Diving in the Philippines: Beginner's Guide

Best season: Nov–May (dry season)
Water temp: 25–30 °C
Visibility: 10–30 m
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Beginners: Good
Open Water: ~US$350–450

The Philippines has an enormous variety of diving: coral walls, wrecks, macro critters, big schools of fish and sharks. English is widely spoken, prices are moderate, and dive centres are generally professional. Typhoons can affect the country, mainly between about June and November, so plan with the weather in mind.

Moalboal (Cebu)

Moalboal is famous for one of the most spectacular sights in diving: a huge shoal of millions of sardines living just off the beach at Panagsama. You can see it snorkeling or diving, from the shore, almost year-round, although it moves and occasionally disappears for periods.

Green and hawksbill turtles are very common
Pescador Island: a small island with a wall, cave and great fish life
Easy shore diving along the house reef and walls
Great for Open Water courses and relaxed fun diving

Malapascua (Cebu)

A small island off northern Cebu, famous as one of the few places in the world where you can reliably see thresher sharks, at Monad Shoal at dawn, where they visit "cleaning stations".

The thresher dive is usually 20–30 m, early in the morning. Advanced certification or a deep adventure dive is often recommended or required
Gato Island: tunnels, whitetip reef sharks, seahorses and nudibranchs
Macro dives with mandarinfish at dusk
Relaxed island atmosphere; year-round threshers

Anilao (Batangas)

Only about 2–3 hours from Manila, Anilao is one of the world's top macro and muck diving destinations: nudibranchs in incredible variety, frogfish, ghost pipefish, blue-ringed octopus and more. It's paradise for underwater photographers. Also good for weekend trips and courses. Best time is about October/November–May.

Other great Philippine destinations

Tubbataha Reefs: a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Sulu Sea, accessible only by liveaboard between about mid-March and mid-June. World-class, for experienced divers.
Coron (Palawan): Japanese WWII shipwrecks in sheltered bays, some shallow enough for Open Water divers, plus freshwater lakes.
Puerto Galera: near Manila, with good all-round diving and courses.
Dauin and Apo Island (Negros): muck diving and a famous marine sanctuary with turtles.
Bohol (Panglao, Balicasag): walls, turtles and big jack schools.
Donsol/Southern Leyte: whale shark snorkeling in season (check operators' ethical practices).

When to go

Months	Conditions
Nov–Feb	Dry, cooler months; water about 25–27 °C, can be windy
Mar–May	Hot and calm; often the best diving; water 27–30 °C
Jun–Oct	Rainy/typhoon season; diving continues in sheltered areas, but storms can disrupt trips

Is it good for beginners?

Yes. Moalboal, Puerto Galera, Dauin and Anilao have plenty of calm, easy sites and good-value courses. Malapascua's threshers and Coron's deeper wrecks are better after gaining some experience. Tubbataha is for experienced divers.

Typical prices (2026)

Open Water course: about US$350–450
Fun dive: about US$30–50 per dive (packages cheaper)
Environmental / marine sanctuary fees: small daily fees at many sites
Tubbataha liveaboard (6 nights): about US$2,500–4,000+

Practical tips

Domestic flights and ferries connect islands. Allow buffer days for weather
Carry cash; ATMs can be scarce on small islands
A 3 mm suit is fine most of the year; 5 mm for early morning thresher dives and cooler months
Choose operators who follow responsible practices for sardine and whale shark encounters

Sample itinerary: Cebu island dive trip (10–12 days)

Fly into Cebu (Mactan) and transfer to Moalboal (about 3 hours).
Spend 4–5 days in Moalboal: courses or fun dives, the sardine run, turtles and Pescador Island.
Travel north to Malapascua (about 4–5 hours by road and boat).
Spend 3–4 days on Malapascua: thresher sharks at dawn, Gato Island and mandarinfish at dusk.
Take a rest day on land before your flight home.

Top sites at a glance

Site	Area	Highlight	Level
Panagsama house reef	Moalboal	Sardine shoal, turtles	Easy
Pescador Island	Moalboal	Wall, cathedral cave	Moderate
Monad Shoal	Malapascua	Thresher sharks	Advanced recommended
Gato Island	Malapascua	Tunnel, whitetip sharks	Moderate
Secret Bay	Anilao	Muck critters	Easy
Apo Island	Dauin	Turtles, corals	Easy–moderate

Frequently asked questions

Can beginners see the sardine run in Moalboal?

Yes. The sardine shoal is just off the beach and can be seen while snorkeling or on an easy shore dive.

Do I need Advanced certification to see thresher sharks in Malapascua?

The Monad Shoal dive is typically at 20–30 m. Many centres recommend or require Advanced certification, or combine it with an Advanced course deep dive.