Philippines Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving On Pristine Reefs With Whale Sharks And Hammerheads In The Coral Triangle

Liveaboard Diving in The Philippines

Philippines liveaboard diving offers the best scuba diving in the world around 7,107 islands, including whale shark dives at Oslob, thresher sharks at Malapascua and hammerheads, tiger sharks, whitetip sharks, turtles, manta rays, and eagle rays at Tubbataha Reef National Park in the Coral Triangle.

Philippines liveaboard diving offers the chance to enjoy amazing corals, see whale sharks, encounter an abundance of marine life and dive on numerous wrecks too. The Philippines is located on the northern corner of the Coral Triangle, and is made up of 7,107 islands, which is spread across 300,000 square kilometres (115,000 square miles), and therefore means a great choice of dive sites.

Many of these islands can only be reached by Philippines liveaboard, such as Apo Island and Tubbataha Reef, which is in the world famous Tubbataha Reef National Park.

“The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 96,828ha, including the North and South Atolls and the Jessie Beazley Reef. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands. The reef ecosystems support over 360 species of coral and almost 700 species of fish. The remote and undisturbed character of the property and the continued presence of large marine fauna such as tiger sharks, cetaceans and turtles, and big schools of pelagic fishes such as barracuda and trevallies add to the aesthetic qualities of the property.” Unesco – Tubbataha Reef National Park.

The Philippines is home to over 1,200 species of marine life, which includes colourful macro species too. The Philippines is also known for many pelagic species of fish, and in particular thresher sharks, which can be seen around Malapascua Island.

Tubbataha Reef, which is 150 kilometres (94 miles) from land, is home to a variety of sharks and dolphin species, whereas Donsol, Oslob and Sogod Bay have become a destination known for the population of whale sharks there. The Philippines is also a place to spot seahorses and the beautiful mandarin fish.

Philippines Liveaboard Dive Sites

Liveaboard diving in Malapascua

Malapascua is off the north of Cebu and is where you can see thresher sharks, whitetip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, sea snakes, frogfish, seahorses, rays (including blue spotted rays and manta rays), turtles, nudibranchs and moray eels.

You can enjoy caverns and swim-throughs in this area, but be aware certain areas like Monad Shoal have strong currents, which beginner divers will not have experience to dive.

Liveaboard diving in Tubbataha Reef National Park

Liveaboard diving in Tubbataha Reef National Park is a World Heritage Site, and is regarded as one of the best places in the world to dive. Tubbataha Reef lies within the Coral Triangle, which is made up of Jessie Beazley Reef, North Atoll and South Atoll.

Tubbataha dive sites at the North and South Atolls and Jessie Beazley Reef often have strong currents, which is for experienced divers only who can handle currents. But where there are currents, you normally find a big diversity of marine life.

At Tubbataha Reef you have the chance to encounter whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, whitetip reef sharks, lots of turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, marbled stingrays, dolphins, Napoleon wrasse, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, thriving corals and large shoals of fish.

Best Time To Dive Philippines

The Philippines diving season is year-round and sea temperatures range from 23-30°C (73-86°F). There are two seasons in the Philippines, You have the dry season from March to June when sea temperatures are at their warmest, and you can get typhoons in the months of September to December.

The best time to dive to see whale sharks in the Philippines is March to May.