Explore Subic Bay
Nestled on the island of Luzon, about a three-hour drive north of Manila, Subic Bay offers a diving experience steeped in history and natural beauty. Known for its stunning landscapes, surrounded by peaks, the bay is a sanctuary for divers who seek adventure beneath the waves. With over 25 historic wrecks, Subic Bay is a treasure trove for history enthusiasts and wreck divers. From remnants of the Spanish-American War to the Vietnam War, these underwater relics provide not just a window into the past but also serve as habitats for a rich tapestry of marine life. Divers can expect to encounter a colorful array of fish like clownfish, angelfish, and schools of barracuda, with the occasional appearance of turtles, rays, and even sharks.
Beyond wreck diving, Subic Bay's Lighthouse Reef offers a kaleidoscope of vibrant coral and marine life, perfect for those who enjoy the serene beauty of reef sites. The bay caters to all levels of divers, making it an ideal spot for beginners to experience their first wreck dive, while more experienced divers can explore deeper, more technical sites. Dive centers and resorts in the area provide dive-and-stay packages and specialized courses to enhance the diving experience. With its blend of historical intrigue, diverse marine life, and accessible dive sites, Subic Bay stands out as a premier diving destination in the Philippines, offering an unforgettable underwater journey for every diver.
Dive Activity
Diving in Subic Bay
The diving in Subic Bay revolves around wreck diving. 19 shipwrecks have been identified here, mostly Japanese and American wrecks from WWII but some from the Spanish war in the late 1800s. There is even a jet fighter! Some of these sites are best suited to advanced divers due to the depth and the penetration opportunities, but most are suitable for open water divers. Liveaboards frequent this area, particularly those with shipwreck based itineraries which also visit Coron.
Reef diving can be found here too, and it is often overlooked. The vibrant reefs and bright arrays of fish make these some lovely dives. Canyons, Runway and Nabasan Reef are great examples of Subic Bay’s reefs, as well as the Barges which is an artificial reef. These sites can all be catered to any level.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Subic Bay
Both the reef diving and wreck diving have similar arrays of sealife as the wrecks have now become artificial reefs.
Schools of fish like jacks and fusiliers swarm on many sites. Cephalopod lovers can find octopus and cuttlefish hiding and hunting for small crustaceans and shellfish. Big fish like tuna, trevally and giant barracuda can be seen predating on smaller fish. Other fish include scorpionfish, stonefish, lionfish, sweetlips, grouper, anemonefish, parrotfish, batfish, angelfish and pufferfish.
Moray eels lurk in holes, stingrays laze on sandy bottoms and white tip reef sharks burrow in small caves. More rarely, you can see banded sea snakes undulating through the water. If you like macro hunting, you can find nudibranch, peacock mantis shrimp, pipefish and remoras. At certain sites, there are large numbers of glassfish, which create a distortion of the water with their numerous translucent bodies.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
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Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
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Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
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Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
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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
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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
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 130
Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish
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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
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 250
Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
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The best Months to dive in Subic Bay
As with most areas of the Philippines, Subic Bay weather is dictated by seasons. Diving in Subic Bay is mostly possible year round, with some disruption during monsoon season.
The dry season runs between November and May, with the warmest (and most popular) months being March - May. the water temperatures vary between 27 and 29°C, with the coldest months between December and February. Air temperatures stay consistently in the low 30s. This is the best time to dive Subic Bay due to the low winds and rainfall, leading to calm ocean conditions and the best visibility.
The rainy season is June - November with potential for typhoons in July/August. Though the weather can sometimes be fine for weeks, dive trips can be cancelled due to the weather so bear this in mind when booking.
