The Philippines is a land rich with natural beauty. Its favorable position in the coast of Southeast, having one of the longest coastlines in world with more that 7,000 islands, having a 40,000 sq km of coral reefs and a stunning variety of marine life there is no doubt that the Philippines offers a breathtaking underwater paradise.

The country has a large range of world-class dive sites from fresh water caves to drift dives along walls. Some of the diving havens of the country are:

Anilao
Anilao is a town in Batangas and one of the well-known diving and snorkeling sites in the Philippines and the closest to Manila with 140 km south of the city. It is an ideal diving site for beginners as well as for advanced divers for it offers 24 diving sites along the coast of Anilao and Maricaban Island. Diving here is mainly coral slopes and shallow gardens. Some of the famous diving sites in Anilao are as follows:

> Cathedral is the most popular site with an average of 19 meters and a maximum of 30 meters depth with a strong current. This site resembles a roofless cavern blessed with two large sea mounts. It is a Marine Park Sanctuary for a new coral has been seeded and it’s teeming with fish. There are numerous numbers of colourful sponges, sea squirts, feather duster worms as well as algae and stony corals with Christmas-tree worms.

> Ligpo Island has an average of 27 meters to maximum of 61 meters depth. Although it is possible to get around on the island in one dive it is important to consider the strong current in this site. On the east side of the island is a cave and an undersea mount with deep slope on the west side. Pelagic species appears on the west side during the strong current.

> Malajibomaoc has a hot spring and an average of 10 meters and 24 meters maximum depth. It is rich of corals such as barrel sponges and crinoids. Here can also find a number of schools of fish along the area such as parrotfish, groupers, batfish, cornetfish, as well as blacktip reef sharks.

The water temperature here is very comfortable all year round, ranging from 25-28°C during summer and 22-25°C during rainy season. Most of the diving areas can be access within 5 to 40 minutes by local boat (bangka). The visibility in these areas ranging from 60 to 80 feet and the water current varies from non-existent to strong.

Puerto Galera
Puerto Galera is one of the municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, 15 km off the southwest coast of Luzon. Puerto Galera is famous for its stunning beaches, coral reefs and breath taking dive sites for novice and experienced divers. Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, Puerto Galera is a home to a remarkable assortment of ocean life.

Some of the exquisite diving sites found here are:

> Manila Channel located between Medio and Boquete Island with an average depth of 12 meters and a maximum depth of 18 meters, is an excellent site for novice divers, for its usually calm condition with gentle current. Here one can find a numerous numbers of stony and soft corals as well as schools of fish, such as clownfish, lion fish, and other colourful reef fish.

> Hole in the Wall is found on the west of Escarceo Point. It has an average 12 meters and a maximum of 20 meters depth. The condition in this area is sometimes rough with strong currents. This is a very popular dive site, for swimming in a hole will lead the diver into an area of with of stunning corals and wide variety of reef fish, huge trevallies, pennantfish, moray eels as well as shoals of parrot fish, tuna and groupers.

> St. Christopher Wreck situated on the west of Sabang, this diving site is recommended for advanced divers only. It has a depth of 15-22 meters. This old wooden cargo boat has become a home for plenty of lion fish, snapper and assorted reef fish.

> Sabang Point can be found on the east of Sabang, the condition here is usually calm with slight current. The depth of this area is between 15- 22 meters. Here can find a beautiful dropping wall within 22 meters with soft and stony corals and colourful crinoids together with large quality of fish and invertebrates. It is a best site for night dive.

Bohol
The province of Bohol is situated in the center of the Visayan region. It is considered to be the 10th largest island in the country. It is one of the famous tourist destinations in the country. It is known for its lure drawn the by the rare faunas, panoramic view and long white sand beaches. Some of the finest diving site can also be found in this enigmatic place. Here you can find a wide variety of corals, walls, reef fishes, other forms of marine animals.

> Panglao is a small coralline and limestone island known for its peaceful beach resorts, and several diving sites. Located near the island of Balicasag and Cabilao, this island has some great sites for beginner and advance divers. One can easily access the diving site in this area, for it is about 5-40 by boat. The reefs here are covered with strong and soft corals, sacrophyton and wide varieties of lobophyton. The schools of tuna, mackerel and other reef fish can be seen near its cliff. Shoals of large pelagic fish, scorpion fish, moray eels and reef shark are found in its maximum depth. The island is known as the centre of seashell trade. The shallow dives usually drop from 10- 60 meters.

> Balicasag Island is about 10 kilometers to the southwest of Panglao. On the southern side of the island is a 400 meter Marine Sanctuary characterized by vertical walls over strong current deep water. There are world class diving site in the area: Rico’s wall, here can find an amazing coral garden on a shelf ranging from 7 to 11 meters. A large amount of nudibranches, sea stars, crinoids, hydroids, reef fish and anemones can also be seen in the garden. Drop down to few more meters of the wall then one can encounter sea lionfish, moray eels, reef sharks as well as barracuda. Also seen in the deep are varieties of sponges decorated on the wall; Black Forest is a site for advance divers, located on the north of the island with an average depth of 20 meters and a maximum depth of 40 meters, with its black coral bushes it is a nice dive site where in one can have a chance to see shoals of barracudas and mackerels as well as snappers and colorful batfish. There are also an abundant number of sea stars, sea cucumbers and crinoids.

> Cabilao Island is found on the west coast of Bohol. This 7.2 sq km island offers a dive site with wonderful reef as well as the shoals of hammerhead sharks. It is also a best area for night dive wherein one can see Pegasus, stargazers as well as sea horses. Lighthouse has a slope covered with sea grass and corals where one can have a sight of pegasus, sea horses, ghost pipefish, devil fish, jackfish, barracudas, hammerhead and white-tipped reef sharks as well. It depth reaches from 25 to 30 meters. The Fallen Tree has a maximum depth of 60 meters, this site is richly covered with sea fans and black corals, of barracudas, turtles, frogfishes and nudibranches are also nesting in this area.

Apo Island
Apo Island is a small volcanic island, positioned in Mindanao Sea. It is a marine sanctuary that gradually slopes with a shallow wall. The island serves as home to over 650 documented species of fish and not more than 400 species of corals. It has nine dive sites ranging from 14 to 50 meters depth. Apo Island is an internationally acclaimed dive site. Some of the well known dive sites in the island are:

> Marine Sanctuary is a shallow dive with a depth maximum of 40 meters. The reef top is a home of corals and reef fish. There are also a numerous number of anemones particularly clown fish and giant frog fish. The visibility of the area is much better than the other dive site in the country. This is also a nice snorkeling site.

> Coconut Point is a deep dive site, with a very steep slope wall that goes more than 60 meters. It is recommended for advance divers only for its roughly strong currents. Here can find shoals of jackfish, barracudas, mackerels as well as sharks. Also found here are wide varieties of corals.

Camiguin
Camiguin Island is one of the most beautiful islands in the country. Positioned off the northern coast of Mindanao with a total area of 229.8 km the island is considered as the second smallest province in the country. This enchanted pear shape island offers a great dive site.

> Kantaan is a best site for experienced divers. Here can find fields of acropora coral and lettuce coral as well as schools of aquarium fish. There are also stingrays and white tip sharks beneath the coral tables. The current here is very rough.

> Burias Shoal with its stiff current, advanced divers would surely enjoy the site of black coral forest that serves as a hiding place for black snappers and long nose emperors. Here one can also find coral bommies covered with orange anthias and soft corals. There are also schools of jacks swirl, mackerels and barracudas and shoals of tuna.

> Old Volcano is a unique lava formation covered by purple dendronepthya corals, serves as a home for tropical fishes such as anthias, anemones, jacks and napoleon with munching turtles at sponges.

> Jicduf Shoal is one of the best dive sites in the island. It offers wide variety of marine life. It serves as a home to colonies of leather and diverse corals. Here one can encounter horde of electric blue damselfishes as well as eagle rays.

Boracay
Boracay, nestling on a blue green sea along the northern tip of Panay is not only known for its exquisite beaches and relaxed atmosphere but also for its world class dive site. This tropical paradise is a good site for novice divers, having a wide variety of dive site, from gentle slopes to deep drop. There can find different kind of fishes, numerous varieties of coral and shells and other sea animals. Go deep diving and there big chance of having a close encounter with large sharks.

Some of the well known dive site in Boracay are:

> Yapak located at the northwest point of Boracay, this area is just 20 minutes by boat. It offers a great opportunity to encounter large marine life. Its depth ranges from 30-60 meters and has a visibility that can reach up to 25 meters and because of its rough surface condition it is recommended only for experienced divers. There are two separated walls covered with large barrel sponges, soft corals, gorgonians. Some of the marine species that can be seen in the area are sharks, barracudas, tunas, surgeon fish, sweetlips, napoleons, groupers, jacks, as well as large eagle rays and sea snakes.

> Crocodile Island, situated on the southern tip of Bocaray, this dive site can be access within 15 minutes by boat. Currents here are rough and strong, with a depth of 5-20 meters. It has walls that gently slope with a great variety of coral. This island has an 8 m swim that is worth exploring. There are also several canyons and caves that contains diverse fishes.

> Friday Rock, probably the most famous dive site in the island, situated on the west coast of Boracay and can be access by boat within 10 minutes. The average depth of this area is 18 meters. It houses a wide variety of fishes from wrasses, tangs, damselfishes to stringrays and scorpionfish. Here can find feeding station where one can have a close encounter with angelfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, snappers as well as groupers.

Cebu
Cebu one of the best travel destination in the country has dazzling white sand beaches that offer diving among most of it water spots. A few to mention are:

> Malapascua Island is situated on the northtip of Cebu. A beautiful island with clear blue water, white sand beaches and lush palm tress, simply a paradise on its own. This island is popular for its snorkling and diving sites. It is the best place to meet friendly thresher sharks. Thresher sharks are huge, grow up to a length of 5- 6 meters, and can leap clear of water.

> Monad Shoal also known as the Shark Point has a maximum depth of 200 meters. It is an underwater island famous for its thresher sharks. This area also serves as a cleaning station for manta and eagle rays as well as hammerheads sharks.

> Capitancillo Island, located north of Mactan Island. This dive site has an average depth of 25-30 meters. It is recommended for advanced divers since the current here are usually roughly strong. Here one can spot large pelagic species such as sharks as well as reef fishes. It has shallow reef tops leading to a drop offs with colorful variety of corals. The area has wall on its south side with gorgonians and coral formations. There are also numerous numbers of manta and eagle rays.

> Gato Island, a famous sea snake sanctuary. It is a good site to see whitetip sharks particularly during the month of November to May. There are magnificent coral formation as well as sponges and gorgonians. Here can also find abundance of cuttlefish, seahorses, nudibranches, frogfish, scorpionfish, squids and mackerels. The depth of the site ranges from 20-24 meters.

Palawan
Palawan, approximately 580 km south of Manila. This island has been declared as a natural sanctuary of the world. With its majestic mountains, mantel of rainforest, caves, clear beaches and exceptional dive sites. Here can find the Asia's best marine park, the 33,200 hectare Tubbataha Reef. The reef serves as a home to 10,000 coral reefs, almost 500 species of fish and nestling species of marine turtles and marine mammals. It lies 182 km southeast of Puerto Princesa and can only be access by live-aboard boats.

> Bird Island, situated on the north face of the north atoll, this site drop offs up to 60 meters. The current here can be roughly strong. The best months to visit this area are during the month of March to June. The walls here have huge gorgonians, soft and strong corals, blacktip, whitetip and graytip reef sharks. There are also numbers of snappers, surgeonfish, groupers and jacks.

> Amos Rock is found on the southern part of the north islet. It is a site for advanced divers for its fiercely current. Its maximum depth is 70 meters and can only be access by live aboard boats. Some of the attractions on this area are whitetip and graytip reef sharks and there also eagle and manta rays, turtles a well as angelfish, surgeonfish and other marine life.