Dive Sites
11. CORON ISLAND - FISHING BOAT - 4 star
Location: A few hundred meters southwest of the entrance cove to the freshwater Barracuda Lake, which is midway between Limaa Point and Balolo Point on the northwest face of Coron Island.
Access: 45 min south-southeast by banca
Conditions: Shallow and calm with almost no current. Visibility 33 to 80 ft
Average depth: 13-25 ft
Maximum depth: 40 ft
There are several dive/snorkel sites here with a beautiful background of limestone rock formations, and sandy coves for picnics and sunbathing between dives. Most of the sites are shallow coral gardens, one around a limestone pinnacle which rises several meters above the water. Against the point are the remaining ribs and part of the hull of an old wooden boat, 115 ft long, that go down to 40 ft. This is an ideal site for photography, the wreck itself being inhabited by sponges, nudibranchs, sea stars, angelfish, butterflyfish, damselfish, schools of fry and immature barracuda. It makes the perfect area for novices' first dives and is also good for night dives.
12. CAYANGAN(BARRACUDA) LAKE - 5 star
Location: 100ft inland from the center of the northwest face of Coron Island.
Access: 45 min south-southeast by banca to a cove of limestone cliffs midway between Limaa Point and Balolo Point on the northwest face of Coron Island. In the center of the cove the cliffs have a gap at sea level. You climb through this gap for 10 ft, turn right and climb easily up sharp limestone pinnacles for 25 ft, traverse to the right 13 ft then turn left to descend continuing across two small channels to the entrance of the lake. The climb is not difficult but the rock is sharp, so you will need to wear bootees or sandals, and a head for heights is useful. It is a bit difficult carrying all your equipment, including cylinder and weight belt, so some people would do this as two journeys. The short climb is worth it for the scenery alone.
Conditions: Calm lake surrounded by high walls, sheltered on all sides. Visibility varies with the mixing of hot and cold water, being 100 ft near the surface by hazy where the water mixes.
Average depth: whatever you like
Maximum depth: 130 ft plus
This is a unique dive. The turquoise freshwater lake, surrounded by spectacular limestone pinnacles, is served by a hot spring. As you move out from the walls and descend, the water gets hotter and hotter. At 100 ft , temperature is 40 degrees centigrade and deeper down would even be higher.
There is little to see in the very hot water, but when you get back to the walls of the lake, a lone habituated barracuda, nearly 40 inches long will be waiting to be hand-fed.
There is obviously interaction between fresh and salt water around the seaward side, as you can find seawater species there. As well as the barracuda there is a shoal of golden rabbitfish, some snappers, catfish, several species of shrimp and shellfish.
13. CORAL GARDEN - 5 star
Location: A few hundred meters northwest of Calis Point, the south point of Coron Island.
Access: 2 hr south by banca
Conditions: Sheltered calm water, by the beautiful cliffs and sandy coves at the southwest end of Coron Island. Visibility can reach 80 ft
Average depth: Whatever you like
Maximum depth: 130 ft plus
You first enter a beautiful shallow coral garden at 13 ft then go over the drop-off to 130 ft plus. The shallow reef-top is covered with excellent stony, leathery and soft corals, including very large Acropora table corals and some small gorgonians. There are plenty of small reef fish, Linckia sea stars(blue and grey) and anemones with clownfish.
Over the drop-off are more table corals, some fire corals, stinging hydroids, Dendronephthya soft tree corals, whip corals and many small gorgonian sea fans.
14. GUNTER'S CATHEDRAL - 5 star
Location: The entrance is north-northeast of Calis Point on Coron Island, where several undercut limestone sliffs lead to small caves and key holes. Having found the large cave entrance, the secret is finding a narrow channel in the floor that leads to the Cathedral cavern.
Access: 2 hr south by banca to just northeast of Calis Point, the south point of Coron Island.
Conditions: Normally calm with good visibility, but clumsy divers or changes in tides can stir up the silt inside the Cathedral making it difficult to find the exit if you have not taken a rope through. Visibility reaches to 65ft.
Average depth: 25 ft
Maximum depth: 44 ft
This is another unique dive. You swim to a large cavern entrance, over coral-encrusted fallen rocks. The bottom of this main entrance is at 23 ft to 26 ft. You then descend an apparently dead-end narrow cleft in the floor of this cavern, find a tunnel at the bottom, continue through this, admiring the many spiny lobsters and cowrie shells and continue towards a gleam of light ahead. You come out at the bottom of a chamber some 65 ft high and slightly narrower in width.
This cathedral is beautiful particularly when shafts of sunlight descent vertically through the water from a large hole in the roof where a large tree grew until it broke through and fell into the chamber. The chamber itself is about one-third full of water, so you can rise to the surface and chat to each other in air.
If novices wish to try this dive they should have steady nerves, not suffer from claustrophobia and be accompanied by an experienced local divemaster. Finding yur way out again can become extremely difficult if the sediment at the bottom of the chamber is stirred up.
Those wary of going into the Cathedral will find interesting though not spectacular coral outside under the banca, and some true Giant Clams.
15. DELIAN ISLAND - NORTH AND SOUTH - 3 star
Location: Delian Island, 5 km east-northeast of Calis Point on Coron Island.
Access: 2 hr south by banca
Conditions: Divable only in calm conditions. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 25 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
The north and south ends of this island give good snorkeling or shallow diving over coral gardens with many small reef fish and schools of immature fish.
16. FRAMJEE BANK - 3 star
Location: 19 km east of Bocao Point, the southeast extremity of Busuanga Island.
Access: 2 ½ hr east of banca. This is a sunken bank in 16 ft of water so it can be rather difficult to find without either a local boatman or GPS(Global Positioning System)
Conditions: you would make this journey only in calm conditions and would expect strong currents. Visibility can reach 100 ft
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 130ft plus
The site begins with a gentle slope of corals to 80 ft where it becomes sand sloping out to infinity. The corals are not too good. This is a dive when the currents are running and large pelagic species come in to feed. Sharks, tuna, rainbow runners and trevallies are common.
17. BROWN ROCKS(BUTULAN ROCKS) - 3 star
Location: Two brown rocks 163 ft high, 2 km south of Bantac, Calanhayaun and Lubutglubut Islands, 37 km southeast of Coconogon Point, which is the northeast point of Busuanga Island.
Access: 3 hr journey by banca around the east coast of Busuanga Island.
Conditions: you would make this journey only in calm conditions. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 60 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
The best diving is on the west, south and east sides of the southern rock, and the best snorkeling on the west side. With coral gardens sloping down to 80 ft, the area is a breeding ground for Cuttlefish. There are lots of reef fish and occasionally Hammerhead Sharks.
18. TARA ISLAND - WEST SIDE - 3 star
Location: Opposite the village on the west side of Tara Island, 7 km southeast of Nanga Islands, 29 km northeast of Coconogon Point, the northeast extremity of Busuanga Island.
Access: 4-5 hr in an overnight trip by banca around the east side of Busuanga Island.
Conditions: You would make this journey only in calm conditions. Currents are normally light. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft
Light currents and pelagic fish are common, including jacks, tuna, trevallies and Spanish Mackerel. Whitetip Reef Sharks are common and Guitar Sharks can be found on the sand. The island houses a Vietnamese refugee camp.
19. KYOKUZAN MARU - 5 star
Location: Close to the Club Paradise Resort, which is located on Dimakya Island.
Access: By banca from Club Paradise or overnight from Coron Town around the east coast of Busuanga Island to its north coast, southwest of Coconogon Point.
Conditions: Normally calm with medium currents and generally better visibility than the wrecks to the south of Busuanga Island. Visibility is often around 65 ft.
Average depth: 100 ft
Maximum depth: 131 ft
A Japanese freighter sunk on 24 September 1944 by US aircraft, the ship500 ft long, 6492 gross tons, sits almost upright with a 15 degrees list to starboard, pointing 160 degrees(compass bearing) in 131 ft of water. The main deck slopes from 72 ft to 92 ft. The wreck is almost intact and easily penetrated, with cars and trucks in the holds. An excellent dive.
20. DUMUNPALIT ISLAND - 3 star
Location: The southwest side of Dumunpalit Island, 45 km north of Port Carlton.
Access: 5-6 hr (inc calm conditions) by banca around Busuanga Island.
Conditions: Relatively sheltered. Can be dived all year round if the sea conditions allow boats to reach it. Visibility averages 65 ft
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
With a gentle slope from the shore to 80 ft, the site is unusual in the area for having pink soft corals. At 80 ft the slope becomes sandy with intermittent coral heads, among which groupers and snappers are common. Visiting pelagic species are found on the slope.
Previous Dive Sites