Apo Island
Apo Island sits 30 kilometres south of Dumaguete, and it is a genuine highlight of any Dumaguete scuba diving trip. It is part of a marine sanctuary with records of over 400 types of coral and 650 species of fish. The excellent visibility rarely changes, allowing you a clear sight of the fantastic coral coverage and rich marine life. There is a small human population here that survives upon fishing permitted using only traditional techniques in certain restricted areas. Turtles are everywhere. So are jacks, trevallies, and schools of barracuda. Currents range from gentle to strong depending on the site, so a dive at Apo can suit both beginners on the sheltered slopes and experienced drift divers on the exposed points.
The Chapel and Coconut Point are the 2 must-do sites. The Chapel offers a wall riddled with overhangs and small caverns, home to black and white snappers, barracuda, dogtooth tuna, leaf fish and countless nudibranchs. Coconut Point is the classic drift dive: you let the current carry you over a reef dense with soft corals, barrel sponges and large schools of jacks and fusiliers. There is a sheltered sandy patch between 2 walls where you can pause to look for turtles, manta rays or even whale sharks. Both sites reach 30-35 metres and are best suited to intermediate divers.
For calmer diving in Dumaguete, Katipanan is a gentle slope that rarely exceeds 18 metres. Green sea turtles graze here constantly, while nudibranchs and shrimps hide in the coral rubble. Rocky Point West delivers the region's best hard coral coverage - staghorn, table and mushroom corals compete for space, while frogfish, cuttlefish and banded sea kraits are regular sightings. Mamsa Point is for advanced divers only; fierce currents attract big-eye trevally, reef sharks and eagle rays, but conditions can prevent entry entirely. Other worthwhile sites include Baluarte with its geothermal bubble streams, Largahan on dark volcanic sand, and the main Marine Sanctuary where corals and anemones thrive.
Whether you visit as a day trip from Dauin or as part of a liveaboard, Apo Island deserves at least 2 days. Come prepared for cool thermoclines, bring a reef hook for Coconut Point, and leave time to rest on the island's beach between the dives.
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Apo Island]
Dauin
Dauin is a little diving spot and a suburb about 12 km south of Dumaguete city centre where there are a number of fabulous sites along the coast. As a marine sanctuary, fishing is not permitted and in fact boat traffic is also not allowed. Some of the Dauin dive sites can only be accessed by shore. There are a number of artificial reefs here too and these are popular among everyone, from beginner divers to salty old photographers.
Most divers come to Dauin for one reason: the muck. And Dauin delivers. A Dumaguete dive trip focused on this coastline means spending your bottom time on black volcanic sand, combing through old car parts and tyre piles for the weirdest creatures in the Indo-Pacific. The Cars and El Dorado are the stars, artificial reefs built from discarded vehicles where flamboyant cuttlefish hunt, pygmy pipehorses cling to whip corals, and orangutan crabs hide inside barrel sponges. San Miguel offers more of the same: cockatoo waspfish, stargazers, and mimic octopus changing shape before your eyes. These are shallow dives, five to twenty metres, which means long bottom times and serious photo opportunities.
For those who want to dive Dumaguete's full range of macro life, Lipayo Point and Secret Corner are essential. Lipayo Point is the blue-ringed octopus capital. Dawn or dusk visits reward patient divers with these venomous beauties hunting over the rubble, alongside wonderpus and broadclub cuttlefish. Secret Corner lives up to its name: a quiet, stone-strewn slope where mimic octopus, poison ocellate octopus, and more blue-rings hide in plain sight. Masaplod Norte offers something different. At dusk, mandarinfish perform their spiralling courtship dance above the sand, while hundreds of spotted garden eels wave from their burrows during daylight.
Dumaguete diving in Dauin is not all muck. Atmosphere and Pyramid mix black sand with healthy reef patches and artificial structures. Frogfish of several colours live on the bommies, schools of snapper and fusilier drift overhead, and turtles graze the coral. The Pier, actually a working public pier, becomes a macro wonderland at night: octopus species under the pylons, flatworms and nudibranchs crawling on the wood, batfish silhouetted against surface lights. Whether you shore dive or take a short boat ride, each site rewards slow, careful exploration. Bring a guide who knows the rubble patches. Bring patience. Dauin will show you things you will not see anywhere else in the Philippines.
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Diving at Siquijor
The little island of Siquijor lies less than 30 kilometres east of Dumaguete. Known as the Island of Fire, it enjoys consistent weather and sea conditions, largely unaffected by extreme monsoons. The island also has a local reputation for witchcraft, but the real magic is underwater. Dozens of dive sites ring the coast, offering vibrant reefscapes, superb macro life, occasional shark and ray encounters, and even endemic species. For anyone planning a Dumaguete scuba diving trip, adding Siquijor provides a welcome change of pace from the muck of Dauin and the currents of Apo Island.
Maite Sanctuary
ou start this dive in Dumaguete's eastern neighbour by descending to 16 metres and on to a white sandy slope that is home to many fascinating critters including ribbon eels, nudibranchs, frogfish, bannerfish, longnose butterflyfish and lionfish. As you make you way into shallower sections where coral patches become more frequent there are a number of fun swimthroughs between them. There are a lot of crustaceans living in the fissures of the reef although the shrimps and crabs really come out at night. That is one reason it is popular for night diving. Here there is a good number of brightly coloured mandarinfish who can be seem mating at Maite at dusk. Ironic that a site whose name means cemetery should be a place where you can witness the beginnings of life.
Paliton Wall
The wall begins at 8m and drops down to a floor at 32m, and deeper at one end. It is renowned as a site with reliably great visibility and a wall where you need to keep a close eye on your depth gauge. The wall itself is healthily populated by gorgonians and soft corals and features an overhang and a cave to explore. You can see many of the typical creatures of the area including frogfish, moray eels and ghost pipefish. You can also spot the spectacular sight of a Spanish dancer. As you make your way along, the wall becomes and sandy slope littered with slow-moving nudibranchs and fast-scuttling mantis shrimps.
San Juan Pier
A night dive favourite. The old pier structure is encrusted with featherstars, sponges, and hydroids. Under the lights, you see everything: bobbit worms retracting into their burrows, squid hunting at the edge of the beam, and flatworms gliding across the pylons. Mandarinfish are common here at dusk, performing their courtship ritual. The bottom is silt so fin control is essential, but the rewards are worth the caution. For macro lovers, this is an essential Dumaguete dive experience and proof that the best critters often live right under a busy pier.
Tubod Sanctuary
This is one of the most-loved dive sites of Siquijor and with good reason. This easy, shallow slope is suitable for divers of all levels with healthy coral and sponge coverage and many fun creatures to spot. Commonly sighted creatures include red-toothed triggerfish, surgeonfish, turtles, banded sea kraits, flutemouths and pufferfish. There are many anemones here with resident clownfish and many little colourful reef fish like anthias and chromis. You can also see giant frogfish, skeleton eels and even stargazers, if you can find them. Mating mandarinfish are also seen at this site at dusk. Tubod proves that diving in Dumaguete and its surrounding islands offers something for everyone, from beginners to seasoned spotters.
Tulapos Point
On Siquijor's northern coast, Tulapos Point is a shallow fringing reef that drops to a sandy slope at 20 metres. The feature here is a series of coral bommies, isolated heads that attract schools of fusiliers and snapper. Frogfish live on the bommies, and ghost pipefish hover near the crinoids. It is an easy dive with negligible current, ideal for beginners or a relaxing final dive of the trip.
Other dive sites among the best at Siquijor
Sawang has a series of swimthroughs, channels and fissures where you can spot myriad shrimp, frogfish, and a vast array of nudibranchs and flatworms. Poblacion is a site near to San Juan town where the pristine hard and soft corals offer shelter to orangutan crabs, ornate ghost pipefish, and banded pipefish. Larena Wreck is a small Japanese boat now lying at a maximum depth of 30m. While the structure is damaged beyond penetration, many artifacts are still visible. It is home to various sealife including frogfish, moray eels, trevallies, nudibranchs and surgeonfish, cardinalfish and lionfish. Silinog Wreck is a transport and cargo vessel that burned and sank in 1987 without loss of life. It is a deep but spectacular wreck lying at around 60m and so is only for the suitably experienced.
