Scuba Diving is the main attraction on Pandan Island / Philippines. The dive sites around the island vary from shallow coral gardens to deep drop-offs on the north side, ideal for all levels. Our fully equipped PADI dive shop offers dive courses of all level from Try Scuba Diving to Divemaster.
Apart from diving around Pandan Island / Philippines, we are no doubt the experts when it comes to organize dive trips to Apo Reef.
Apo Reef can be reached with the big outrigger boats “M/B Karla” or “M/B Rainbow’s End” within ninety minutes. This forty square kilometer big atoll offers uncountable dive sites and a good chance to see sharks and other pelagics.
Another specialty are the four to five days safaris to Busuanga (Coron) to dive the Japanese wrecks from WWII.
Freediving / Snorkeling
Some of the best spots for snorkeling around Pandan Island can be found just in front of the beach bar. With the coral reef starting right off the beach you can swim around colorful tropical fish within minutes after you arrive.
On Lionfish Den, a coral block in about 3 meters depth, you can observe a big variety of tropical fish such as parrot fish, butterfly fish, trigger fish and sergeant major, lion fish , snappers.
The diveshop is renting masks, snorkel and all sizes of fins, if you did not bring your own gear and our helpful staff is happy to share with you the latest secrets about the turtles hang-out.
Mariposa Diving was established on Pandan Island in 1992 under Swiss/Czech/Pilippino management. This small, but well equipped dive shop offers PADI courses of all levels in three languages (English, French, Tagalog). There are 16 complete sets of equipment available for hire (Seaquest-BCD’s, US-divers and Sherwood regulators) and over 70 tanks. Nitrox dives and courses are available.
Mariposa Diving offers not only dives around Pandan Island, but also has established itself as the leading dive operator organizing dive safaris to Apo Reef, the biggest atoll in the Philippines. We most probably log more dives on Apo Reef then all other diveshops in the area together, so if you are planning to dive Apo Reef, make sure you dive with the experts.
Divesites around Pandan Island
All divesites around Pandan Island are within short distance from the beach or accessible by our custom built dive-catamaran.
Below is a description of the main dive sites around Pandan Island and what you can expect to see:
House Reef
Depths 2 – 18m. Ideal for beginners, courses or a warm-up dive. No current ever. Still, a wide variety of coral fish can be seen. Nearby ‘Lion fish den’ consists of a group of corals & rocks, hideout of numerous lion fish, cleaner-shrimp & surgeon fish. Sometimes leaf and ghost-pipe fish.
Coral Garden East and West
Depths 5 – 25m. Easy but beautiful dive. In a lively garden of mainly hard corals with patches of sand inbetween all kinds of marine life can be observed: surgeon fish, trigger fish, coral trouts, schools of fusiliers, stingrays, moray & sand eels, and some of our 10 resident sea-turtles.
Coral Garden West
Depths 5 – 30m. An area totally covered by hard and soft corals. all kinds of marine life can be observed: surgeon fish, trigger fish, coral trouts, shools of fusiliers, unicorn fish, cuttle fish. In the deeper parts of the dive, large gorgonians and Neptune cups are abundant. Bumphead parrot-fish most often here.
Neptune’s Land
Depths between 18 – 30 m. This dive is a flat plateau connecting Napoleon Wall and the Coral Garden east. As the name indicates Neptune cups to a considerable size can be found. Also turtles seem to favor this place.
Corner
Depths between 5 – 30 m. This dive site on the SW-side of the island consists of a steep slope with occasional big rocks and canyons that offer shelter to a wide array of reef fishes and attract predators such as mackerels and trevallys. There is a variation of different corals and big sea fans up to 2 meters diameter to be found.
Mystic Grounds
Depths 20 – 35 m. This site extends to the S-SE of Pandan, between here and Sablayan. Owns the name to the often limited visibility. Many soft corals, gorgonians, elephant ears, sponges.
Pandan South
Depths 5 – 30 m. This site is great for macro.
Deep dives for experienced divers, best enjoyed with Nitrox
Anchor
Depths between 25 – 42 m. On a underwater hill at a depth of 32 m, completely overgrown by corals, a huge anchor has come to rest at least 50 years ago. Snappers, barracudas and pelagic fish can be seen. At the bottom of the hill is a tree-like sea nettle, all white.</li> Depths between 25 – 42 m. On a underwater hill at a depth of 32 m, completely overgrown by corals, a huge anchor has come to rest at least 50 years ago. Snappers, barracudas and pelagic fish can be seen. At the bottom of the hill is a tree-like sea nettle, all white.
North Wall
A sheer drop from about 7- 35 m makes that place an interesting dive site. Although not as many fish as in other parts of the island can be seen, the overhanging corals create a very special atmosphere. Pelagic fish such as tuna and mackerel are frequent.
Barracuda Deep
Depths from 30- 40 m. Probably the most advanced dive around the island. A wall at 30 m depth facing the South China Sea is the place to see big schools of trevallys, fusiliers, surgeon fish, spanish mackerels and unicorn fish. Eagle rays and napoleons are often seen as well as barracudas up to a size of 1,5 m. The whole wall is overgrown with hard and soft corals and the gorgonians reach a considerable size.
Divesafaris
One of the most exciting activities on Pandan Island is to go on a dive safari with one of our two dive boats, “M/B Karla” or “M/B Rainbow’s End”. Both vessels are local outrigger boats, called ‘bangkas’ or ‘bancas’ and are custom built for dive safaris, they provide fast and safe transport to all the dive sites and a large shaded area to spend your surface intervals.
Modern navigation and communication equipment, Schifauer air compressors, Wenoll oxygen systems and flushing toilets are standard on both bancas.
Our two main destinations for safaris are Apo Reef, with its coral gardens and deep walls for one or two days trips and Coron (Busuanga) with its hundred of islets and its famous World War II wrecks for four to six days trips.
For those divers who do not have a lot of time but still would like to experience the thrill of a wreck dive we also organize three day trips to the the nearest – and probably best kept – wreck of Busuanga, the Dimalanta Wreck. This safari also includes dives on Apo Reef.
Trips to Apo Reef are organized on a regular basis, about two to three times a week, the safaris to Busuanga are about twice a month.
For more background information on Apo Reef please visit www.apo-reef.com
