Explore Puerto Galera

Diving in Puerto Galera

The most famous diving in Puerto Galera is the reef diving. The gardens here are home to over 300 species of corals, as well as almost 60% of earth’s shore fish species. Night diving on these reefs, particularly around Sabang, is excellent. Muck diving lovers will love exploring the ocean floor as the night time beasties start to come out. The macro life is incredible. One highlight is found at Monkey Beach dive site with multiple pygmy seahorse found on one sea fan.

There are plenty of drift dives here, many of which are fast and strong. Some dive sites have up and down currents to contend with too - not for the faint hearted or the inexperienced! There are a few caves and swim throughs, such as the one at Hole in the Wall at 12m. There are also wrecks like the Sabang Wrecks and the Alma Jane to explore.

The wall dives found here are some of the best. Sites such as The Drop Off on Verde Island and Senandigan Wall offer dramatic descents into deep water which may be intimidating for a newbie diver. These walls are very popular with technical divers too due to the depth.

Liveaboard diving is popular in this area as there are so many dive sites. Particularly around Verde Island, you would find yourself doing multiple day trips from Puerto Galera if you wish to do more than a couple of dives. Therefore, liveaboards can be an efficient way of diving everywhere you wish to.

The best Months to dive in Puerto Galera

Diving in Puerto Galera is possible year round due to its warm, tropical climate. It is also surrounded by mountains and islands which protect it from the worst of the monsoon season - though there is still a wet and dry season.

The dry season runs from December - May, with minimal rainfall and calm winds during this time. December - February are the coldest months of the year, with water temperatures sometimes dropping as low as 23oC below the thermocline. Conversely, April - June tend to be the warmest months of the year. This is considered to be the high season, with the most tourists. Around big holidays like New Year and Easter, bear in mind that resorts may fill up far in advance.

The rainy season runs from June - November. Though rainfall tends to be higher and the winds stronger, this is often a perfect time to dive. The water is warm, the visibility can be fantastic and you can be lucky with the weather. Another benefit is that rates of some hotels decrease. The downside is that occasionally boats will be cancelled due to bad weather.