
    44

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 27

    Barracuda

    Barracuda

    236 Sightings
    J
    27
    F
    48
    M
    25
    A
    16
    M
    23
    J
    16
    J
    1
    A
    14
    S
    21
    O
    17
    N
    13
    D
    15

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 300

    Octopus

    Octopus

    174 Sightings
    J
    20
    F
    3
    M
    22
    A
    5
    M
    2
    J
    19
    J
    13
    A
    32
    S
    7
    O
    16
    N
    15
    D
    20

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 28

    Clownfish

    Clownfish

    1.3k Sightings
    J
    132
    F
    127
    M
    122
    A
    126
    M
    104
    J
    74
    J
    96
    A
    106
    S
    71
    O
    85
    N
    91
    D
    127

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 3000

    Nudibranch

    Nudibranch

    835 Sightings
    J
    104
    F
    108
    M
    108
    A
    97
    M
    76
    J
    45
    J
    58
    A
    48
    S
    27
    O
    49
    N
    47
    D
    68

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 12

    Lionfish

    Lionfish

    627 Sightings
    J
    70
    F
    57
    M
    68
    A
    12
    M
    52
    J
    39
    J
    66
    A
    74
    S
    44
    O
    47
    N
    50
    D
    48

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 130

    Pufferfish

    Pufferfish

    520 Sightings
    J
    62
    F
    50
    M
    62
    A
    30
    M
    49
    J
    47
    J
    46
    A
    73
    S
    38
    O
    25
    N
    18
    D
    20

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 90

    Angelfish

    Angelfish

    497 Sightings
    J
    54
    F
    49
    M
    43
    A
    16
    M
    39
    J
    34
    J
    36
    A
    49
    S
    45
    O
    37
    N
    46
    D
    49

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 100

    Parrotfish

    Parrotfish

    443 Sightings
    J
    50
    F
    51
    M
    44
    A
    25
    M
    45
    J
    42
    J
    34
    A
    52
    S
    29
    O
    11
    N
    28
    D
    32

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 3400

    Shrimp

    Shrimp

    380 Sightings
    J
    28
    F
    18
    M
    59
    A
    32
    M
    28
    J
    34
    J
    37
    A
    37
    S
    12
    O
    39
    N
    27
    D
    29

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 130

    Butterfly Fish

    Butterfly Fish

    377 Sightings
    J
    56
    F
    30
    M
    6
    A
    3
    M
    24
    J
    39
    J
    29
    A
    53
    S
    41
    O
    25
    N
    30
    D
    41

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 8

    Bannerfish

    Bannerfish

    355 Sightings
    J
    38
    F
    40
    M
    23
    A
    11
    M
    28
    J
    28
    J
    23
    A
    55
    S
    28
    O
    23
    N
    26
    D
    32
    Common Seahorse

    Common Seahorse

    327 Sightings
    J
    23
    F
    19
    M
    45
    A
    51
    M
    37
    J
    25
    J
    34
    A
    19
    S
    19
    O
    12
    N
    20
    D
    23

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 80

    Stingrays

    Stingrays

    320 Sightings
    J
    40
    F
    18
    M
    29
    A
    28
    M
    29
    J
    28
    J
    23
    A
    27
    S
    33
    O
    19
    N
    21
    D
    25

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 50

    Frogfish

    Frogfish

    307 Sightings
    J
    17
    F
    25
    M
    47
    A
    53
    M
    33
    J
    33
    J
    40
    A
    20
    S
    7
    O
    12
    N
    8
    D
    12

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 120

    Cuttlefish

    Cuttlefish

    291 Sightings
    J
    36
    F
    26
    M
    44
    A
    34
    M
    38
    J
    12
    J
    5
    A
    21
    S
    7
    O
    14
    N
    16
    D
    38

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 130

    Pipefish

    Pipefish

    288 Sightings
    J
    32
    F
    32
    M
    16
    A
    19
    M
    31
    J
    21
    J
    22
    A
    33
    S
    28
    O
    21
    N
    10
    D
    23

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 6

    Ghost Pipefishes

    Ghost Pipefishes

    253 Sightings
    J
    27
    F
    24
    M
    35
    A
    43
    M
    48
    J
    21
    J
    11
    A
    11
    S
    17
    O
    1
    N
    2
    D
    13

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 7000

    Crab

    Crab

    187 Sightings
    J
    11
    F
    19
    M
    24
    A
    21
    M
    20
    J
    18
    J
    21
    A
    13
    S
    3
    O
    15
    N
    7
    D
    15

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 40

    Triggerfish

    Triggerfish

    164 Sightings
    J
    21
    F
    2
    M
    5
    A
    5
    M
    22
    J
    29
    J
    5
    A
    40
    S
    14
    O
    5
    N
    3
    D
    13

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 250

    Scorpionfish

    Scorpionfish

    162 Sightings
    J
    18
    F
    6
    M
    19
    A
    6
    M
    10
    J
    10
    J
    11
    A
    15
    S
    7
    O
    17
    N
    16
    D
    27

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 25

    Boxfish

    Boxfish

    162 Sightings
    J
    16
    F
    24
    M
    6
    A
    0
    M
    7
    J
    18
    J
    12
    A
    43
    S
    7
    O
    8
    N
    7
    D
    14

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 150

    Sweetlips and Grunts

    Sweetlips and Grunts

    150 Sightings
    J
    37
    F
    20
    M
    5
    A
    0
    M
    0
    J
    13
    J
    13
    A
    11
    S
    21
    O
    7
    N
    6
    D
    17

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 85

    Surgeonfish

    Surgeonfish

    145 Sightings
    J
    23
    F
    24
    M
    10
    A
    7
    M
    3
    J
    12
    J
    10
    A
    8
    S
    7
    O
    10
    N
    9
    D
    22

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 350

    Damselfish

    Damselfish

    139 Sightings
    J
    6
    F
    2
    M
    5
    A
    0
    M
    14
    J
    19
    J
    18
    A
    32
    S
    17
    O
    10
    N
    8
    D
    8

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 250

    Grouper/Basslets

    Grouper/Basslets

    101 Sightings
    J
    5
    F
    18
    M
    0
    A
    17
    M
    6
    J
    3
    J
    6
    A
    10
    S
    16
    O
    8
    N
    6
    D
    6

    The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

    Total number of species approx.: 90

    Goatfish

    Goatfish

    92 Sightings
    J
    5
    F
    10
    M
    0
    A
    0
    M
    0
    J
    4
    J
    7
    A
    22
    S
    16
    O
    15
    N
    0
    D
    13

    The best Months to dive in Dauin

    Dauin diving is good all year round but it is dependent on the month. The wet season (which runs from June to November) can offer slightly more challenging diving. Though the rains do not affect the diving much, the increased winds (and chances of typhoons) in September and October can increase the waves and decrease the visibility. Luckily, as most dives are shore dives, seasickness shouldn’t be a problem!

    The dry season from December to June offers the best diving. There is less rainfall and the seas tend to be at their calmest. The coldest months are December and January, where the water temperatures can get down to 25°C/77°F. The hottest months (for both air and water) are May and June.

    Dive Centers

    Dive Sites