Explore Palawan

Palawan, often referred to as the "wild west of the Philippines," offers a diving experience that is both thrilling and diverse, attracting adventurers from around the world. The archipelago, comprised of over 1,800 islands, is renowned for its stunning, unspoiled beauty — from pristine white sand beaches to lush jungle interiors. Diving enthusiasts will find an underwater paradise teeming with vibrant marine life, including colorful coral reefs, majestic sea turtles, and a variety of tropical fish. Diving in Palawan is as varied as its landscape. The world-famous Tubbataha Reef is a diver's dream, accessible only by liveaboard trips during its short season from March to June. In Coron, history meets adventure with the opportunity to explore sunken World War II shipwrecks, offering a unique peek into the past. Puerto Princesa, the capital, invites daring cave divers to explore its mysterious underwater caves, while El Nido's calm, shallow reefs are perfect for beginners. For those seeking a comprehensive experience, Palawan's dive resorts and centers provide opportunities for all levels of divers, from novices to technical experts. Whether you're diving from shore, boat, or liveaboard, each dive site promises its own distinct charm. Despite its growing popularity, Palawan remains a relatively uncrowded jewel in the Philippines, making it a perfect getaway for those seeking both adventure and tranquility beneath the waves.

Places to Explore

Dimakya

The tiny island of Dimakya is located on the northern end of the archipelago, and they offer quiet stays and a fantastic variety of dive sites.

Busuanga

13 Divesites 7 Centers

Beautiful corals, especially big lettuce corals and sponges, as well as shoals of fish, such as fusiliers, snappers or batfish await you in Busuanga.

Coron Island

2 Divesites

Expect jaw-dropping WWII wrecks and cave dives around Coron Island.

Tubataha Reef

16 Divesites

Head to Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, a World Heritage site, for the ultimate diving experience of the Philippines.

Puerto Princesa/Honda Bay

1 Divesite 3 Centers

Dive into the waters of Puerto Princesa and see lionfish, cardinals, snapper, sweetlips, nudibranchs, and also find plenty of magnificent corals.

El Nido

7 Divesites 1 Center

In El Nido Bay, experience spectacular dive sites with incredible walls, mesmerizingly colorful coral gardens and magnificent marine life.

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★☆ Coral Garden

Coral Garden is a sea area far from Coron Town, and it is also a better and more beautiful underwater world protected by Coron. The underwater coral reefs here See Coral Garden which is the most famous snorkeling point in Coron; Enjoy the beautiful corals.

★★★★☆ Dugong Watch

It takes about two hours by car from Coron to the village of Quezon, north of Buanga Island, where it takes about an hour to get to the northwest beach of Karawite Island. Around Calauit, north of Buanga Island, a thin 10m deep coral reef is covered with coral sand, and many water plants are growing in this coral.

★★★★☆ Alcatraz

ALCATRAZ ROCK. Depth: Max. 20m / 82’. Skill Level: All Levels. Description: Reef. Alcatraz Rock. Alcatraz Reef in the Philippines is a beautiful dive site ...

★★★★☆ Barracuda Lake

40m deep - the Barracuda Lake is made up of a crater of clear blue waters enclosed by dark and sharp limestone cliffs. It is known for its layers of warm and hot water, a.k.a. thermoclines.

★★★★☆ TERU KAZE MARU

Teru Kaze Maru was a 35 m-long Japanese submarine hunter and sunk on September, 24th 1944 during a US air raid east of Sangat Island. The bow starts at 4 meters and she continues down on a slant to a maximum depth of 20 meters. Relatively intact, there are a few small holds that you can penetrate.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

★★★★★ Staghorn Point

Starting at 7 meters, undulating fields of staghorn coral extending to about 500 meters creep to the edges of a wall that plunges deep at Tubbataha.

★★★★☆ Southwest Wall

A steep wall that plunges deep where mild currents give you a gentle ride to watch schooling juvenile grey reef sharks numbering anywhere between 20 to 50 swim about.

★★★★★ Light House - Tubbataha South Atoll

South Atoll - Steep walls, incredible and untouched coral formations, large schools of fish, sharks and large pelagics. An incredible dive for experienced divers

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

★★★★★ Triggerfish City

The reef top starts at 5 meters going west inwards where red tooth triggerfish converge, hence the name. Though titan triggerfish are also around to pick up a fight with the unsuspecting diver during nesting season.

★★★★★ Delsan Wreck

Delsan is considered a top 50 dive destination on the planet. The reef top starts at 5 meters and gently slopes toward the edges of a wall to 23 meters where a crevasse plunging to 40 meters becomes a refuge from the raging current.

★★★★★ Black Rock

One of the few known reef manta cleaning stations in Southeast Asia where cleaner wrasse serve to remove dead skin off the mantas’ body. This site is called Black Rock because of a rock at 8 meters where one of the buoys are set up.

★★★★☆ Ko-Ok

An underrated dive site where tiger shark encounters have been recorded. Undulating sun rays filtering through the asymmetrical arrangement on the steep wall where the reef top starts at 3 meters plunging to incongruent depths lend beauty to Ko-Ok a kin to an abstract Picasso piece of art.

★★★★★ T-Wreck

The shallow reef top at 5 meters is a feeding ground for the resident schooling bumphead parrot fish, so keep watch when you begin your dive or when doing your safety stop towards the end of your dive. Located on the northern tip of the south atoll, T Wreck is a slanting wall that plunges deep.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

★★★★★ Amos Rock

This site is called Amos Rock due to a distinct rock formation on the reef top at 5 meters where schooling midnight snapper converge. Amos Rock is an alternate dive spot when Amihan winds are blowing at full force, forbidding access to eastern dive spots.

★★★★★ South Park - Tubbataha

Noth Atoll - Steep walls, incredible and untouched coral formations, large schools of fish, sharks and large pelagics.

Diving in Palawan

It is no understatement to say that Palawan diving offers some of the best diving in the world. Apo Reef is huge and often visited by liveaboards from Palawan. The house reefs surrounding all the diving locations like Coron, El Nido and Puerto Princesa all boast many healthy reef ecosystems which make for excellent dives. Tubbataha Reef is routinely listed as a bucket list dive and for good reason - the diversity on the reef is exceptional and it offers the chance to see some amazing things like tiger sharks and manta rays.

There are some opportunities for cave diving here. Cathedral Cave in Coron has a stunning, sunlit chamber leading to a stalactite filled room in which you can surface. El Nido has Dilumaca Tunnel to explore. Puerto Princesa offers the chance to dive the longest underwater river system in the world.

Known as the wreck capital of South East Asia, the Japanese WWII wrecks in Coron Bay will satisfy the fussiest wreck divers. The wrecks litter the seabed and most allow penetration in multiple places. There are also several other small wrecks such as the one on Apo Reef.

One of the only places which can also offer lake diving, Coron has two lakes to try - Barracuda and Keyangan. Barracuda is unique in its extreme halocline where there can be up to a 10oC difference in water temperatures between the layers.

Liveaboard diving is popular here due to the large distances between the diving locations. Popular destinations include Coron, El Nido, Puerto Princesa, Tubbataha Reef and Apo Island. The Tubbataha liveaboards are limited to three months of the year so can be busy.

The best Months to dive in Palawan

Palawan offers year-round diving opportunities, with conditions varying across the region. The dry season, from December to June, is the most favorable period for diving, characterized by calm seas and predictable conditions. Water temperatures remain consistent throughout the year, averaging around 28°C/82°F. However, exposed sites like Tubbataha can experience cooler temperatures. During this season, visibility is excellent, often exceeding 20 meters and occasionally reaching up to 40 meters.

The wet season, from July to November, brings increased rainfall—more pronounced in the north, which can experience monsoon-like conditions and occasional typhoons. Despite this, diving remains feasible, especially in the southern regions where rainfall is less intense. Currents are generally mild and consistent year-round, influenced by site and tide conditions. Divers should be mindful of the shorter dive season at Tubbataha, from mid-March to mid-June, when the ocean is calm enough for access.